Automated design of a linear microwave monolithic distributed amplifier

Abstract

Microwave integrated circuit (IC) design tends to become more efficient and less expensive which leads to emerging the circuit topology and layout synthesis software. In the paper we present a technique and an algorithm for microwave distributed amplifier (DA) automated synthesis based on requirements to linear characteristics. The technique feature is the using of active and passive element’s models for a chosen IC process. This allow the technique to generate circuit topology which can be manufactured using a given IC process. The proposed DA automated design technique work was demonstrated with preamplifier stage design for 20–30 GHz buffer amplifier MMIC based on the 0.25um GaAs pHEMT process of Svetlana-Rost foundry in Saint-Petersburg.

A genetic‐algorithm‐based synthesis of microwave integrated distributed amplifiers

“…The simulation algorithm includes the following steps 45 : Two-port S-parameters of the active and passive elements are used as initial data. Models of the elements for the selected process technology are usually available to the MMIC designer through the process design kit provided by the foundry.…”

“…The GA's primary goal is to find a schematic with minor deviations between the target and required characteristics in the operating frequency band. 45 The design flow using GA starts with the requirements definition and finished with DA topology. The GA block diagram shown in Figure 9.…”