GeMiC 2015 • March 16–18, 2015, Nürnberg, Germany
Linearity Analysis of Class-B/J Continuous Mode
Power Amplifiers using Modulated Wideband Signals
Sebastian Preis1,2, Mhd. Tareq Arnous1, Zihui Zhang1, Wolfgang Heinrich2
1
Microwave Engineering Laboratory, Berlin Institute of Technology, Berlin, Germany
2
Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik, Berlin, Germany
Abstract—Linearity, along with efficiency and bandwidth,
belongs to the fundamental requirements of power amplifiers for
nowadays communications systems. This paper discusses how to
bring together these partly contradictory goals in power
amplifier design. Continuous class-J PAs provide a constant
efficiency over a large bandwidth. However, the linearity is not
constant due to the unequal current and voltage waveforms along
the design space of the continuum. Nevertheless, it is possible to
equalize linearity of such a PA over the desired bandwidth. For
the PA presented, −50 dBc ACLR with an average power of
38 dBm and an average efficiency of 21.5 % were achieved at
2.14 GHz using a WCDMA test signal. For CW measurements,
48.5 dBm maximum power and 63 % peak drain-efficiency were
reached.
Keywords— Broadband amplifiers; harmonic tuning; linearity;
power amplifiers
I. INTRODUCTION
Emerging communication applications require not only
highly efficient and wideband power amplifiers (PAs), but
they also need to maintain certain linearity. With common
highly efficient amplifier modes like the classes E, F, F-1 and J
a drain-efficiency of more than 78 % is possible [1]. The main
problems of these classes are their frequency dependent
resonating circuits used to satisfy the harmonic termination
requirements. To avoid this, continuous amplifier classes were
developed recently [2], [3]. The major benefit of the
continuous amplifier classes is their uninterrupted impedance
space with constant efficiency. Thus broadband amplifier with
the constant high efficiency of a harmonically tuned or
switching PA can be realized. Beside efficiency and
bandwidth, however, the linearity requirements of nowadays
modulation schemes, is a major issue in broadband PA design
[4]-[6]. Switch-mode PAs tend to have strongly distorted
voltage and current waveforms [7]. This potentially leads to
poor linearity performance. In general, the overall linearity of
a transmitter depends not only on the linearity of the PA alone,
but also on the pre-distortion method used and the capability
of the PA to enable an efficient pre-distortion for all targeted
frequencies. Memory effects are the major topics for the
linearization system. The linearity of the class-B/J continuous
was studied using intermodulation distortion (IMD)
measurements in [5]. In this contribution, the linearity
behavior of the class-B/J continuum is discussed based on
modulated signal measurements. A first suggestion on the
ISBN 978-3-9812668-6-3
behavior of the operation modes is given by load-line plots.
Using WCDMA and LTE test signals for adjacent channel
leakage ratio (ACLR), AM/AM and AM/PM conversion
measurements, the differing linearity characteristics inside the
impedance continuum are shown.
Section II discusses the load-line of continuous class-J,
while the PA design is presented in Section III. Measurement
results and a discussion are given in section IV and V,
respectively. The work is concluded in Section VI.
II. LOAD-LINE ANALYSIS
Each PA class of operation has its own characteristic set of
waveforms [1] and load-line. For decades the PA classes have
been distinguished this way. Recently, the impedance
terminations of the fundamental and harmonic frequency
turned into focus. However, an unusual waveform or load-line
can indicate problems resulting in a poor linearity behavior. In
[4], class-J load-lines for the ideal and the realistic case are
demonstrated. The solid black load-line illustrated in Fig. 1
presents the behavior of the PA, de-embedded to the intrinsic
current source reference plane, operating close to class-B
mode (α = 0.09). Whereupon, α is the modification of the
reactive termination impedance between class B and J.
Z f0 = Ropt + j ⋅ α ⋅ Ropt (-1 < α < 1) (1)
3π
Z 2f0 = 0 − j ⋅ α Ropt (-1 < α < 1) (2)
8
In contrast, the red dashed curve in Fig. 1 refers to the class-
J mode of the PA. Only half of the load-line behaves similarly
to the almost resistive class-B behavior. The other part can be
compared with a switch-mode behavior. The difference of
both curves raises the question how significant the difference
between the two modes of operation is in terms of linearity.
