This elective teaches the student how to simulate, design and test circuit blocks that are typically used in a modern radio frequency communications system.
Review of Fundamentals
Overview of radio communications systems. Radio architecture. Link budget and receiver sensitivity. Time, Space and Frequency Domain considerations. Calculation of phase length. Spectrum classifications. Review of impedance, admittance and reflection coefficient. Two-port network parameters. Review of simple antenna designs. EbNo vs BER performance for selected modulation techniques.
Transmission Lines & Impedance Matching
Simple two-element matching networks. Controlled bandwidth matching networks. Transmission line model. Use of Admittance/Impedence (Smith) Chart. Matching networks using double stub tuners. Directional Coupler. Transmission Line Balun. Splitter/combiner.
Small Signal RF Amplifier Design
RF Transistor Data Sheets. Biasing examples using a ePHEMT, Wave vectors, scattering paramenters, Designs using S Parameters, Stability, Noise Figure. LNA design process. Design techniques using the Smith Chart. Energy efficiency considerations in a mobile device.
RF Power Amplifiers
RF Power Transistor Characteristics, biasing classes, efficiency, linearity and distortion, Intermodulation products and 3rd order intercept point. IP3 cascaded stages. Load pull analysis.
Practical Filter Design
Design methods using normalised prototype element values. Distributed element design using Richard's Transform and Kuroda identities. Microstrip design.
RF Components
PIN diodes, amplifier devices. MMIC current biased circuit. Comparison between epHEMT and CMOS devices. Circulators.
Wireless Test Equipment
Spectum Analyzer with tracking generator, transmission line experiments. Vector Network Analyzers. Calibration methods. Noise measurements in RF Systems; noise temperature, noise factor, excess noise ratio, y factor method.
EMC Standards
Importance of EU harmonised regulatory standards, EMC Directive, Review of selected EMCstandards such as EN 50082 and EN55022. Use of spectrum analyser for EMC testing. RF Anechoic chambers.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 30 |
| Formal Examination | 70 |