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A Novel Configuration of a Microstrip Microwave Wideband Power Amplifier

for Wireless Application

Article in TELKOMNIKA (Telecommunication Computing Electronics and Control) · February 2018

DOI: 10.12928/TELKOMNIKA.v16i1.7369

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TELKOMNIKA, Vol.16, No.1, February 2018, pp. 224~231
ISSN: 1693-6930, accredited A by DIKTI, Decree No: 58/DIKTI/Kep/2013
DOI:10.12928/TELKOMNIKA.v16i1.7369  224

A Novel Configuration of a Microstrip Microwave

Wideband Power Amplifier for Wireless Application
*1 2 3 4
Amine Rachakh , El Abdellaoui Larbi , Zbitou Jamal , Ahmed Errkik , Abdelali
5 6
Tajmouati , Latrach Mohamed
1, 2,3,4,5
LMEET, FST of Settat Hassan 1st University Settat, Morocco.
University Complex, Casablanca Road, Km 3.5, B.P: 577 Settat, Morocco.
6
Microwave group ESEO Angers France, 10 Bd Jeanneteau - CS 90717 49107 ANGERS CEDEX 2.
*Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract
RF/microwave power amplifier (PA) is one of the components that has a large effect on the
overall performance of communication system especially in transmitter system and their design is decided
by the parameters of transistor selected. This letter presents a new concept of a wide-band microwave
amplifier using scattering parameters that is often used in the radio frequency communication systemas an
application of the active integrated antenna[1- 2]. This power amplifier operates from 1.75 GHz to 2.15GHz
frequency and it is based on AT-41410 NPN transistor that has a high transition frequency of 10GHz. The
proposed Single Stage PA is designed by microstrip technology and simulated with Advanced Design
System (ADS) software. The simulation results indicate good performances; the small power gain (S21) is
changed between 11.8 and 10dB. For the input reflection coefficient (S11) is varied between -11 and -
22.5dB. Regarding the output reflection coefficient (S22) is varied between -13.1 and -18.7dB over the
wide frequency band of 1.75-2.15GHz and stability without oscillating over a wide range of frequencies.

Keywords: Wideband Power Amplifier, Microstrip Technology, Input matching, Output matching, Bipolar
Junction Transistors (BJTs), Advanced Design System (ADS)

Copyright © 2018 Universitas Ahmad Dahlan. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
As wireless communication technology advances, Microwave power amplifier becomes
an important study issue, because it is the key component of wireless communication
transmitter [3]. Communication quality and power consumption of the communication device
depend on performance of the amplifier. Although power amplifiers are parts of the transmitters
only, their design should take into consideration the general features of the full communications
system [4]. One of the key design goals for the power amplifier is a good impedance matching,
together with a wide bandwidth, a sufficiently large power gain range and a low power
consumption.
The wideband and the narrow band microwaves power amplifiers are very utilized in the
detection and the communication systems (radio communication, spatial telecommunication,
control system, radar detection …) [5]. The matching networks of these power amplifiers are
designed through distributed elements (transmission lines) or to basis of localized elements
(capacitors and inductances) orassociation of both techniques [6,12]. The employ of the
matching networks by the distributed elements or localized elements depend on the operation
frequency. Indeed, for low frequencies the localized elements are mostly used, and for the more
high frequencies the distributed elements are widely used, this for technological constraints and
the economic [9].
In this work, we present a new design of a wide-band microwave power amplifier using
the transistor AT-41410 that of type Si-BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor). This power amplifier
utilizes microstrip transmission lines matching to match the input and output at 50 Ohm. In what
follows, we present the design of a wide-band microwave power amplifier using s-parameters,
where we study the microwave amplifier in the DC mode and next we simulate the amplifier
using ADS (Advanced Design System) software. In addition, we show the performances of the
microwave wide-band amplifier. Finally, we conclude.

Received October 25, 2017; Revised December 18, 2017; Accepted March 3, 2018
TELKOMNIKA ISSN: 1693-6930  225

2. Design of a Wide-Band Microwave Power Amplifier Using S-Parameters

The block diagram of the microwave PA is presented in Figure 1. The impedance
matching network at the base and collector terminals of the BJT transistor is designed to match
the wide bandwidth signal with a 50 Ω system impedance. The bias network used to determine
the PA performance over tension as well as RF drive.