Furthermore, the different distortion behavior for the two
modes of operation may also lead to a different behavior when
applying pre-distortion techniques. If the load-lines are not de-
embedded to a suitable reference plane as done in [2], [8]
using the negative-image technique, the shape of the load-lines
changes clearly, as shown in Fig. 2. This is especially true in
the class-J case. The behavior can be explained by the much
stronger impedance shift of the 2nd harmonic compared to the
fundamental termination, as shown in [2]. From this study a
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 GeMiC 2015 • March 16–18, 2015, Nürnberg, Germany
Fig. 1. Load-lines of a class-B/J continuous PA using a GaN
HEMT in class-J mode (red) and class-B mode (black), de-embedded
to the current-source reference plane.
Fig. 2. Load-lines of a class-B/J continuous PA in class-J mode
(red) and class-B mode (black), lead reference plane.
Fig. 3. Circuit diagram of the PA.
stronger distortion for higher α values can be expected. In
comparison, a minor variation for class-B is observed.
Therefore, a better linearity behavior without using pre-
distortion is expected.
ISBN 978-3-9812668-6-3
Fig. 4. CW measurement results of the PA. Vdd=36 V, Idq=0.5 A,
constant compression level.
III. PA DESIGN
For the experimental studies, a PA with a packaged 50 W
GaN HEMT power device was fabricated. The matching
circuits are realized on Rogers laminate with a relative
permittivity εr = 3.55 and a thickness h = 508 µm. The
required impedance terminations for continuous class-B/J
operation were chosen according to [2]. A range from
0.38 > α > 0.09 between 1 GHz and 1.8 GHz leads to a
constant impedance trace. A triple open-stub structure was
used for the output matching network as shown in Fig. 3. The
input matching was realized with a shorted stub and a
transmission-line transformer. In order to avoid instabilities,
an RC stability network was added at the input. The bias
network was complemented using high-Q multi-layer
blocking-capacitors and air-core spring inductors.
IV. MEASUREMENT RESULTS
Large signal CW measurement results of the PA showed an
output power of 47.8−48.5 dBm in the frequency range from
900 MHz to 2.3 GHz with a drain-efficiency of 53−63%, as
already presented in [2]. The power gain for the required
saturation level at the above-mentioned output power dropped
about 2 dB at the edges of the band. These results are presented
in Fig. 4. The measurement setup illustrated in Fig. 5 is used to
characterize the linearity behavior of the PA. The spectrum
analyzer was operated in a time domain sampling mode to
measure input and output signals via a RF-switch sequentially.
Fig. 6 (top, center) presents the corresponding measurement
data using WCDMA signals with a bandwidth of 5 MHz. The
used signal had a peak-to-average-power-ratio (PAPR) of
7.1 dB. The black traces are measured without any
linearization. At 940 MHz (top) the measured linearity is
−37.5 dBc at 3.75 MHz distance from the carrier. At 2.14 GHz
(center) −43.2 dBc are reached. The PA was linearized using a
polynomial digital pre-distortion (DPD) with fixed polynomial
depth and no memory. The overall linearized ACLR is better
than −50 dBc for both modes of operation. The corresponding
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 GeMiC 2015 • March 16–18, 2015, Nürnberg, Germany
Fig. 5. Measurement setup for modulated signal measurements.
Fig. 6. Normalized power spectral density measurements at
940 MHz (top), class-J mode and 2.14 GHz (center), class-B mode
5 MHz WCDMA signal, 10 MHz LTE signal at 1.8 GHz (bottom).
traces are shown in Fig. 6 in blue (dashed). The average output
power of the signal used was 38 dBm with an average
efficiency of 21.5%. The second signal applied was a 10 MHz
wide LTE signal, as shown in Fig. 6 (bottom), with a PAPR of
7.3 dB. As can be seen from Tab. I and Fig. 6 the linearity
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Fig. 7. AM/AM conversion at 1 GHz, class-J mode (top) and
