Technical Feature: First-Time-Right Design Of RF/Microwave Class A Power Amplifiers Using Only S-Parameters

This article describes and discusses a procedure of how to design RF/microwave Class A power amplifiers in a very efficient and highly accurate manner when the only initial data available are the S-parameters of the transistors. Two software programs are used in conjunction and interaction: a specialized RF/microwave amplifier design software tool and a general-purpose simulator (nodal analysis program). The simulator is not used for its nonlinear analysis capabilities but mostly for its integrated layout EM simulation capabilities.