RF Microelectronics
Prof. Stefano D’Amico

Degree Course

  • Master of Science in Communication Engineering

Year

Period

Educational Credits (CFU)

Theory hours

Training hours

I

Second

9

60

18


Scientific Disciplinary Sector

  • ING-INF/01

Objectives of the course

Learning Outcomes

This is a course in RF Microelectronics; it is aimed at providing principles and tools to analyse and design analog front ends of wireless transceivers starting from the architecture down to each constitutive circuit block. After the course the student should be able to:

1) Describe difference kinds of transceiver architectures.

2) Evaluate the performance parameters and discuss complexity issues associated with different solutions.

3) Describe the functionality of each circuit block.

5) Give examples of circuit solutions for each circuit block .

6) Analyse performance of circuit blocks for RF analog front ends.

Requirements

Analog Electronics

Exam arrangements

The final (oral) exam consists of two cascaded parts:

1. the first part is on the architecture analysis of transceiver; the student is asked to illustrate a transceiver architecture, to evaluate the performance parameters, and to define the operation of each circuit block. it is aimed to verify to what extent the student has gained knowledge and understanding of the selected topics of the course and if he is able to communicate about his understanding.

2. the second part is on circuit analysis of one of the circuit block studied during the course; it is aimed to determine to what extent the student the circuit analysis capability, ability to identify and use data to formulate responses to well-defined problems, problem solving abilities and the capacity integrate different concepts and tools.

PROGRAM

Theory
  • Introduction to the RF and Wireless Technology1,2
    • Complexity comparison
    • Design bottleneck
    • Applications
    • Analog and digital systems
    • Choice of technology
  • Basic Concepts in the RF Design1,3
    • Nonlinearity and time variance
    • Intersymbol interference
    • Random process and noise
    • Sensitivity and dynamic range
    • Passive impedance transformation
  • Transceivers Architectures1,4
    • General Considerations
    • Receivers architectures
    • Transmitters architectures
  • Low-Noise Amplifier and Mixers1,5
    • Low-noise Amplifier
    • Downconversion Mixers
  • Oscillators1,6
    • General considerations
    • Basic LC oscillator Topologies
    • Voltage-Controlled oscillators
    • Phase noise
    • Bipolar and CMOS LC Oscillators.
  • Frequency Synthesizers1,7
    • General Considerations
    • Phase Locked Loops
    • Architectures of the Frequency Synthesizers
  • Analog Filters1,8,9
    • Transfer Function: filter order, type of frequency response (band-pass, low-pass, high-pass).
    • Synthesis of analog filters: active RC filters, Gm-C filters, MOSFET-C filters, biquad cells.
    • Circuit solution for gain programmability: programmable gain amplifiers.
    • Main parameters: in-band and out-of-band linearity, noise and frequency performance.
    • Tuning of analog filters: technology spread, compensation techniques of manufacture errors.
  • Analog-to-digital converters1,10
    • Main parameters of analog-to-digital converters: numbers of bits, sampling frequency, SNR, SNDR, ENOB, ERBW.
    • Circuits architectures of low sampling frequency analog-to-digital converters.
    • Circuits architectures of high sampling frequency analog-to-digital converters .
    • Digital-to-analog converters architectures.
Training
  • Design of a Homodyne Receiver1
    • The exercitation consists in the synthesis of a homodyne receiver and its functional blocks starting from the systems specifications. The software to be used is Excel.

Suggested books

  1. S. D’Amico, "Slides del corso" (http://microel_group.unisalento.it/)

  2. Behzad Razavi, "RF Microelectronics", Prentice Hall Communications Engineering and Emerging Technologies series, pages 11-20.

  3. Behzad Razavi, "RF Microelectronics", Prentice Hall Communications Engineering and Emerging Technologies series, pages 21-53.

  4. Behzad Razavi, "RF Microelectronics", Prentice Hall Communications Engineering and Emerging Technologies series, pages 128-175.

  5. Behzad Razavi, "RF Microelectronics", Prentice Hall Communications Engineering and Emerging Technologies series, pages 176-216.

  6. Behzad Razavi, "RF Microelectronics", Prentice Hall Communications Engineering and Emerging Technologies series, pages 217-257.

  7. Behzad Razavi, "RF Microelectronics", Prentice Hall Communications Engineering and Emerging Technologies series, pages 258-308.

  8. Sedra, Smith "Microelectronic Circuits" – Oxford University Press – 2004 pages 1083-1141 (http://microel_group.unisalento.it/)

  9. Johns & Martin “Analog Integrated circuits design”, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., pages 581-642.

  10. Johns & Martin “Analog Integrated circuits design”, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., pages 452-580.

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