Adjoint sensitivity analysis of nonlinear distortion in RF circuits

Abstract

Recently, an efficient moments based method for computing the third order intercept point of RF circuits was proposed. The moments based approach did not however provide sensitivity information. In this paper we propose a new method based on moments of the adjoint network. This new approach provides both the third order intercept point as well as its sensitivity in a very computationally efficient manner. As is generally the case in adjoint based methods, the sensitivity is provided with respect to all circuit parameters simultaneously.

Direct Sensitivity Analysis of Nonlinear Distortion in RF Circuits Using Multidimensional Moments

“…The adjoint sensitivity approach was recently applied to the moments method in [13] and [14] with excellent results, thereby providing crucial insight into the circuit performance. However, if the distortion sensitivity was required for several outputs in the circuit, such as at each stage of a multistage amplifier, or at the output of a differential amplifier, then the adjoint moments sensitivity analysis algorithm had to be repeated for each variable.…”