4 GHz Low Noise Amplifier for Satellite Downlink

Communication
Nornabila Md Nor
Faculty of Electronic and Computer Engineering
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka(UTeM)
Hang Tuah Jaya,76100 Durian Tunggal,Melaka,Malaysia
nabila.nor89@gmail.com

Abstract This paper presents a 4GHz Low Noise Amplifier

for satellite downlink communication.This frequency indicate in
the IEEE C-band.Satellite downlink communication located at
the front end of LNA.Thus,this LNA required to amplify the
signal without adding much noise. This paper is present design
and simulation of singlestage LNA circuits.The amplifier design
were designed by using ATF 54143 transistor manufactured from
Avago Technologies. The design circuit uses single stub matching
to implement the matching network. The purpose single stage of
input and output matching network is to produces 50
impedance at the input and output port of the LNA.The
matching network is used at both sides of the transistor.The
target simulation are gain (S21) with >10dB, noise figure with
<2dB and input and output return loss <-10dB at 4 GHz. A single
stage LNA has successfully designed with 11.112dB forward gain
, 1.181 dB noise figure, -10.026 dB output return loss(S22) and 12.522 dB input return loss(S11) by using ADS software.

Through, based on the s-parameters of the transistor and

several performance trade offs, a systematic and practically
procedure must be noted in LNA design.
II. CIRCUIT DESIGN
The LNA presented in this paper is a part of the Radio
Frequency (RF) front receiver of a satellite. Fig.1 shown LNA
located with antenna satellite.

Keywords ATF54143, single stub, ADS 2011

I. INTRODUCTION
The IEEE standard C band used as references. The Low
Noise Amplifier (LNA) design should meet this requirement
and should operate properly for downlink satellite
communication [1].The main complexity of the LNA is to
obtain the minimum noise figure (NF) with reasonable gain.
To design LNA there are consist of three stages; the input
matching network, the transistor (amplifier itself) and the
output matching network [2].At the earth station, the
instrument consist of dish antenna at transmitter carries high
frequency 6GHz meanwhile the receiver carries 4GHz of
micro wave signals [3].The received signal might be very
weak and the Low Noise Amplifier used to amplify the signal
without injects much noise from the Low Noise Amplifier
itself. This paper presents single stage of LNA at 4GHz.The
circuit design starts from ATF 54143 Low Noise
Enhancement Mode Pseudomorphic HEMT from Avago
Technologies using the microstrip technology. The
combination such as high linearity, high gain and low noise
figure are the important features in satellite downlink
communication that must be considered [9].

Fig. 1.

LNA located at earth station

A. LNA specifications
The design specifications for the low noise amplifier were
as follows. The design specification is set to ensure our LNA
design achieve the goals.
a) Gain > 10 dB
b) Noise Figure < 2 dB
c) Input Return Loss <-10dB
d) Output Return Loss <-10dB
e) Matching-single stub
The active device, ATF54143, is described in the ADS design
flow as a two-port network in the form of the Touchstone
format file (*.s2p). S-parameters and noise parameters of the
active device are included in this file and are used for noise
and power gain matching as well as for stability analysis of the
LNA.

B. PCB Material Parameters

The substrate used is a double layer PCB with FR4
material. The PCB parameters are presented in Table 1.The
FR4 chosen due to the low cost and easy to fabricate and using
microstrip technology.
TABLE 1: PCB PROCESS PARAMETERS
Material
Dielectric Thickness
Dielectric Constant
Height of substrate
Tan D

FR4
0.019
4.6mm
1.6
0.025

D. Input and Output Matching Network

The input and output matching always significant in a
Low Noise Amplifier design. The way to obtain higher gain
and better input return loss to achieve the minimum noise
figure. This project used a stub element matching technique in
both the input and output of the LNA. To design the stub
matching, the length of the stub, l and the distance of the stub
from the load, d need to be found [7]. The calculation of this
input output matching by using Bilateral case from Eq.1 to
Eq.8.

B1 1 S11 S 22 0.9629

(1)

B2 1 S 22 S11 0.3242

(2)

C. Stability Analysis
Test for unconditionally stability by using Rollets
Condition. This stability required to understand the transistor
condition thus to avoid this amplifier oscillate.

C1 S11 S * 22

(3)

0.4807143.4

(1)

C 2 S 22 S *11
0.1598 135.97

=0.597<-124.14 <1

B1 B1 4 C1
2

(2)

(4)

(5)

2C1

1.0574 143.4 or 0.9455 143.4

= 1.002 > 1 (Unconditionally stable)

B2 B2 4 C 2
2

Besides the optimal noise figure, the stability of the amplifier

is an important aspect in every RF design. Here, the chosen
stabilization method is a very important.Fig. 2 shows that the
stabilization of this transistor.

