ECE 113 Lecture 17:

Power Amplifier
Design
Several References

1s1819 Revision October 2018

 RF Power Amplifier
Designed to deliver maximum output power of an
active device
Has an output power greater than or equal to 1
watt (30 dBm)
Transistors might heat up and can damage the test
equipment
Testing usually requires attenuators
Essential in wireless communication system
Extend range
Combat noise
Overcome system losses
PA Metrics : Power Gain, Bandwidth
Power Gain
Linear region ▪ Output Power (dB) - Input
Power (dB)
▪ Versus input power or
output power at a fixed
frequency
Bandwidth (Small-signal)
▪ Gain versus frequency at
low input power
▪ 3dB BW = f_hi – f_lo

Operating Band
PA Metrics : Output Power
P1dB (1 dB
compression point)
P1dB ▪ Output power at
Pmax which linear gain has
compressed by 1 dB
(measure of linear
power handling)

Pmax:
▪ maximum output
power (saturated
power)
▪ gain is
lost/compressed
PA Metrics : Linearity (IMD3)
▪ Two-tone Third-Order
Intermodulation Distortion
(IMD3)
IMD3 low = P(@2f1-f2) / P(@f1)
IMD3 high = P(@2f2-f1) / P(@f2)

▪ Third order intercept point

PA Metrics : Linearity (HD)

▪Harmonic
Distortion
HD2 = P(@2f)/P(@f)
HD3 = P(@3f)/P(@f)
PA Metrics : Efficiency
Power Added Efficiency
(PAE)

Drain Efficiency
Transistor Operation of the PA
 Conjugate vs. Loadline Match
Conjugate Match Loadline Match
✅Based On S-parameters
- Parasitics are taken into
account

✅Good for low-power, high- ✅Maximize the current and voltage

gain, low-noise designs swing of the transistor
- Extract the lowest impedance
❎Does not account for when the the voltage and current
device limits are at maximum

❎Might not being used to its

full capacity (max gain ≠ max
output power)
Conjugate vs. Loadline Match

Conjugate
match

Loadline
match
 PA Classes of Operation
Linear Power Amplifier
▪ Output is a perfect copy of the input, only larger
▪ No distortion
Overdriven Amplifier
▪ Overdrive condition (deliberate)
▪ Current clipping due to saturation
▪ Voltage clipping
▪ Increases efficiency at the cost of linearity
Switching Amplifier
▪ Transistor acts as a switch, heavily overdriven FET
▪ Zero overlap between the current and voltage
waveforms
Class A Power Amplifier
Gate Bias Voltage
- exact midpoint of linear
range-
Maximum Efficiency

Conduction Angle*
*Indicate how long the drain-
to-source current “conducts”
current in one cycle
Reduced Conduction Angle

▪ Increasing efficiency
- reduce Pdc by reducing
Idc

▪ Move the gate voltage

closer to cut-off to reduce
conduction angle

▪ Greater input drive

required at the gate
Reduced Conduction Angle
Reduced Conduction Angle

▪ Idc continues to decrease

▪ Fundamental current
starts to decrease
▪ Harmonics increase
▪ Output Termination
- Hi-Q Tank: open circuit
at resonant frequency;
short out current
components at the
harmonics
Switch Mode PA

Switch Closed
- AC Current flows into the switch
Switch Open
- Current flows into the load and
there is a voltage in the switch
Switch Mode PA – Class E

Series Resonant
Circuit + Phase
Shifter

Current path
when the switch
is open
Switch Mode PA – Class E
Switch Mode PA – Class E
Switch Mode PA – Class E
Switch Mode PA – Class E
Harmonic Manipulation – Class F

- Biased at Class B
-Use harmonic resonators in the output
network to shape the drain waveforms

- Current: half sine wave (includes even

harmonics)

- Voltage: square wave (includes odd

harmonics)

Inverse = “voltage and current

waveforms are swapped”
Harmonic Manipulation – Class F

- Biased at Class B
-Use harmonic resonators in the output
network to shape the drain waveforms

- Current: half sine wave (includes even

harmonics)

