Design of a Class AB Power Amplifier For 5G Applications

Authors

  • Joshua Aa-Daaryeb Nounyah Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Bernice Ansu Pormaa Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Emmanuel Mensah Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Abdul-Rahman Ahmed Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Raymond Gyaang Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26740/vubeta.v2i2.37801

Keywords:

Class-AB operation, Power amplifier, GaN HEMT, Power added efficiency, Small signal gain

Abstract

This work discusses the utilization of GaN HEMT technology on Rogers substrate in the design as well as the analysis of a 200 MHz Class AB power amplifier tailored for use in the 5G sub 6 GHz frequency band, specifically targeting 2.4 GHz applications. Matching networks were devised employing cascaded L-section microstrip transmission lines, meticulously optimized for optimum output power, return loss, and PAE. The amplifier’s performance aligned exceptionally well with theoretical predictions. Electromagnetic simulation results showed a small signal gain of 13.634 dB with return losses maintaining below -12 dB across the desired operational bandwidth. Also, a power output of 40.052 dBm for a 29 dBm input power was obtained, coupled with a PAE of 54.148%. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the design approach in producing substantial power with heightened efficiency. Furthermore, the design exhibited enhanced linearity, even in the absence of commonly utilized feedback networks such as voltage dividers or emitter/source degeneration due to the inherent robustness of the proposed design. The meticulous optimization of matching networks and the adept utilization of simulation tools have culminated in a design boasting exceptional output power, efficiency, and linearity, thereby advancing the frontier of amplifier design for next-generation wireless communications.

Author Biographies

Joshua Aa-Daaryeb Nounyah, Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Joshua Aa-Daaryeb Nounyah obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunication Engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2022. He has since dedicated himself to research in the field of Rf/microwave circuit design where he took a role as a research assistant with the Department of Telecommunication Engineering at his alma mater.

Bernice Ansu Pormaa, Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Bernice Pormaa Ansu is currently pursuing an MPhil in Telecommunication Engineering at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where she previously completed her undergraduate degree. Her study focuses on the convergence of cybersecurity, communication, and networking.

Emmanuel Mensah, Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Mensah Emmanuel pursued a BSc in Telecommunication Engineering, a 4-year degree program at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He's currently learning basic machine learning modules and frameworks using the Python Programming Language.

Abdul-Rahman Ahmed, Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Abdul-Rahman Ahmed has been a lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering since December 2005. He received his BSc. Degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2002 and was retained by the department to serve as a teaching assistant until 2003 when he received a British Government Scholarship to undertake a postgraduate program in Radio Systems Engineering at the University of Hull, U.K. He returned in 2005 to join the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and subsequently went further to obtain a PhD in Radio Sciences and Engineering from Chungnam National University in South Korea in 2014. He has been teaching mainly telecommunication courses to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Telecommunication Engineering program of the faculty.

His teaching includes courses in Electromagnetic Fields Theory, Electromagnetic Compatibility, Radio Receivers, Telecommunication Circuits, Microwave Engineering and Information Theory. He has served as a course facilitator for the Institute of Distance Learning and has written the course books in Electromagnetic Field Theory and Information Theory. Positions he has occupied in the faculty include Examination Officer, Postgraduate Programs Coordinator and Vacation Training Officer.

Raymond Gyaang, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Raymond Gyaang earned his BSc. Degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, Ghana, in 2014. Subsequently, he pursued an MEng. degree in Mobile Convergence Engineering from Hanbat National University (HNU), South Korea, graduating in 2020. Currently, he is dedicated to his PhD. studies in Telecommunication Engineering at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana.

His current PhD research revolves around the design and implementation of a Dynamic Phase Six Port Network.

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Published

2025-06-16

How to Cite

[1]
J. Aa-Daaryeb Nounyah, B. Ansu Pormaa, E. Mensah, A.-R. Ahmed, and R. Gyaang, “Design of a Class AB Power Amplifier For 5G Applications”, Vokasi Unesa Bull. Eng. Technol. Appl. Sci., vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 252–269, Jun. 2025.

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Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025)

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Article

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Copyright (c) 2025 Joshua Aa-Daaryeb Nounyah, Bernice Ansu Pormaa, Emmanuel Mensah, Abdul-Rahman Ahmed, Raymond Gyaang

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