[Amps] Why are we building amps rather then transmitters? (Tubes vs. Solid State)

[Dan Mills]

On Thu, 2012-05-03 at 17:29 -0400, W2XJ wrote:
> I agree. A complete transmitter would solve many technical issues and 
> depending on the implementation, could drastically improve performance. 
> Solid State broadcast transmitters that transmit digital carriers along 
> with analog and therefore must run in linear mode can achieve IMD under 
> -80 DBC using techniques most easily implemented in a composite unit. 
> For an I/Q interface, I think SDR has evolved to the point that Ethernet 
> is all that is required. Any control or tuning can use the same Ethernet 
> connection.

I was thinking in terms of taking the data (possibly as ethernet frames)
straight into a modest FPGA and then doing the upsample followed by
cordic carrier generation thing in the gate array. 
Something like a very modest cyclone III should suffice I would have
thought.

Output could be either full on EER/PWM or partial EER with cartesian
feedback via a high speed ADC with the loop closed right in the gate
array. 

Regards, Dan.