EE 432 Final Project - RF Amplifier

1.3 GHz Single-Ended Amplifier

Group 1
Chad Brode
Harvish Mehta

Table of Contents:

Abstract..........2
Part I: DC Bias Circuit Design.2
Part II: RF Blocking Network..3
Part III: System Evaluation/Examination...7
Part IV: Matching Network Development..8
Part V. Results..12
Part VI: Discussion/ Conclusions..15
Part V: Suggestions for Lab Improvement ..16

Abstract:
We created a stable amplifier that amplifies the signal at 1.2- 1.4 GHz using a Micro-strip
circuit. This was accomplished by creating radial stubs as an open circuit and a matching
network to gain maximum average gain of 9 dB.

Part I: DC Bias Circuit Design

Biasing circuit is a circuit of resistors and capacitors that are used to determine the bias
point of a transistor. Important issues for the biasing circuit include; Temperature compensation,
Base current, and Vce. Figure-1 shows our biasing circuit setup. This is an active bias circuit for
the actual RF transistor. It provided the constant Vce and for the correct operation of the
transistor. It provides a more stable bias than a passive bias circuit.

Figure 1: Active Bias Circuit

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Part II: RF Blocking Network

In order to ensure the stability of operation and to minimize the influence of the biasing
circuit on the amplifier portion. This allows the DC from the bias circuit to put the RF transistor
to the correct bias point, but acts as an open circuit to the RF circuit. This circuit was designed
using a smith chart tool in ADS. Figure 2 shows the smith chart used for matching network.

Figure 2: Smith Chart Matching Tool

This did not meet the bandwidth requirements of our design. This is due to the fact that
normal stubs matching networks are narrow band width. This led to the use of radial stubs.
Radial stubs off the advantage of being able to use much smaller, and therefore higher
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impedance, transmission lines. This allows for matching over a much higher bandwidth, because
of their low impedance.

Figure 3: Simulation of Radial Stubs/ Transmission Line Circuit

The radial stubs were tuned in ADS to be a bandpass at 1.2-1.4GHz. The simulation and
S21 parameter for bandpass can be seen in Figure 3 and 4. The radial stubs were also tuned to be
to have total reflection or S11 to have a magnitude of 1, which caused the stubs to be an infinite
resistance. Figure 5 shows the S11 mapping in dB as well as magnitude, and you can see how
these values are around 0 and 1 respectively for the required bandwidth.

Figure 4: S21 Transmission Line Circuit

Figure 5: S11 of RF Blocking Circuit

Using the simulation results the circuit in Figure-6 was built to have the highest
impedance over the desired bandwidth.

Figure 6: The Active Biasing Circuit with Radial Stubs

Part III: System Evaluation/Examination

The stubs were evaluated by taking measurements with the VNA. 50 ohm transmission
lines were used to connect the transistor to the to SMA connectors. The reflection parameters of
the radial stubs by the S11 parameter along the 1.2-1.4GHz band. The S11 parameters of the
radial stub were required to have a magnitude of 1 or 0 dB.
Narrow radial stubs were trialed to create a S11 reflection of 0 dB. We settled on using
radial stubs closest to required S11. Figure 7 portrays the screen capture of our VNA that verifies
our near total reflection on the band.

Figure 7: S11 parameter of the Radial Stubs

Part IV: Matching Network Development

In order to develop a matching network attempted three different techniques. First, we
attached the amplifier circuit to SMA edge connectors using transmission lines with 50
characteristic impedance. Then using the VNA we measured the S parameters and made an S2P
file. Then we modeled the transmission lines in ADS using their measured lengths and widths.
Then we generated an S2P file for each of the transmission lines. The biasing circuit was not deembedded because it is an open circuit over the operating frequency range, therefore it would not
have a major influence on the rest of the circuit.
A script in MATLAB was used to de-embed the transistor from the transmission lines..
Next, the S2P generated from the de-embedding process was put into ADS using the S2P file
component. The tuning tool was used to create the matching network using radial stubs. These
results were used to create the first attempt of at a matching network. Figure 9 shows this
matching network.

Figure 9: Layout of ADS Simulation

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Figure 10 represents the simulation in ADS. Graphs on ADS were used to get S11 and
S22 below -10dB. This way the VSWR is appropriate as well as the gain is high if no reflections
are taking place. -10dB was only applied to the 1.2-1.4 GHz band. This matching network did
not meet our specification when physically realized. This led us to using our second technique
using a pre-established S2P file found online.

