RF DESIGN COURSE OUTLINE (28hrs)

Introduction to Wireless Technologies

 A Brief History of Wireless Communications

 The Continuing Evolution of Wireless Technologies

 Overview of Modern Wireless Technologies

Radio Wave Characteristics

 The Electro-magnetic Spectrum

 Propagation Modes of Radio Waves

 Radio Spectrum: Licensed and License Exempt

Fundamental Radio Concepts

 Basics of Information Transfer for Radio

 Working with Decibels: Gains, Losses, Power Levels

 Basic Radio Components

 Wireless Impairments: Internal Noise and Distortion

Digital Modulation and Error Correction Techniques

 Analog and Digital Modulation

 Getting More Bits per Baud

 Error Correction Techniques

Physical Layers and Multiple Access Techniques

 Basic Access Techniques

 OFDM and OFDMA

 Spread Spectrum and CDMA

Basics of Antennas and Antenna Systems

 E-M Field Radiation: Intentional and  Determining aperture antenna gain

Unintentional  Antenna pattern evaluation: Beam-

 Basic Antenna Types and Uses width and front-to-back ratio

 Basic Antenna Characteristics  Determining antenna reactive near field

 Antenna Field Regions  Determining antenna radiative near field

 Care and Feeding of Antennas  Phase combining simulation

 Antenna Diversity Techniques  Converting between VSWR and

 Advanced Antenna Systems reflection coefficient

  Comparing % reflected power and

return loss measurements

Link Budget Analysis Techniques

Line-of-Sight Radio Propagation

The Non-Line-of-Sight Propagation Environment

Overview of Smith Charts and S-Parameters

 The Smith Chart

 Impedance and admittance transformations

 Scattering (S) parameters • The difference between Small Signal and Large Signal S-

parameters • Cascading building blocks using S-parameters

Power Amps, Mixers, Oscillators

RF Power Amplifier Design – Lab Session - OrCAD

PLL/Frequency Synthesis/Phase Noise/Jitter

RF fundamentals
RF Basics
ƒ Available frequency bands
ƒ RF communication systems
ƒ Modulation and demodulation
ƒ Basic building blocks of an RF system – components
ƒ Extending range
ƒ Key RF parameters
ƒ RF measurement equipment
ƒ Spread spectrum systems – DSSS / FHSS / Frequency Agility
• Transmission line theory
• Design of planar transmission
lines
• S-Parameters
• Signal flow diagrams
• Smith Chart
• Matching techniques
• RF amplifier design
• RF connector issues
• ADS design labs

Detailed Course Agenda

High Frequency Fundamentals

Introduction of concepts and
definitions for electrical length,
skin depth and the decibel

Transmission Line Theory

• Transmission Line Model
• Wave propagation along a
transmission line
• Reflection coefficient, VSWR,
and standing waves
• Power transmission issues
• Input impedance to a
transmission line
• Special case terminations and
distributed elements

Practical Transmission
Line Issues
Applications, features and
synthesis/analysis of:
• Coax
• Microstrip
• Stripline
• Coplanar waveguide
• Grounded coplanar waveguide
• Substrate issues
Scattering Parameters
• Overview of linear network
analysis
• S-parameter definitions and
relationships
• Cascaded S-parameters
• Lab
Signal Flow Diagrams
• Applications
• Construction and simplification
• Analysis using signal flow
• Case study: two port network
• Case study: 3 dB PAD
• Case study: power meter head
Smith Chart
• Introduction
• Construction and axes
• Plotting on the Smith Chart
• Analysis using the Smith Chart
Matching Techniques
• Considerations for matching
circuits
• L network matching networks
• Matching using the Smith Chart
• 3 element matching circuits
• Sub-matching
• Bode-Fano criteria
• Lab
RF Amplifier Design
• Device technology overview
• Amplifier specifications
• Unilateral design technique
• Bilateral design technique
• Designing for specific gain
• Stability criteria
• Causes and solutions of
instability
• Amplifier noise
• Amplifier topologies
• LNA case study
• Lab
Connector Issues
• Generic connector issues
• Test instrument connector
issues
• Board and equipment
connector issues