Amplifiers with very good linearity (low distortion) over a wide dynamic range can be complex and expensive to design and manufacture. This project will investigate a combined analog-digital approach to improve the linearity of voltage amplifiers. By actively measuring and characterising the non-linearity of an amplifier it is possible to pre-distort the input signal to reduce the total harmonic distortion. As the price of digital components has rapidly decreased over recent years this makes it feasible to design low-cost, low-distortion, amplifiers.
The project will first research and design a digital system for measuring and modelling the non-linear distortion in a low-power voltage amplifier. The non-linear model will then be used to shape the input signal to minimise the effect of the inherent amplifier distortion.
The project will require students with skills in analog and digital design, embedded software development, and digital signal processing
Undergraduate
The outcomes of the project will be (a) a fully digital system for measuring and characterising the non-linear system behavior, (b) a digital-analog system for shaping the input signal, (c) a means for measuring and quantifying the improvement in linearity
None
Lab allocations have not been finalised