Practical RF Circuit Design for Modern Wireless Systems, volume I

The first of a two-volume set, this leading-edge book takes a practical approach to RF circuit design, offering a complete understanding of the fundamental concepts you need to know and use for your work in this industry. The book lays the ground work for efficient RF circuit design in a step-by-step approach, by defining important principles and parameters and progressively introducing critical analytical tools. It helps you distinguish between RF and low frequency circuits, and offers a detailed look at a typical RF system. This is a tested and insightful book that contains answers to most of the questions practical engineers are asking. The first volume reviews various computer-aided simulation, synthesis, and optimization techniques used in modern RF and microwave design, and discusses the practical use of the graphical design tools, such as the Smith Chart.

Unlike the many theoretical resources and courses on the subject, this unique book (the first of a two volume set) takes a highly practical approach to RF circuit design, offering a complete understanding of the fundamental concepts you need to know and use for your work in this industry. The book lays the ground work for efficient RF circuit design in a step-by-step approach, by defining important principles and parameters and progressively introducing critical analytical tools. It helps you distinguish between RF and low frequency circuits, and offers a detailed look at a typical RF system. This is a tested and insightful book that contains answers to most of the questions practical engineers are asking. The first volume reviews various computer-aided simulation, synthesis, and optimization techniques used in modern RF and microwave design, and discusses the practical use of the graphical design tools, such as the Smith Chart.

Other key topics include passive component modeling, impedance matching, and lumped and distributed filters. Moreover, the authors present an introduction to high-speed circuit design considerations faced by the digital designer at high clock speeds. The book makes extensive use of state-or-the-art CAD programs to illustrate the concepts and theory, and is lavishly illustrated with examples. This text is guaranteed to provide even the most experienced RF designer with fresh, intuitive insight into circuit operation, and will be as useful at universities as a course text on practical RF circuit design, as it will in industry as a training refresher.

Contents:

Introductionto RF Circuit Design - Methodology and Motivation. Top Down Design - fromAir interface to System to Components. What is RF?

TheRadio as a Typical RF System - Receiver Architectures. The SimpleDetector Receiver. The Direct Conversion (Homodyne) Receiver. The SuperHeterodyne Receiver-Analog. The Super Heterodyne Receiver-Digital. ReceiverCharacterization. The Communications Channel. Receiver Noise. ReceiverSensitivity. System Nonlinearity. Receiver Dynamic Range. Receiver Selectivity.Receiver Frequency Response. Analysis of a CDMA Receiver Handset Receiver:Component Specification, Receiver Response.

RFCircuit Fundamentals - Review of Important Definitions: dB and dBm,Energy Storing and Energy Dissipation. Unloaded and Loaded Q-Factor. Resonant Q and its Effect on Bandwidth.Normalization. Basic Transmission Line Concepts. Traveling Waves and PowerFlow. Reflection and Transmission Coefficients. Return Loss and Mismatch Loss.Power Transfer vs. Voltage- and Current-Gain Specifications. Two-PortPower-Gain Definitions. Single-Ended and Balanced Circuit Considerations.Grounding Issues.

CADof Linear RF/MW Circuits - Frequency Domain Circuit Simulation andOptimization. Statistical Analysis, Design Centering and Yield Optimization. .Electromagnetic (EM) Simulation.

ScatteringParameters and the Smith Chart - Conventional Single-Ended S-Parameters.Network Analyzer: Magnitude and Vector Measurements. Large-Signal S-Parameters.Cascade (T-) S-Parameters and De-Embedding. Mixed Mode S-Parameters. The SmithChart and its Applications. Lumped Element Manipulations. Transmission LineElement Manipulations. Constant Q-Circles. Negative Circuit Elements.Compressed Smith Chart. Impedance Transformations and Matching.

PassiveComponent Modeling - The Importance of Parasitics, Primary and SecondaryResonances. Lumped vs. Distributed Component Models. Capacitor, Inductor andResistor Modeling. Ferrite Beads. Crystals and SAW Devices. Power Splitters andHybrids, 90 Degree Phase Shifters. Single and Coupled Transmission Lines.Microstrip, Stripline. Test Fixtures and De-Embedding. Passive ComponentLibraries.

ImpedanceMatching - Conjugate Matching at RF. Parasitic Absorption. Analytical andGraphical Matching Techniques. Narrowband and Wideband Matching Networks.Lumped vs. Distributed Networks. Impedance Matching of Balanced (Differential)Circuits.

Lumpedand Distributed Filters - Resonant Circuits. RF and Microwave Filters.Crystal and Dielectric Resonators. Frequency Response. Group Delay.Input/Output Impedances. Component Realizations. Layout and ToleranceConsiderations

High-SpeedCircuit Design Considerations.

Les Besser is chairman of BesserAssociates, a continuing education organization. A Life Fellow of the IEEEwhere he held various offices and received awards and recognition for pastaccomplishments. He holds Ph.D. , M.S. and B.S. in EE. Dr. Besser authored the first commercially successful microwavecircuit optimization routine and founded Compact Software (now part of Ansoft),a pioneer group in RF/MW CAE. A “Master Lecturer,” he is currently heading anorganization dedicated to continuing education through instructor-led andInternet-based short courses, CD- and video-taped presentations.

Rowan Gilmore is an experiencedconsulting engineer who introduced the world’s first commercialharmonic-balance CAD simulator while Vice-President Engineering at CompactSoftware. He has held numerous design and management posts in industry,including Central Microwave, Schlumberger, Telstra and SITA. A senior member ofthe IEEE, he holds a D.Sc. and MSEE degrees from Washington University in St.Louis, and a B.E. degree in electrical engineering from the University ofQueensland, Brisbane, Australia. He has nearly fifteen years of teachingexperience with Besser Associates and CEI Europe.