2.14 GHz class-B mode (bottom).
Fig. 8. AM/PM conversion at 1 GHz, class-J mode (top) and
2.14 GHz class-B mode (bottom).
performance of the PA is clearly influenced by the mode of
operation. Towards class-B operation, linearity improves as
shown by modulated ACLR results before and after
linearization. For the LTE signal, ACLR improves from -41.4
to -49.0 dBc when increasing the frequency from 1.0 to
2.14 GHz for an average output power of 38 dBm. The
measured AM/AM conversion of the previously mentioned
WCDMA signal before linearization is presented in Fig. 7. The
dots denote single measurement points, whereas the solid line
refer to the polynomial approximation of the overall trace. In
class-B mode of operation compression starts earlier than in
class-J mode. This can be clearly seen by the different slopes of
the AM/AM conversion. This can be explained by the varying
7 © IMATech e.V. • Ratingen, Germany
 GeMiC 2015 • March 16–18, 2015, Nürnberg, Germany
load terminations, but one has to note also that the two modes
differ in terms of gain. Thus, the PA was not operated in the
same compression state since the targeted peak and average
power are equal. The corresponding AM/PM conversion is
plotted in Fig. 8. In the complex terminated class-J mode the
variation of the phase is with up to 3 degree significantly more
pronounced than in class-B mode with about 1 degree.
TABLE I. LINEARITY VS. FREQUENCY
center ACLR ACLR
frequency w/o linearization with linearization
(GHZ) (dBc) (dBc)
left right left right
1.0 -29.8 -31.3 -41.4 -43.1
1.8 -31.3 -34.8 -44.9 -46.2
2.14 -36.8 -35.0 -49.0 -48.4
V. DISCUSSION
From two-tone measurements a poor performance
regarding IMD is known for the class-J mode of operation at
higher power levels [5]. The fundamental question is on the
effect of the IMD behavior if α varies over the bandwidth and
the resulting linearity when modulated signals are applied.
Already the distorted load-lines of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 indicate a
different linearity behavior. Furthermore, the amplitude and
especially the phase variation disagree between class-B and
class-J significantly.
The non-linearized measurement results presented in Fig. 6
reveal a difference of about 6 dBc between the two modes of
operation or 1.2 GHz frequency offset, respectively. One may
note the possibility to use rather simple linearization tools to
achieve an equal linearity along the continuum using a
WCDMA signal of 5 MHz bandwidth. More challenging
signals e.g. the tested 10 MHz wide LTE signal from Tab. I
seem to require a more powerful linearization technique than a
memory-less polynomial DPD to keep the linearity constant.
The deviation of the left and right shoulder ACLR values
indicate the presence of memory effects which cannot be
corrected by a memory less polynomial DPD. Since
unsymmetrical distortions indicate presence of trapping effects
and GaN HEMTs are known for various traps, this might be
another significant point. Different load conditions charge traps
differently and lead to dissimilar memory effects.
No clear tendency can be seen regarding the influence of
the operation mode on these memory effects by analyzing the
ACLR for the LTE signal. Nevertheless, the wider spread of
the sample distribution points of the AM/AM conversion in
Fig. 7 indicates a stronger memory effect in class-J mode.
Likewise, the AM/PM behavior differs over the two modes of
operation. The strongest conversion occurs at 5 dB power
back-off in class-J mode. This corresponds to the results of [5]
where at 6 dB back-off the largest differences between the two
modes were measured. Finally it can be stated that the
continuous class-B/J PA is capable of amplifying a modulated
ISBN 978-3-9812668-6-3
signal with constant efficiency and constant linearity, after
linearization, over a fractional bandwidth of 78.5%. In order to
keep the required signal quality of the common communication
standards a linearizer is required and its complexity has to keep
up with the complexity of the transmitted signal.
VI. CONCLUSIONS
The class-B/J continuum is well known for its uninterrupted
design space, which allows the realization of a broadband PA
with constant high efficiency. The results of this paper show
that also the required linearity for modulated signals, e.g.
WCDMA, can be achieved, with moderate efforts on digital
pre-distortion. The PA tested delivered a CW output power of
47.8 dBm and 53 to 63% drain efficiency from 0.9 to 2.4 GHz.
For WCDMA 5 MHz signals, an ACLR of -50 dBc and
38 dBm average output power with an average efficiency of
21.5% were measured. For the more complex LTE signal a
limitation of linearity for the class-J mode was found. For
significant improvement a more powerful pre-distortion
method with increased memory depth might be tested to
compensate the noticed memory effects. More general on can
state that the class-B/J continuum is capable to be used in
broadband or multiband transmitter systems with overall
constant high peak efficiency but also constant linearity.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to thank Dr. Daniel Gruner and Dr.
Khaled Bathich who were involved in the initial amplifier
design. Also the support of Daniel Maaßen during the
measurements and the help of all colleagues at Microwave
Engineering Laboratory is gratefully acknowledged.
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