Details count in power-amplifier design

TURNING an ideal RF power-amplifier (PA) design into something that can be produced cost-effectively is a critical step in any development effort, It is one thing to conceive an ideal PA design, yet it is quite another to implement the desired results in a low-cost manufacturing process. Performance requirements, cost, and time constraints often conspire to make design realization a difficult challenge. Unfortunately, improving the design for manufacturability and process tolerances usually comes at a time when the overall development is being pushed to meet an "optimal" market window and critical amplifier specifications, Knowing what aspects of the design are critical in the practical implementation of the amplifier and how to properly simulate them can save considerable time and improve the probability of design success.