Power Amplifier Efficiency

2 day Master Class

Rick Campbell PhD

Portland State University
References and Acknowledgements
textbook:
Steve C. Cripps, RF Power Amplifiers for Wireless
Communications, 2nd edition, Artech House 2006

useful references
Wes Hayward, Rick Campbell, and Bob Larkin,
Experimental Methods in RF Design, ARRL 2003

Herbert Krauss, Charles Bostian, and Frederick Raab,

Solid State Radio Engineering, Wiley 2000

acknowledgement
Many ongoing conversations with Frederick Raab, Steve
Cripps, and Wes Hayward since 1996
Class Outline:

Morning Day 1
Definitions and Fundamentals: Class A, B, C, D

Afternoon Day 1
Switches and Waveforms: Class E and Class F

Morning Day 2
New Developments: Class J, interstage design, drive

Afternoon Day 2
Detailed Study of Current Design Examples
Definitions and Fundamentals

Total RF Power Output

Efficiency
Total DC Power Input

Communications Effectiveness
Efficiency
Handset Battery Life

Useful Information Transfer

Efficiency
Impact on Planet Earth
 Common Definitions

Sine Wave Power Output

Efficiency
DC Input to PA Collector

Added Sine Wave Power Output

Power Added Efficiency
Total Additional DC Power Input

Watts
Power Utilization Factor
dollar
Amplifier Classes A, B, C, D, E, F, ....J

Classic Amplifier Classes A, B, C

Old Terminology that has evolved and muddied

Efficiency numbers are for active device dissipation

Theoretical efficiency may not be a useful concept

For example, rigorously applying PA efficiency concepts to my

laptop reveals that it dissipates no energy...but the language and
descriptive math models are still useful.
A Little Symbolic Math

Io Vcc = P DC Power Supply DC

2
Vp Sine wave RF power in
= P RF Resistive load RL
2R L

= P Device

Instaneous device dissipation in ideal class A

amplifier with maximum pure sine wave output
Class A Amplifier

Vcc

constant current source Io

load
active device Rload
0 < I <2Io
-Vcc
A Little Textbook Math

= P Device
Vcc
using: = Io R L = Rload line
RL
2
Vcc = P Device
RL

Vcc 2 2
= P Device
RL
using:
cos a cos b = 1 cos (a + b) + 1 cos (a - b)
2 2
End of Math
Vcc 2 2
= P Device
RL

= 1 cos 0 + 1
2 2

Vcc 2 1
= P Device
RL 2

Vcc 2 1
dt = P Device
RL 2
2 average device
1 Vcc
= P Device dissipation = half
2 RL
of supply power
Class A Amplifier

Vcc

constant current source Io

load
active device Rload
0 < I <2Io
-Vcc
no signal DC device dissipation = Vcc x Io
Class A Amplifier

Vcc

constant current source Io

load
active device Rload
0 < I <2Io
-Vcc
no signal DC device dissipation = Vcc x Io
2
Vcc
Peak sine wave in load =
2 Rload
 Vcc
no signal DC device dissipation = Vcc x Io
Io
Vcc
= Vcc x
Rload

Rload 2
Vcc
0 < I <2Io =
-Vcc Rload

2
Vcc
Peak sine wave in load =
2 Rload

since DC power supply cant tell the difference between peak

output and no output, at peak output, half of DC power is
converted to sine wave in load and half dissipated in device
From Model to Real Amplifier
model is only useful if it helps us understand and improve
real amplifiers

12 v 50 mA 250 mW output at 12.0 volts

375 mW output at 15.0 volts
100n L1
L2 1nF L3 L4 50 MHz
Vcc

Io
1nF
22 56 120 56

Rload
L1 6t FT37-43 L2 10t T37-6 L3, L4 5t T25-6
0 < I <2Io 150
-Vcc All Transistors MPN5179 Rick Campbell
23 December 2008

Class A model Designed, Built, and Measured Amplifier

...more parts, but real parts

...class A model is too simple, but still useful

From Model to Real Amplifier
Vcc Vcc

Io Big L Vc = Vcc - L di
Big C dt
Vc
Rload With fast transistor and appropriate
Rload
0 < I <2Io choice of Rload, Vc can be any-
-Vcc thing. Same circuit for PA, switch-
ing power supply, ignition system,
Class A model transistor killer...

Vcc

Big L
Inductor stores power supply energy and can supply
Io
Big C extra voltage when needed. Capacitor stores power
Vc + - supply energy and can supply extra current when
Vcc
Rload needed.
A Reminder that Active Devices are Interesting

1 watt ZorchFET
Vgs = +.2
Ids = 300mA
Vgs = 0
Idss

Vgs = -.2
Ids = 200mA
load line
Vgs = -.3
Ids = 100mA
Vgs = -.4
Vgs = -.5
Ids = 0 Vgs = Vp

Vds = 0 Vds = 2 Vds = 4 Vds = 6 Vds = 8

Vdd

...and resistive loads are laboratory devices

Next: Waveform Analysis

Introduction to PA Waveform Analysis

Vcc 2Vcc
Vc
Big L
Io
Big C Vcc

Vc + -
Vcc 0
Rload
Vo

-Vcc

2Io 2Vcc

Device Current Io Vcc

and Voltage

0 0

device dissipation is product of I and V

Class A Waveform Analysis

Vcc
2Io 2Vcc 2Vcc x 0 0
Big L
3 1
Io
Vcc x Io 0.75
Big C
2 2
Vc + -
Vcc
Io Vcc Io x Vcc 1
Rload
3 1
Io x Vcc 0.75
2 2
0 0 0 x 2Io 0
Device Current Device Power
and Voltage
Class A Waveform Analysis

Vcc Device Current

Big L and Voltage
Io
Big C
Vc + -
Vcc
Rload

sketch of instaneous
device dissipation

note slightly real waveforms

Class A Waveform Analysis

Device Current
Vcc
and Voltage
Big L
Io
Big C
Vc + -
Vcc
Rload

sketch of instaneous Average

device dissipation

textbook waveforms
Class A Waveform Analysis
Device Current and Voltage
Vcc

Big L
Io
Big C
Vc + -
Vcc
Rload

sketch of instaneous
device dissipation

Note: this might still be a perfectly linear class A amplifier--the output signal is a
perfect replica of the input signal.
Class A Efficiency Review:
The efficiency of a Class A amplifier is not a number at the
end of several pages of arcane math in a textbook

slight deviation from textbook waveform has big impact on

device dissipation

textbook waveforms only appear in textbooks

waveform engineering is our primary tool to reduce device

dissipation--even at frequencies where we cant observe
waveforms

Next: an alphabetical listing of amplifier classes