- Voltage: square wave (includes odd

harmonics)

Inverse = “voltage and current

waveforms are swapped”
Continuous Classes – Class J

- Same efficiency and performance as Class B

- Relax the impedance termination
requirements and can synthesize a family
of waveforms

- Fundamental impedance: addition of

inductive reactance
- Second Harmonic impedance: addition of
capacitive reactance
Continuous Classes – Class J
 Single Stage
RF Power Amplifier
Design in ADS
Wireless Communications Engineering Laboratory
 Single Stage RF Power Amplifier
VOUT

VIN Input Bias and N =1 : Fundamental

Stability Network N = 2 : Second Harmonic
Output N = 3 : Third Harmonic
Bias
Network
Input Output
RF Matching RF
Matching
Input Network Network Output
ZSN ZLN

transistor ZS – input/source
impedance
ZL – output/load
impedance
 Advanced Design System
GUI Simulation Software
Workspace
▪ Schematic Design
▪ Symbol
▪ Results
Design Kits – Manufacturer-provided models for
components/circuits
Customizable Design Guides – Example set-up for
designing various circuits/systems for communications
Smart Tools – Smith Chart Tool, Line Calc Tool, Filter
Design Tool
Design Steps
• DC IV Characteristics or DC Analysis
• Choose operating point!
• Load and Source Pull Analysis
• Choose load and source impedances!
• Stability Analysis
• Stability and Bias Network Design
• Make sure amplifier is unconditionally stable!
• Input and Output Matching Network Design
• Performance Simulation
• Further Optimization (includes iterative lay-out +
simulate process)
What’s next?
Board Lay-out
▪ Altium Designer
▪ ADS: Momentum (I have not yet tried this)
Fabrication service
▪ Elecrow, EPDC, 7pcb, etc.
Board Assembly
▪ WCEL (use oven, soldering iron, solder paste, hot
air, etc.)
What’s next?
Electrical Tests
▪ Continuity Test
▪ Stability Test
Characterization/ Actual Performance Measurement
▪ S-parameters (VNA) - small signal characteristics
▪ Output power measurement (power-meter) -
one-tone large signal characteristics
▪ Linearity measurement (two signal generators,
mixer, Spectrum analyzer) – two-tone large signal
characteristics
PA projects in UP WCEL
● Efficiency enhancement techniques
● Class J Doherty RF PA
● Doherty RF PA Input Drive Optimization
● Band reconfigurable RF PA
● Different architectures of RF PA: Chireix, Envelope tracking
● PA Wave Shaping Networks
● Class reconfigurable RF PA
● Controller for Input power reconfigurable RF PA
● Adaptive DPD for RF Amplifier Linearization
● RF Power Amplifier Efficiency Improvement under
Antenna Impedance Variation by Using a Tunable
Matching Network
PA projects in UP WCEL
PA projects in UP WCEL
PA projects in UP WCEL
 Thank you for listening!

Slides are adopted from Camille Corcega’s slides and a lot of resources listed below:
1. RF Circuit Design – C. Bowick
2. RF Power Amplifiers for Wireless Communications – S. Cripps
3. Advanced Techniques in RF Power Amplifier Design – S. Cripps
4. Distortion in RF Power Amplifiers – J. Vuolevi
5. Circuit Design for RF Transceivers – D. Leenaerts, J. Tang, C. Vaucher
6. Radio Frequency Transistors - N. Dye, H. Granberg
7. High Frequency Current Mode Class-D Amplifiers - A. L. Long
8. Complete Wireless Design - C. Sayre
9. Feedforward linear power amplifiers – N. Pothecary
10. Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit Design - Rogers, Plett
11. RF CMOS Power Amplifiers - Theory design and implementation - Hella, Ismail
12. Microwave Journal Magazine; 1996 – 2005
13. Portable Design Magazine; 2002 - 2005
14. High Frequency Electronics Magazine; 2002 – 2007
15. Keysight EEsof EDA Youtube tutorial videos
16. High Efficiency RF and Microwave Solid State Power Amplifiers – Colantonio, Giannini, Limiti