34950 - Telecommunication Electronics M-B

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to give the general knowledge of the architectures of many electronic circuits exploited in advanced terrestrial and space telecom systems and to cover the study of the design methodology of many fundamental function blocks as oscillators, PLLs, mixers and multipliers. Radio transceivers', LO generators', mixer circuits' topologies and technologies will be covered during the lectures. Noise theory for RF and microwave electronic devices will be examined in detail. Many examples of actual implemented circuits for radio transceivers using the ultimate electronic technologies will be given.

Course contents

Basic introduction to MMIC (Microwave Monolithic Integrated Circuits): language, frequency bands,material, circuital components, simulation CAD, products.

Oscillators: start-up condition analysis: the Barkausen criteria. Large signal steady state solution analysis.

Oscillators with pi feedback network. Negative resistance oscillators. Quartz oscillators.

DRO: dielectric stabilized oscillators. VCO: voltage controlled oscillators. Phase Noise in oscillators. Noise in electronic devices. White and colored noise.

Introduction to frequency synthesizer. PLL: phase locked loop: fundamental concepts. Design example: X band monolithic VCO.

PLL: loop dynamic in lock state. Charge Pump PLL. PLL of the first and second order. Phase Noise in PLL.

Frequency synthesizer architecture. N-integer, N-fractional. Example of a commercial PLL.

Dual loop architectures. Frequency dividers, prescalers. Multi modulus dividers. PLL as s frequency demodulator.

Oscillator frequency pulling. Injection locking. Load pulling. Oscillator frequency pushing.

Quadrature frequency generation. Noise in electronic circuits: random and ergodic processes. Power spectral density PSD.

Thermal noise, flicker noise, shot noise, G-R noise. Noisy resistor. Energetic balance of the thermal noise. Available noise power and matching. Equivalent noise circuit for FET, Bjt and diode.

Low frequency noise measurement.

Low frequency noise measurement. Independent noise sources. Equivalent noise sources at the device ports. Correlation calculation. From independent noise sources to equivalent correlated noise sources. Overall noise calculation for a linear circuit.

Mixer: Fundamentals. Mixing products generation. Mixer parameters and performance. Mixer types and categories. Mixer topologies. Balanced mixers. Diode Mixers. Diode choice, IF, RF and LO matching network synthesis. Hybrids and balun. Microstrip balanced structures. Balanced mixers. Example: Rat Race singly balanced mixer. Double balanced mixers. Subharmonic mixers. Image rejection mixers.

Readings/Bibliography

1)Lecture slides

2) G. Gonzales, Microwave Transistor Amplifiers, Artech House

3) R. S. Carson, Radio communications concepts: Analog, J.Wiley&Sons

4) B. Razavi, RF Microelectronics, Prentice Hall

5) John L.B. Walker, “High Power GaAs FET Amplifiers” Artech House

6) Stephen A. Maas, “Nonlinear Microwave Circuits” Artech House

Teaching methods

Lecturers and Laboratory. Laboratory exercises will be carried out by using commercial CAD tools for the design of microwave and mm-wave circuits.

Assessment methods

The exam is an oral interview

Teaching tools

Printouts of the slides projected during the lectures are available to students. The printouts cover the entire program of the course. Some recommended reading is suggested for a deeper insight in some particular issue. CAD exercises take place in the CAD Telecom Electronic Labs facilities under the professor supervision.

Office hours

See the website of Corrado Florian