GaN Power Amplifier Design using ADS2011

Anurag Bhargava Application Consultant Agilent EEsof EDA Agilent Technologies

Email: anurag_bhargava@agilent.com You Tube: www.youtube.com/user/BhargavaAnurag Blog: http://abhargava.wordpress.com

Outline
Introduction DC and Loadline analysis

Bias and Stability

LoadPull Matching using Smith Chart Utility SourcePull (Optional Step) PA Characterization Did we meet the specification? Optimize/Fine Tune the design Test Design with real world modulated signals

Why do we need a Power Amplifier?

Power Amplifiers (PA) are in the transmitting chain of a wireless system. They are the final amplification stage before the signal is transmitted, and therefore must produce enough output power to overcome channel losses between the transmitter and the receiver.

Basic Transmitter

Baseband

MOD

Driver

PA

OSC

PA requirements
The PA is typically the primary consumer of power in a transmitter. A major design requirement is how efficiently the PA can convert DC power to RF output power.

The design engineer has to often concern himself with the Efficiency of the Power

Amplifier. Notice that efficiency translates into either lower operation cost (e.g. cellular base station) or longer battery life (e.g. wireless handheld).

PA linearity is another important requirement, the input/ output relationship must

be linear to preserve the signal integrity.

The design of PAs often involves the tradeoff of efficiency and linearity.

Non-Linear model?
Good PA design starts with good Non-Linear device model and it is device vendors responsibility to provide good non-linear model to PA designers. There are various ways in which vendor can provide non-linear model: a. b. SPICE model (can be imported into ADS) Non-Linear model card i.e. provide parameters for standard model cards such as Curtice Cubic, Statz, BSIM etc (can be used directly in ADS)

c.

Design Kit for ADS containing the non-linear models (usually encrypted)

Non-Linear Model
In absence of Non-Linear model, following approaches can be used: Approach 1: Integrated Circuit Characterization and Analysis Program (ICCAP)
Powerful characterization and analysis capabilities for a broad range of semiconductor modeling processes. Includes instrument control, data acquisition, graphical analysis, simulation, optimization, and statistical analysis. IC-CAP Extraction Packages provide an automated procedure to measure and extract a particular model (BSIM4, PSP, HiSim HV, CMOS)

Approach 2: X-parameters revolutionize the Characterization, Design, and Modeling of nonlinear components and systems X-parameters are the mathematically correct extension of Sparameters to large-signal conditions.
Measurement and simulation based, device independent, identifiable from a simple set of automated NVNA measurements or directly from ADS circuit-level designs Fully nonlinear (Magnitude and phase of distortion) Cascadable (correct behavior in even highly mismatched environment) Extremely accurate for high-frequency, distributed nonlinear devices
Measure X-parameters -orGenerate X-parameters from circuit-level designs X-parameter Component : Simulate using Xparameters ADS, SystemVue & Genesys: Design using X-parameters

Evolution of the Tools & Measurements

Patchwork
TOOLS: SS & Oscilloscope Grease pens and Polaroid cameras Slotted line Power meter

S-Parameters
TOOLS: Vector Network Analyzer

S-Parameters + Figures of Merit

TOOLS: NA SA/SS/NFA Power meter Oscilloscope DC Parametric Analyzer

NVNA X-Parameters

MEASUREMENTS: Bode plots Gain SWR Scalar network analyzers Y & Z parameters

MEASUREMENTS: Gain Input match Output match Isolation Transconductance Input capacitance

MEASUREMENTS: Gain compression, IP3, IMD PAE, ACPR, AM-PM, BER Constellation Diagram, EVM GD, NF, Spectral Re-growth ACLR, Hot S22 Source and Load-Pull

High Power X-parameter Measurement System

Nonlinear Vector Network Analyzer (NVNA)

Vector (amplitude/phase) corrected nonlinear measurements from 10 MHz to 13.5, 26.5 43.5 50 GHz
Calibrated absolute amplitude and relative phase (crossfrequency relative phase) of measured spectra traceable to standards lab Up to 50 GHz of vector corrected bandwidth for time domain waveforms of voltages and currents of DUT Multi-Envelope domain measurements for measurement and analysis of memory effects
NVNA FW

