ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some of the common terminologies used in radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) design. Power output capability of an amplifier is defined as the ratio of the output power of the amplifier to the maximum values of the voltage and current that device experiences during the operation of the amplifier. Linearity is a measure for RF amplifier output to follow the amplitude and phase of its input signal. Compression point for an amplifier is the point where amplifier gain becomes 1 dB below its ideal linear gain. Harmonic distortion for an amplifier can be defined as the ratio of the amplitude of the nω component to the amplitude of the fundamental component. In amplifier applications, intermodulation distortion products are undesirable components in the output signal. There are three critical design stages that need to be implemented in small-signal amplifier design: design of DC biasing circuit, obtaining parameters of the transistor, and implementation of the small-signal amplifier design.