Figure 1. Basic microwave power amplifier schematic

In order to obtain good performancesfor a microwave power amplifier, the input and the
output impedances of the device must be matched. Among various types of matching networks
(MN) we can find:
a. Quarter-wave transformers.
b. Multi-section transformers.
c. Lumped Elements.
d. Microstrip line & single (or double) stub.
Microstrip amplifier are widely used for wireless applications as: military purposes,
satellite communication, GPS, missile systems, mobile etc. This kind of microwave amplifier
presents some advantages:
a. It has a very low fabrication cost.
b. Ease of manufacturing.
c. Easy in integration with microwave passive and active circuits.
According to idea noticed above as illustrated in Figure 1 we propose a wide-band
microwave PA with a microstrip technology and by using scattering parameters. This PA works
from 1.75 GHz to 2.15GHz frequency, we can increase or decrease the frequency band by
adding or removing the number of stubs in the input or the output side. Figure 2 gives the
proposed schematic of the overall microstrip microwave power amplifier.

Figure 2. Wide-band microwave power amplifier circuit

A Novel Configuration of a Microstrip Microwave Wideband Power Amplifier for… (A Rachakh)

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Figure 2(a). Input matching network circuit Figure 2(b). Output matching network circuit

Figure 2(c). Biasing circuit

The designs of PA, there are various common aims. These contain reducing the
reflections of the PA, producing large power gain with high output power and assuring stable
condition. Are all-important considerations [13]. In order to make a PA, the selection of active
device is critical. This is one of the most influential steps in designing a PA. Different types of
active devices are used for power amplifier applications. In accordance with specifications,
adequate transistor should be chosen for PA owing to its high gain and low cost [14]. The
numbers of transistors are finite at the frequency of applications. In this work, AT-41410 is
chosen.

3. DC-mode of Microwave Amplifier

To study the functioning of AT-41410 microwave transistor in DC mode, we raised the
characteristics network IC=f (VCE,IB) through the ADS software. Figure 3 shows this
characteristic network of AT-41410. For biasing the transistor in the linear zone of its
characteristic, we adopted the DC equivalent schematic of microwave power amplifier that is
shown in the Figure 4. We determine the resistances of biasing R1, R2, R3 and R4 allowing to
obtain the biasing point; IC=6mA, VCE=3V and IB=60µA from a bias source Vdc of 12V.

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TELKOMNIKA ISSN: 1693-6930  227

Figure 3. The Characteristics Network IC=f Figure 4. DC Equivalent Schematic of

(VCE, IB) of Transistor AT-41410 Microwave Power Amplifier

In order to determine the values of the biasing resistances, we should have four
equations; two equations are given from Kirchhoff's loop rule, whilst the two others from the two
following conditions: IB1=9 IB and we want a voltage fall to boundary-marks of R5 equals to 3V.
From the Figure 4, the resistance R1 can be calculated as:

VCE  VBE  R3 IC
R1  (1)
I B2
The value of resistance R2 is calculated by Equation (2):

VBE
R2  (2)
I B2

The value of resistance R3 is determined by Equation (3):

VCC  VCE  3.5

R3  (3)
IC
The value of the resistance R4 can be expressed as:

3.5
R4  (4)
10I B  IC

The polarization resistances are shown in the Table 1.

Table 1. Values of Polarization Resistors of the Proposed Power Amplifier

resistors Values (Ω)
R1 13000
R2 1500
R3 820
R4 470

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4. Simulation Results and Discussion

The proposed wide-band power amplifier was characterized by small and large-signal
simulations. The large-signal simulation were obtained by Harmonic Balanced simulator for
achieve variation of output power with corresponding input power. Where scattering parameters
simulations were utilized to get a small signal (Small-Signal Gain, Return loss ...).
Both small and large signal simulations have been executed by the advanced Design
System (ADS) software.
The simulation S-parameter result illustrated in figures below. As depicted figure 4
presents the variation of the power gain S21 and the unilateral transmission (S12) between
1.75GHz and 2.15GHz. it can be observed that this power gain changes between 11.7dB and
10dB. Thus, these values indicate a good amplification of the microwave PA over a wideband
and for the unilateral transmission; we notice that this parameter changes between -18.4 and -
19.3dB. These values are feeble. Consequently, the reflection of the power from load to source
is without effect.

Figure 4. Plot of the power gain (S21) & the reverse transmission (S12) versus frequency

Figure 5 illustrates the variation plot of the input return loss (S11) in the frequency band
1.75GHz-2.15GHz. We observed that the parameter S11 varied between -11dB and -22.5dB.
Thus, these values indicate a good input matching of the microwave PA over a wide-band and
the reflection of the signal from the PA input to the source is low. The output matching can be
determined by simulating the return loss (S22). Figure 6 shows the plot of this parameter. It can
be observed that the output matching is good since S22 changes between -13.1dB and -
18.7dB. So; the reflection of the signal from the PA output to the load is rather feeble.

