IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 44

A Technical Foundation
for RF CMOS
Power Amplifiers
Part 3: Power amplifier 3-port characteristics
Earl McCune

H

ere in the third article of this series
[1] (see "A Series on CMOS Transmitter Techniques"), implications from
the fact that all amplifiers are now,
and have always been, three-port circuits are explored.
Amplifiers have been designed as two-port circuits,
focusing on the input signal and the output signal, since
the beginning of amplifier design. The application of
dc supply voltage to the amplifier is just assumed as a
necessary requirement to the design. This supply voltage connection is actually another amplifier input port,
just like the traditional signal input. In this article, we
explore what happens when the amplifier supply input
is allowed to become another independent circuit input.
By convention, Port 1 is the amplifier input, and Port 2
is the amplifier output. These designations must remain,
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MSSC.2015.2495664

A SerieS on CMoS TrAnSMiTTer TeChniqueS
This article is the third in a series based on a presentation for the
Advanced RF CMOS Transmitter Techniques Forum at the 2015 International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco. This presentation provided a technical background upon which all the other
forum presentations expanded greatly.
Converting the forum presentation into articles for IEEE SolidState Circuits Magazine is being done in six parts:
* Part 1: Key Power Amplifier Issues (Summer 2015 issue)
* Part 2: Power Amplifier Architectures (Fall 2015 issue)
* Part 3: Power Amplifiers Operated as Three Ports (Winter
2016 issue)
* Part 4: Myths in Power Amplifier Design
* Part 5: Making a Switch-Based Power Amplifier
* Part 6: Relating Envelope Tracking and Polar Transmitters.
Parts 4, 5, and 6 will be published in consecutive issues of the magazine following this one.

Date of publication: 21 January 2016

44

W I N T E R 2 0 16

IEEE SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS MAGAZINE

1943-0582/16©2016IEEE



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016

IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - Cover1
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - Cover2
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 1
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 2
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 3
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 4
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 5
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 6
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 7
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 8
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 9
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 10
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 11
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 12
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 13
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 14
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 15
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 16
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 17
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 18
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 19
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 20
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 21
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 22
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 23
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 24
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 25
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 26
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 27
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 28
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 29
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 30
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 31
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 32
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 33
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 34
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 35
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 36
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 37
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 38
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 39
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 40
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 41
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 42
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 43
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 44
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 45
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 46
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 47
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 48
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 49
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 50
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 51
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 52
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 53
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 54
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 55
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 56
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 57
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 58
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 59
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 60
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 61
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 62
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 63
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 64
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 65
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 66
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 67
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 68
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 69
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 70
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 71
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 72
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 73
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 74
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 75
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 76
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 77
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 78
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 79
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 80
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 81
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 82
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 83
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 84
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 85
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 86
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 87
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - 88
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - Cover3
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Winter 2016 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_fall2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_summer2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_spring2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_winter2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_fall2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_summer2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_spring2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_winter2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_fall2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_summer2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_spring2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_winter2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_fall2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_summer2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_spring2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_winter2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_fall2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_summer2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_2019summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_2019winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_2018fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_2018summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_2018spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/mssc_2018winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_winter2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_fall2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_summer2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_spring2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_winter2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_fall2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_summer2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_spring2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_winter2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_fall2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_summer2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_spring2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_winter2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_fall2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_summer2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/solidstatecircuits_spring2014
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com