A Flexible Automated Design Method for Broadband Matching Networks in Power Amplifiers

This article presents an automated design method for matching networks (MNs) tailored for power amplifiers (PAs) operating across multioctave bandwidths. Designers are required to input simulated or measured load—pull data, alongside specifications for operating bandwidth, output power (Pₒᵤₜ), power-added efficiency (PAE), and output power flatness. The proposed algorithm reformulates the matching problem as a spatial geometry challenge, incorporating a novel error function, a data modeling approach, and an enhanced simulated annealing (SA) algorithm. This framework facilitates the efficient design of a flat output MN (OMN) that adheres to specified criteria while optimizing bothPₒᵤₜand PAE within the defined bandwidth. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated through the design of a multioctave PA operating between 0.5 and 4.0 GHz. Under large-signal excitation of 30 dBm, the PA achieved aPₒᵤₜranging from 40.5 to 42.5 dBm, with a minimum PAE of 55% and a power gain exceeding 10 dB.