Figure 5. Plot of the input reflection Figure 6. Plot of the output reflection
coefficient (S11) versus frequency coefficient (S22) versus frequency

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TELKOMNIKA ISSN: 1693-6930  229

The PA circuits must be stable in operating frequency band. That is primary to

RF/microwave circuits, due to RF/microwave circuits would generate oscillation in someone
operating frequency or some terminal conditions. These oscillations can raise the power gain of
PA significantly and the active device could be damaged. thus, the important step to designing
the power amplifier is to find the stability of the PA and combine the circuit components to
ensure the stability in operating frequency band [15]. The PA can be considered as a two-port
network that can be modelled by S parameter. thus, the absolute stability condition of PA can be
determined by the Equations (5), (6) and (7) [16] and [17]:

1 | S11 | ² | S22 | ² |  | ²
k 1 (5)
2 | S12S21 |

B1  1 | S11 | ² | S22 | ² |  | ²  0 (6)

|  || S11S22  S12S21 | (7)

Where: k is the Rolett factor.

B1 is the Stability measure.

In order to satisfy the unconditional stability and assure an input/output matching at

50Ohm of microwave PA, a Taper line was added in series to improve the stability at the emitter
path. This mean is easy to realize and the effect is better. Figure 7 represents the plots of the
stability measure B1 and the stability factor K versus frequency. From Figure 7, it can be
observed that B1>0 and K >1 over operating band 1.75GHz-2.15GHz. Thus, the conditions for
unconditional stability are validated on the working frequency band. Therefore, there is no risk to
get oscillations. We simulated the scattering parameters (Sij) to show the good functioning of
the microwave PA in the frequency range 1.70GHz-2.20GHz. As shown in Figure 8, this study
was conducted at 2GHz for power input range from -30 to 30dBm. The PA exhibits a saturated
output power of 8dBm at 1dB compression point.

Figure 7. Plot of the stability measure B1 Figure 8. Input power versus output power for
and the stability factor K versus 2 GHz
frequency

5. Layout for Wideband Power Amplifier Circuit

The amplifier is printed on an FR4 substrate with a relative permittivity of 4.4 ,a
thickness of 1.6mm, a metallization thickness t=0.035mm and a tangential loss of 0.025. The

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proposed wide-band amplifier has an overall size of about 66 x 65.3mm². Figure 9 shows the
Layout for the proposed PA.

Figure 9. Layout of proposed wide-band amplifier

Finally, we compared the proposed wideband power amplifier with other recently
published articles on state-of-the-art of power amplifiers, the results are shown in Table 2. It can
be remarked that the proposed wideband amplifier has considerably a power gain and reflection
coefficients over a wider bandwidth than other PAs, which verifies the results show excellent
performance of our design approach compared to the reported works.

Table 2. Comparision The Proposed Amplifier With Other Recently Amplifiers

The Proposed
Parameter [18] [19]
Amplifier
Process CMOS CMOS BJTs
Frequency (GHz) 1.65 to 2.00 1.70 to 3.10 1.75 to 2.15
Power Gain (dB) 5.1  5 9.8 11  0.5
Input Return Loss (dB) -21 -7 -22
Output Return Loss (dB) -8 - -18

6. Conclusion
In this paper, the proposed wide-band PA working from 1.75 GHz to 2.15 GHz had
been designed. A microstrip technology has been utilized in the PA design in order to meet the
design specification over the wide frequency ranges. The biasing circuits and matching
impedance are also accurately designed so that the design specifications are met with lowest
components. Optimization and tuning of the circuit are very important to confirm that the
amplifier yields the excellent performance. The simulation results of the final Single stage PA
illustrate that the power gain (S21) is above 11dB. The power gain was almost flat over the full
band, the unilateral transmission (S12) less than -19dB, the input return loss S11 is between -
11 and - 22dB, while the output return loss S22 ranges is between -13dB and -18dB. The
proposed wide-band power amplifier has an average saturated output power of 8dBm at 1dB
compression point and stability without oscillating in its required frequency band.

Acknowledgment
I would like to express my deep gratitude to Mr. Mohamed Latrach Professor in ESEO,
engineering institute in Angers, France, for allowing us to use electromagnetic solvers available
in his laboratory.

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 TELKOMNIKA ISSN: 1693-6930  231

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A Novel Configuration of a Microstrip Microwave Wideband Power Amplifier for… (A Rachakh)

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