Switchless Class-G Power Amplifiers: Generic Theory and Design Methodology Using Packaged Transistors

Fang，Xiaohu; Chen，Ruiyuan; Shi，Jie

2024

10.1109/TMTT.2024.3351852

IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques   影响因子和分区

0018-9480

1557-9670

This article develops a complete theory of the switchless Class-G (SLCG) power amplifier (PA) and proposes a new design method that allows for operating commercial packaged transistors in high-efficiency SLCG mode over a wide frequency band. It starts with a comprehensive analysis that investigates the impact of various transistor and circuit parameters on the SLCG PA’s key performances. Then, design equations are derived to produce SLCG prototypes with optimal back-off efficiency and gain flatness. Moreover, to overcome the difficulty of applying classical SLCG circuits to packaged devices, a new SLCG output combining network (OCN) is developed to absorb various transistors and package parasitic while maintaining the load conditions that enable the wideband SLCG operation. This expands the applicable scope of the SLCG technique and yields packaged-transistor-based, wideband, and high-efficiency SLCG PAs. For validation, a 1–3-GHz SLCG PA is designed using the proposed method with commercial packaged transistors. Measurements under continuous-wave (CW) excitations reveal that, over 1–3 GHz, the proposed SLCG PA can provide the saturation output power ( $P_{\mathrm{sat}})$ of 36.5–38.7 dBm and deliver the drain efficiency (DE) of 39.2%–49.1%, 45.4%–51.2%, and 47.8%–57.7% at power levels that are 7.5-, 6-, and 0-dB back-off from $P_{\mathrm{sat}}$ , respectively. Moreover, when excited by a 40-MHz 64-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulated signal over 1–3 GHz, the PA realizes an average DE of 39%–49.2% at an average output power of 28.8–31.6 dBm and maintains an error vector magnitude (EVM) of about 1.2% and adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) of below $-$ 46 dBc after digital predistortion (DPD).

Broadband GaN high efficiency Impedance Mathematical models packaged transistor Peak to average power ratio Switching circuits switchless Class-G power amplifier (SLCG PA) Total quality management Transistors Wideband

SCI ; EI

英语

第一

20240415438211

Broadband amplifiers ; Efficiency ; Gallium nitride ; III-V semiconductors ; Light amplifiers ; Microwave circuits ; Switching circuits ; Timing circuits ; Transistors

Semiconducting Materials:712.1 ; Amplifiers:713.1 ; Pulse Circuits:713.4 ; Semiconductor Devices and Integrated Circuits:714.2 ; Production Engineering:913.1

ENGINEERING

2-s2.0-85182921479

Scopus

School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

Fang，Xiaohu,Chen，Ruiyuan,Shi，Jie. Switchless Class-G Power Amplifiers: Generic Theory and Design Methodology Using Packaged Transistors[J]. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques,2024,PP(99):1-13.

Fang，Xiaohu,Chen，Ruiyuan,&Shi，Jie.(2024).Switchless Class-G Power Amplifiers: Generic Theory and Design Methodology Using Packaged Transistors.IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques,PP(99),1-13.

Fang，Xiaohu,et al."Switchless Class-G Power Amplifiers: Generic Theory and Design Methodology Using Packaged Transistors".IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques PP.99(2024):1-13.