35112 - Autonomous RF Sistems  (2nd Cycle)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student knows the tools for the analysis and design of circuits and subsystems representing the building blocks of RF and microwave front-ends. She/he will also know the nonlinear effects at the base of front-end operation and the CAD tools to accurately take them into account during front-end design. The student learns the methods to achieve front-end energy autonomy through the exploitation of received radio waves, therefore avoiding the use of batteries, with great advantages for the environmental impact. The student will also acquire knowledge of possible applications in the field of RF and microwave identification (RFID) and RFID-enabled sensors for environment control.

Course contents

Front-end architecture and main functional blocks: examples of typical mobile phones front-end architecture .

Importance of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) on nonlinear radiofrequency circuits .

Nonlinear circuits: Volterra series; main nonlinear phenomena: harmonic generation, saturation, intermodualtion distortion, cross-modulation; structure of typical spectra.

Harmonic-Balance (HB) Method: nodal and piecewise formulation; general scheme of the method; Newton-Raphson algorithm for the resolution of the HB nonlinear system.

Network functions of nonlinear circuits.

Modulation-oriented Harmonic-Balance (MHB) Method for the analysis of nonlinear circuits under digitally modulated excitation (or "envelope transient" analysis).

CAD of nonlinear circuits (deterministic design): design by means of cascaded analyses; design goals; optimization algorithms; narrow- and broad-band design.

Statitical design: dependance of circuit performance on random parameters; concept of yield; statistical design by means of yield optimization.

Low noise amplifiers: gain, stability and noise; CAD

Power amplifiers: different classes; nonlinear effects; CAD.

Mixers: balanced mixers; image-rejection mixers; single-side band mixers.

Oscillators: oscillation buildup conditions and oscillating conditions; CAD.

Illustration of modern front-ends energy automy problem by means of engineering applications: RF energy harvesting from the environment, wireless poer transmission, efficient energy storage

Laboratory: analysis and optimization of realistic radiofrequency circuit by means of commercial software tools.

Readings/Bibliography

Copy of lecture slides covering the entire course

Teaching methods

Intermediate checks are made that are not part of the assessment.

if possible, a lecture by the students on the topics dealt with to verify the level of learning is carried out halfway through the course

Assessment methods

Presentation of a project of an RF circuit assigned by the teacher, carried out in a group and presented to all students of the course, followed by an oral exam.

Teaching tools

http://www.dei.unibo.it/it/ricerca/strutture/laboratori/rfcal-laboratorio-di-progetto-di-circuiti-ed-antenne-a-rf

Office hours

See the website of Alessandra Costanzo

See the website of Vittorio Degli Esposti