A new approach to dynamic range enhancement

This thesis evaluates a new approach for effectively increasing the dynamic range of optical fiber links for transporting RF signals. This new approach, called the Dynamic Range Enhancement Technique (DRET), is key to connecting remotely located microcell base station antenna sites to a centralized base station via optical fiber while maintaining a good dynamic range. This thesis examines the causes and characteristics of distortion introduced by the optical fiber link and describes and compares the performance of the DRET with other dynamic range enhancing techniques using computer simulation. In most instances, the DRET is shown to be superior both in reducing harmonic and intermodulation distortion compared to other dynamic range enhancement techniques. The DRET has several advantages over automatic gain control (AGC) including stability and the absence of parasitic modulation on weak signals caused by fading or transient high power signals.