Aging, Complexity, And AI In Analog Design


Experts at the Table: Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss abstraction in analog vs. digital, how analog circuits age, the growing role of AI, and why there is so much margin in analog designs, with Mo Faisal, president and CEO of Movellus; Hany Elhak, executive director of product management at Synopsys; Cedric Pujol, product manager at Keysight; and Pradeep Thiagarajan, principal pro... » read more

New Architecture Elements For 5G RF Front-End Modules To Reduce Noise, Improve Efficiency, And Allow Multiple Radio Transmitters


A technical paper titled “Circuits for 5G RF front-end modules” was published by researchers at Skyworks Solutions Inc. Abstract: "Worldwide adoption of fourth-generation wireless (4G) long-term evolution (LTE) smartphones and the actual transition to fifth-generation wireless (5G) is the main driving engine for semiconductor industry. 5G is expected to reach high data rate speeds (1 Gbps... » read more

RF/Microwave EDA Software Design Flow Considerations For PA MMIC Design


In this white paper, a gallium arsenide (GaAs) pseudomorphic high-electron mobility transistor (pHEMT) power amplifier (PA) design approach is examined from a systems perspective. It highlights the design flow and its essential features for most PA design projects by illustrating a simple Class A GaAs pHEMT monolithic microwave IC (MMIC) PA design using Cadence AWR Microwave Office circuit desi... » read more

Innovative Technology Drives Rapid Deployment Of New 5G Products, Services, And Business Models


The wireless future is about developing the most compelling products using a combination of advanced technologies to maximize system performance, while optimizing both cost and power. Doing so will unlock deployment of new 5G products and services for mobile operators and the whole 5G ecosystem, from businesses to consumers to the economy. With 5G offering so much potential, how can the industr... » read more

Load-Pull Analysis For Optimizing PA Performance


In load pull calculations, power amplifiers are going to need harmonic load pull analysis and load pull contours with wideband electromagnetic tuners. Working with RFIC power amplifiers is difficult for the myriad of concurrent design elements that they affect, transmission line voltage, signal interference, and impedance to name a few. In load pull calculations, power amplifiers are going t... » read more

Generalized Class-E Power Amplifier With Shunt Capacitance And Shunt Filter


This paper presents a generalized analysis of the Class-E power amplifier (PA) with a shunt capacitance and a shunt filter, leading to a revelation of a unique design flexibility that can be exploited either to extend the maximum operating frequency of the PA or to allow the use of larger active devices with higher power handling capability. The proposed PA fulfills zero voltage switching (ZVS)... » read more

GaN Versus Silicon For 5G


The global race to launch 5G mmWave frequencies could provide a long-anticipated market opportunity for gallium nitride (GaN) as an alternative to silicon. GaN is more power-efficient than silicon for 5G RF. In fact, GaN has been the heir apparent to silicon in 5G power amplifiers for years, especially when it comes to mmWave 5G networks. What makes it so attractive is its ability to efficie... » read more

Challenges Grow For 5G Packages And Modules


The shift to 5G wireless networks is driving a need for new IC packages and modules in smartphones and other systems, but this move is turning out to be harder than it looks. For one thing, the IC packages and RF modules for 5G phones are more complex and expensive than today's devices, and that gap will grow significantly in the second phase of 5G. In addition, 5G devices will require an as... » read more

A Novel Design Method of Highly Efficient Saturated Power Amplifier Based On Self-Generated Harmonic Currents


A novel design method without requiring the special harmonic termination circuit for a highly efficient power amplifier (PA) is proposed. The proposed PA is driven into saturated operation, from the linear to knee region, by adjusting the only fundamental load, and the saturated operation induces self-generated harmonic currents. The current and voltage waveforms can be shaped easily by the har... » read more

A Product Development Flow For 5G/LTE Envelope Tracking Power Amplifiers


Next-generation communication systems will rely on system architectures that will challenge component level design. This NI AWR software white paper examines the use of envelope tracking (ET), digital pre-distortion, and impedance matching via load pull to improve the efficiency and linearity performance of RF PAs targeting 4G and 5G applications. To read more, click here. » read more

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