(6)

2C 2

1.1846135.97 or 0.8442135.97
L and S should be less than 1. The chosen value is:
(7)
(8)
The FR4 that will be used is having dielectric constant, r
value of 4.6 and thickness, d of 1.6 mm. Equation 9 to
Equation 12 showed microstrip formula.

Fig.2. Stability

Z 0 r 1 r 1
0.11
0.23
1.5299 2

60
2
r 1
r

(9)

W
8e A
, W=2.66064mm
2A
d e 2

B. Circuit after matching

(10)

r 1 r 1
1

3.4279 (11)
2
2
1 12d W
C
g
0.0405m
(12)
f e
e

To match both impedance of input and output. Single

stub matching is added into LNA circuit with assistance of
smith chart utility in ADS software. After matching from
smith chart, the length and distance elements circuit will
automatically generated.

From the value of g that was found, the value of length, l and
distance, d of the stubs can be determines. The values are:
For source,

For load,

Fig. 4 . Schematic of the LNA with microstrip line input and output
matching networks

This input and output matching design by using single stub

technique. The smith chart uses as a tool before apply in ADS
2011.

TABLE 2: COMPARISON BETWEEN BEFORE MATCHING AND

AFTER MATCHING

III. SIMULATION RESULTS

A. Circuit before matching
Usually this part designs a DC biasing circuit. At this
condition, the DC biasing required to ON the transistor. The
results for this simulation known as before matching. These
results will slightly different with matching circuit due this
circuits do not have matching part. Table 2 will summarize the
before matching and after matching.

Fig.3. Circuit before matching

Features
S11
S12
S21
S22
Noise Figure

Before
Matching
-3.635dB
-18.636dB
10.764dB
-9.447dB
0.720dB

After
Matching
-12.522dB
-18.288 dB
11.112 dB
-10.026
1.182 dB

Fig.5. Input reflection (S11) and Output reflection (S22)

(b)
Fig. 6. S12 (isolation) and S21 (gain) simulation results

Fig.8. LNA with microstrip Input and matching network a) layout, and (b)
prototypes LNA

IV.DISCUSSION

Fig.7. Noise figure

IV. MEASUREMENTS RESULTS

Samples of the LNA implement with microstrip input
matching network and output matching network
fabricated.Fig.8 (a) and (b) show the ADS layout and the
prototype of the LNA, respectively.

(a)

This Low Noise Amplifier design consists of three process

which are schematic, layout and fabrication. Through to the all
process, the most significant part during designing is
schematic design. Firstly, by making the research for satellite
downlink communication in application Low Noise Amplifier
with any information and related literature. This projects
design at operating frequency 4GHz and ATF 54143 selected
due consists of this range frequency, low power consumption
and include low noise. Besides that, by identify, comparing
and searching the complexity during designing Low Noise
Amplifier to make sure the designer fully understand all about
of Low Noise Amplifier design. Starting with selected suitable
transistor to make sure the transistor selected have low noise
figure and provide high gain.
From this biasing circuit the transistor ON when VGS
0.79V and VDS 3V at the DC load line. But due to the
Advance Design System 2011 dont have RFC block this
voltage divider biasing circuit not allowed used in this entire
project because the transistor not able to provide major gain
with low noise. Since voltage divider consists of lumped
component, it actually affects the noise and gain value under
the target specification. Hence, to obtain the transistor with
high gain and low noise, the transistor biasing configuration
changed by determined the value from s parameters s2p files
from Avago Technologies.
By importing the s2p file, against biased the transistor to
identify the Q-point between 15-20% of amplifier Class A.
This second biasing satisfy the target specification and the
transistor ATF54143 ON when VGS 0.57V and VDS 4V
respectively. Next, as we know Low Noise Amplifier circuits
consist of input and output impedance where the transistor
located between of them. The next progress is designed input
and output impedance by using smith chart tools. There are
various techniques to match the input and output matching.

The other techniques known as quarter wavelength and

lumped elements. But for this project, the single stub
technique selected due to this technique have advantage which
is provide high gain and low noise figure. This single stub
determined by calculated the length and distance from smith
chart. Treating the entire RF microstrip LNA design, from the
active device to the matching networks, including all board
layout parameters and their associated parasitic of the
substrate, gives the designer a better possibility to predict and
control the circuit performance.
V. CONCLUSION
The simulation result and measurement has discussed in this
chapter. The proposed LNA is analyzed using DC analysis and
S-parameter analysis .The goal of this project is successfully
achieved by simulation using the ATF54143 transistor. The
LNA simulation meet the specification at 4 GHz with VGS
0.57V and VDS 4V while still achieving a noise figure of
1.181 dB with reasonable gain of 11.112 dB.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Author personally would like to express my gratitude to Dr
Mohd Azlishah Bin Othman because His their wide
knowledge helped me to design this Low Noise Amplifier
.Besides, not only on theory during finishing this entire of
paper project. Last but not least, thank you for all the people
who have helped me intentionally or unintentionally with my
work and for their cooperation, support and encouragement.
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