Design of Radio Frequency Power Amplifier Module at C-Band for Data Communication Link

This paper presents the design of a radio frequency power amplifier module for the C-band data communication link. The power stage is designed using a gallium nitride device in the hybrid microwave integrated circuit technology to achieve good efficiency and linearity. The designed matching network achieves the matching loads obtained from load-pull analysis, while keeping harmonics short at the intrinsic current generator reference plane of the device. The driver amplifier and gain stages are also optimally chosen to obtain high gain of the entire module without deteriorating the linearity. This power amplifier module operates from 4.6–5.0 GHz while delivering maximum output power upto 43.8 dBm in measurement. The measured maximum drain efficiency of the designed power stage is 53.2% at saturation with an EVM of 6% and adjacent channel power ratio of more than 30 dBc.