Figure 10: Simulation of the Matching Network

Figure 11 represents the gain or S21 parameter circuit of the originally designed network.
Therefore alternative solutions needed to be made to compensate for the miniscule gain.

Figure 11: Initial Gain Using ADS

This led to an examination of any semblance between the transistors at two different
operating points. The one found online corresponded to a Vce of 5V and an Ib of 5mA, but our
circuit was using an operating point of 10 Vce and Ib of 10 mA. We compared the S2P file we
found online with the data sheet for the transistor. There we noticeable differences between the

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two sets of S2P files, but we decided to try and match the circuit using this data even with the
differences. We loaded the S2P file into ADS and matched the network, but the resulting
network did not have any advantage to our original matching network.
This led to an examination of the smith chart of the circuit. The smith chart was used to
find the various impedance parameters of the circuit. After finding the input impedance we can
use the smith chart matching tool. The smith chart matching tool was used to create a matching
network. However, the smith chart tool did not allow for radial stubs. Thus, the matching input
method was not successful, because we could not find a suitable combination required with our
constraints.
None of the matching techniques that we attempted to use met our required
specifications. This led to us matching our network using physical experimentation. This entailed
us applying strips systematically why observing the various S parameters of the system. This led
to our final design as shown in Figure 12.

Figure 12: Micro-strip with Matching Network

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Part V. Results
As part of our results we chose to do a stability analysis as shown below. You can see that the
system is unconditionally stable. Table 1 below shows the final average operating parameters and Figure
13 shows these results graphically.

S Parameter

Magnitude

Value

S11

11 = -9.94 dB = .1013;

-9.94 dB 25.7

S12

12 = - 19 dB = .0126;

-19 dB 0

S21

21 = 9dB = 7.94;

9 dB -1

S22

22 = - 8.61 dB = .1377;

-8.61 dB 11.6

Table-1 Average S Parameter Results

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Figure 13: S Parameter Results

From these results we calculated the input and output voltage standing wave ratio
(VSWR). The calculations that follow show that the input VSWR is 1.226 to 1 and the
output VSWR is 1.319 to 1. These are very favorable and less than the 2 to 1 ratio
specified. Figure 14 and 15 show the calculations.

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Figure 14: Input VSWR Calculations

Figure 15: Output VSWR Calculations

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Part VI: Discussion/ Conclusions

From the results presented in the previous section it can clearly be seen that we did not meet all of
our design specifications. Primarily we failed to meet the gain specification of S21 equal to 11dB. S21 was
only 9 dB on average. There are probably a number or reasons for this, but the most likely is the failure to
get an accurate S2P file for the analysis. This led to us never being able to properly simulate the circuit
and made matching of the circuit very difficult. We ended up having to manually match the circuit, which
required a guess and check methodology. This led to a less than ideal matching network.
Another factor that inhibited our performance was having to manually machine parts. Our
tolerances were far bigger than a machine would have required. This led to uneven and possibly even
incorrect thicknesses of our transmission lines. It also required the transmission lines to be soldered
together. This could have influenced their operating parameters and the circuit design.
A third factor that contributed to a failure of our system was a lack of techniques for performing
wideband matching. In class we were only taught how to do single frequency narrow band matching. We
did not have tools necessary to easily perform wideband matching. This led to having to resort to manual
matching and physical experimentation when the modeling programs failed to provide accurate
performance predictions.

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Part V: Suggestions for Lab Improvement

In order for the lab to provide a better understanding of the course material it needs to
be rearranged to match the classroom lecture. Also the lab manuals should be changed to
provide more insight, they ask the participant to perform a task, but do not provide a why or ask
any real insight development.
Some of the labs could be removed, such as the lab where we solder various
components to SMA connectors, and they could be replaced with labs that provide more design
skills. This could include wideband matching, advanced use of the VNA, and de-embedding S
parameters of a circuit.
Finally, the final project needs to be changed. It serves very little purpose to the class as
a whole, and it does little to reinforce the things we learned in class. It becomes mainly guessing
after all of the techniques we have tried have failed. This only serves to tell the students that the
thing we were taught does not work. One thing that could fix this would be the use of a milling
machine to mill the parts.

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