A 45% PAE /18mA quiescent current CDMA PAM with a dynamic bias control circuit [power amplifier module]

Based on an analog-gain control bias circuit (AGBC), a dynamic and fixed bias-controlled InGaP/GaAs HBT MMIC power amplifier module (PAM) is designed for code-division multiple-access (CDMA) and advanced mobile-phone service (AMPS) handset applications. The proposed AGBC effectively improves the power-added efficiency (PAE) of a power amplifier (PA) over a wide range of output power while satisfying the CDMA/AMPS linearity requirements. The PA gain slope with respect to AGBC mode-control voltage is about 12 dB/V. The measured average current of this AGBC PA is reduced by 64% compared to a standard PA. The AGBC PA exhibits a 28 dB power gain, a 45% PAE, and a -49 dBc adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) at 28 dBm output power with a fixed mode-control voltage.