90 Degree Hybrid Coupled Power Amplifier Pros and Cons

Power Amplifiers (PAs) are commonplace in Radio Frequency (RF) systems, extensively used in applications consisting of over-the air wireless communications. Wireless communications is a broad market and PAs fill a wide array of those applications. Due to the broad range of applications, PA design techniques must be chosen carefully for each application specific scenario. Single-ended PAs have limitations that restrict their practicality in many applications, especially where higher output power capability is required. For this reason, the hybrid coupled PA technique is an important power amplifier topology to understand for both PA designers and users. This whitepaper details the pros and cons of these hybrid coupled power amplifiers.