X-parameters: Extension of Scattering parameters into the nonlinear region providing unique insight into nonlinear DUT behavior X-parameter extraction into ADS nonlinear simulation and design

NVNA can control external DC instruments (sweep and sense) during RF measurements

New phase calibration standard

Standard PNA-X with New Nonlinear features and capability

For more details: www.agilent.com/find/nvna

Power Amplifier Case Study for Webinar

For this webinar, we take case study of designing a RFMD GaN device based Power Amplifier design with following specifications: Parameters Centre Frequency Bandwidth Specifications 1 GHz +/- 50 MHz

Output Power (PEP)

Gain Input/Return Loss PAE 3rd Order IMD *PEP: Peak Envelope Power

25 Watts
> 10 dB < -10 dB >40% < -35 dBc

Reference: http://vk1od.net/measurement/RfPowerTerms/PEP.htm

Step1: Amplifier DC IV characteristics

1st step for amplifier design is to perform a DC IV characteristics so that we can observe the IV characteristics of the non-linear device and decide DC operating condition ADS provides various built-in templates for simulations like IV characteristics and it can be inserted on schematic page and can be modified as per device operating range

Step1: Amplifier DC IV characteristics results

Step1a: Amplifier DC Bias Network

Once the DC simulation is performed we can design the I/P and O/P bias network either as per the guideline provided in the device datasheet or using the recommendation from device vendor While making bias network it would be advisable to keep width of transistor device so that i/p & o/p transitions can be taken into account from the very beginning

Hint: Use of Microstrip Taper is typically preferred to avoid heavy impedance discontinuities due to wide widths of transistor terminals

Step2: Stability Analysis

Once we decide the bias condition and prepare bias network, we can perform Stability Analysis Necessary and Sufficient condition of Stability: Stability Factor>1 and Stability Measure>0

Step2: Stability Analysis

As can be seen here, Stability Factor (Blue curve) is greater than 1 and Stability Measure (Red curve) is greater than 0 over entire frequency band with the help of Stability resistor in series to Gate hence our device is unconditionally stable and we can begin our amplifier design.

Note: PA designers have choice to stabilize the device over entire freq range or to stabilize the device in the operating band and perform conditional matching network design..

LoadPull Analysis What is Load Pull?

Load Pull is a technique whereby Source Power & Impedance is kept constant and Load Impedance is varied over a certain impedance range and device characteristics is measured to capture parameters such as Output Power, Efficiency, IMD, Harmonics etc

Load Pull Techniques

LoadPull Application Cases

LoadPull Designguide in ADS

Best place to start load pull simulation in ADS is by using load pull designguide which is provided free in all newer versions of ADS packages. Load Pull designguide offers various easy to use templates to jumpstart loadpull simulations

Please view our load pull videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTK1pEu1Z64

Load Pull Simulation with a parameter sweep

While we can perform load pull simulations to find out at what load impedance we obtain the required amount of output power and efficiency etc but we cannot say how much compression device is in? In order to find out such things or to find how amplifier performance change with any parameter such as Input Power, Bias Voltage, Temperature etc, we can use Parameter Sweep based template from load pull designguide which can provide lot of useful information to PA designers.

Step 4: Impedance Matching Network Design

Once we perform Loadpull and other related simulation to find out optimum impedance, we can perform impedance matching network design using either Smith Chart tool or automated impedance matching utility in ADS

Step 5: PA performance verification & Optimization

Final step in amplifier design process is to combine all the different piece together and optimize amplifier performance to meet the required specifications

Final PA Optimized Results

Step 6: PA Output with Input Power Sweep

PA Sweep Results

Step 7: 2-Tone Simulation (with IP Power Sweep)

2-Tone Simulation Results

Step 8: Modulated Signal Analysis

Modulated Signal Analysis Results

Performance for 25 Watts O/P

Performance for 50 Watts O/P

VSA (89600B) Output of Power Amp @25W O/P

VSA (89600B) Output of Power Amp @50W O/P

For More Info:

Anurag Bhargava: anurag_bhargava@agilent.com Mukul Pareek: mukul_pareek@agilent.com

Toll Free: 1800-11-2929 Customer Support Email: tm_india@agilent.com

Agilent Webpage: www.agilent.com EEsof Webpage: www.eesof.com

Q&A