This chapter focuses on microwave amplifier circuit design. A simple microwave amplifier consists of an active device, such as a transistor, an input and output-matching circuit, and a power supply bias circuit. We begin with the two-port S-parameters for RF and microwave transistors and an operating environment for the finished amplifier. The transistor S-parameters along with some mapping functions are used to determine the correct impedance, which will terminate the input and output of the transistor. Matching circuits are designed to transform these impedances to the actual source and load impedances where the amplifier is to be used.

Chapter Contents:

• 6.1 Introduction
• 6.2 Transistor Data Sheets
• 6.3 Transistor Stability
• 6.4 Conjugate Matching Circuits
• 6.5 Power Gain
• 6.6 Constant Gain Circles
• 6.7 Transistor Bias Circuits
• 6.8 Summary
• 6.9 Problems
• 6.10 Appendix

Inspec keywords: microwave amplifiers; microwave transistors; network synthesis; two-port networks; power supply circuits; S-parameters

Other keywords: two-port S-parameters; matching circuits; microwave transistors; transistor S-parameters; power supply bias circuit; microwave amplifier circuit design

Subjects: Solid-state microwave circuits and devices; Analogue circuit design, modelling and testing; Amplifiers