RF Design: Core Concepts - Web Classroom

Course 247

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Summary

This course is the first in a series for RF Design engineers and other professionals in that field. It presents core concepts essential in understanding RF technology and presents circuit-level designers with the foundation needed to work effectively with high frequency electronics. Participants gain analytical, graphical ( Smith Chart ), and computer-aided techniques to analyze and optimize RF circuits in practical situations. This course reviews traditional circuit definitions based on voltages and current and transitions to power-flow concepts and scattering parameters (S-parameters) used in the wireless domain.

The material covered forms the foundation for follow-on courses dealing with specific RF and Microwave circuit and component design.

This seminar contains material typically covered in one full day of instruction but is divided into five 90 minute recorded web-classroom presentations. Students will receive 30-day access to the recordings.

This course is intended for registered individual students only. Please contact us for group rates at info@besserassociates.com or 650-949-3300. Recording, copying, or re-transmission of classroom material is prohibited.

Students will receive a signed Certificate of Completion on request.

Learning objectives

Upon completing the course you will be able to:

  • Describe RF circuit parameters and terminology
  • Work comfortably with dB notation
  • Understand Modern CAE/CAD Techniques
  • Work with transmission lines
  • Use graphical design techniques and the Smith Chart

Target Audience

The course is designed for professionals working in the RF domain for the first time as well as seasoned veterans requiring a good review of the core concepts. An electrical engineering background (or equivalent practical experience) is recommended, as well as a familiarity with complex numbers. This program prepares students to take the follow-on RF Design: Applied Techniques course.

Outline

Introduction to RF Circuits
 • Linear circuit analysis in RF systems • Frequency range of coverage: 100-3000 MHz • Log conversion, dB and dBm scales • Complex numbers in rectangular and polar form • Component Qs • Importance of Impedance Matching • Normalization • RF component related issues
RF/MW Fundamentals
 • Complex impedance and admittance systems • Resonance effects • One-port impedance and admittance • Series and parallel circuit conversions • Lumped vs. distributed element representation • Signal transmission/reflection and directional couplers • Key parameters : Gamma, mismatch loss, return loss, SWR • Impedance transformation and matching • Illustrative exercise
Transmission Lines
 • Transmission line types: coaxial, microstrip, stripline, waveguide • Characteristic impedance and electrical length • Input impedance of loaded transmission line
The Smith Chart and Its Applications
 • Polar Gamma vs. Rectangular Z plots • Impedance and Admittance Smith Charts • Normalized Smith Charts • Lumped series/parallel element manipulations • Constant Q circles • Expanded and compressed Smith Charts • Impedance and admittance transformations • Transmission line manipulations • Illustrative examples
Scattering Parameters
 • Review of one-port parameters • Two-port Z-, Y-, and T-parameters • Cascade connections and de-embedding • S-parameters of commonly used two-ports • Generalized S-parameters • Mixed-mode S-parameters • Illustrative examples