Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-7qhmt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T23:48:16.124Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

High efficiency continuous mode RF power amplifier based on second and third harmonic manipulation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 July 2020

Firas M. Ali*
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq
Mahmuod H. Al-Muifraje
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq
Thamir R. Saeed
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq
*
Author for correspondence: Firas M. Ali, E-mail: firas.alraie@ieee.org

Abstract

Continuous mode class-J radio-frequency (RF) power amplifier is a promising technique that extends the operating bandwidth of the conventional class-B power amplifier. However, the maximum theoretical efficiency is limited to that of the class-B power amplifier. In this paper, an enhanced mode of operation for the class-J power amplifier is proposed by incorporating a third harmonic voltage component to produce an optimum waveform for maximizing the fundamental voltage component and thereby to increase the drain efficiency and introduce a new design space. A detailed derivation for the necessary relations of output power, drain efficiency, and the required harmonic load impedances is provided, showing a significant improvement in theoretical maximum efficiency from 78.5 to 89.8%. In order to confirm the developed analytic approach, a 10 W prototype amplifier model was designed and fabricated to operate within the global system for mobile communications (GSM) frequency band 850–950 MHz using a commercial GaN power high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). The experimental results have indicated that the drain efficiency of the circuit varies from 68 to 80% within the desired band.

Type
Power Amplifiers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Hayati, M, Zarghami, S and Grebennikov, A (2019) Design of a compact 2.4 GHz class-F power amplifier with high power added efficiency. IETE Journal of Research. Available at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03772063.2019.1644209 (Accessed 20 November 2019).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saad, P, Fager, C, Nemati, HM, Cao, H, Zirath, H and Anderson, K (2010) A highly efficient 3.5 GHz inverse class-F GaN HEMT power amplifier. International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies 2, 317324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cripps, SC, Tasker, PJ, Clarke, AI, Lees, J and Benedikt, J (2009) On the continuity of high efficiency modes in linear RF power amplifiers. IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters 19, 665667.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carrubba, V, Clarke, AL, Akmal, M, Lees, J, Benedikt, J, Tasker, PJ and Cripps, SC (2010) The continuous class-F mode power amplifier. Proceedings of the 40th European Microwave Conference, Paris, France, September 2010, pp. 1674–1677.Google Scholar
Carrubba, VA, Clarke, L, Akmal, M, Yusoff, Z, Lees, J, Benedikt, J, Cripps, SC and Tasker, PJ (2011) Exploring the design space for broadband PAs using the novel continuous inverse class-F mode. Proceedings of the 41st European Microwave Conference, Manchester, UK, October 2011, pp. 333–336.Google Scholar
Chen, K and Peroulis, D (2012) Design of broadband highly efficient harmonic-tuned power amplifier using in-band continuous class-F−1/F mode transferring. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 60, 41074116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moon, J, Kim, J and Kim, B (2010) Investigation of a class-J power amplifier with a nonlinear C out for optimized operation. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 58, 28002811.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, P, Lees, J, Benedikt, J, Tasker, PJ and Cripps, SC (2009) A methodology for realizing high efficiency class-J in a linear and broadband PA. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 57, 31963204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, JB and Brazil, TJ (2013) Nonlinear electrothermal GaN HEMT model applied to high-efficiency power amplifier design. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 61, 444454.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tuffy, N, Zhu, A and Brazil, TJ (2011) Class-J RF power amplifier with wideband harmonic suppression. Proceedings of the 2011 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium, Baltimore, Maryland, June 2011.Google Scholar
Mimis, K, Morris, KA and McGeehan, JP: A 2 GHz GaN Class-J power amplifier for base station applications. Proceedings of the 2011 IEEE Topical Conference on Power Amplifiers for Wireless and Radio Applications, Phoenix, Arizona, January 2011.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tuffy, N, Guan, L, Zhu, A and Brazil, TJ (2012) A simplified broadband design methodology for linearized high-efficiency continuous class-F power amplifiers. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 60, 19521963.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colantonio, P, Giannini, F, Leuzzi, G and Limiti, E (2000) High efficiency low-voltage power amplifier design by second-harmonic manipulation. International Journal of RF and Microwave Computer-Aided Engineering 10, 1932.3.0.CO;2-G>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raab, FH (1997) Class-F power amplifiers with maximally flat waveforms. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 45, 20072012.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raab, FH (2001) Maximum efficiency and output of class-F power amplifiers. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 49, 11621166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kazimierczuk, MK (2015) RF Power Amplifiers, 2nd Edn. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Juhas, A and Novak, L (2009) Comments on class-E, class-C, and class-F power amplifier based upon a finite number of harmonics. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 57, 16231625.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Juhas, A and Novak, L (2015) Closed form of optimal current waveform for class-F PA up to fourth harmonic. Sadhana 40, 425436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raffo, A, Scappaviva, F and Vannini, G (2009) A new approach to microwave power amplifier design based on the experimental characterization of the intrinsic electron-device load line. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 57, 17431752.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jang, H, Roblin, P and Xie, Z (2014) Model-based nonlinear embedding for power-amplifier design. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 62, 19862002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saxena, S, Rawat, K and Roblin, P (2017) Continuous class-B/J power amplifier using embedding technique. IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs 64, 837841.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ali, FM, Al-Muifraje, MH and Saeed, TR (2018) A new technique for the characterization and design of class-F RF power amplifiers. Proceedings of the 2018 Third Scientific Conference of Electrical Engineering (SCEE), Baghdad, Iraq, December 2018, pp. 168–173.Google Scholar
Mimis, K, Morris, KA, Bensmida, S and McGeehan, JP (2012) Multichannel and wideband power amplifier design methodology for 4 G communication systems based on hybrid class-J operation. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 60, 25622570.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, Z, Yang, G and Liu, F (2014) An easily implementable structure for broadband high efficiency class-J power amplifier. Proceedings of the 2014 IEEE Workshop on Electronics, Computer and Applications, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 2014, pp. 786–790.Google Scholar
Giannini, F and Scucchia, L (2009) A complete class of harmonic matching networks: synthesis and application. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 57, 612619.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xie, D, You, CJ, Yang, Y, Zhu, X, Du, X and Han, K (2017) Broadband and highly efficient class-J power amplifier with compact output matching network. Proceedings of the Sixth Asia-Pacific Conference on Antennas and Propagation, Xi'an, China, October 2017.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, G, Zhang, Z, Cheng, Z, Li, S and Zhang, M (2019) A broadband high efficient class-J power amplifier with compact matching network. IEICE Electronics Express 16, 17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar