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Microwave Active Circuit Design

Fan-Hsiu Huang
fshuang@mail.cgu.edu.tw

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Scope of Course
Active Devices
(transistor &
diode)
Passive Components
(transmission line
& lump LC)
Concept and Design
of Microwave and Millimeter-wave
Circuits (non MIC or MMIC technology)
Microwave
Communication &
Applications
Microwave and Millimeter-wave
Subsystem and System
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Textbook:

[1] K. Chang, RF and Microwave Circuit and Component Design for
wireless systems, John Wiley & Sons, 2002.
[2] G. Gonzalez, "Microwave Transistor Amplifier Analysis and Design",
Prentice Hall, 1996.

Reference:

[1] David. M. Pozar, Microwave Engineering, 3rd Edition,
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004.
[2] B. Razavi, RF Microelectronics, Prentice Hall, 1998
[3] ,"",, 2001.

Microwave Active Circuit Design
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Contents
1. Introduction
2. Passive components and transmission line
3. Microwave transistor and diode
4. Low-noise amplifier and broadband amplifier
5. Oscillator and phase noise
6. RF mixer circuit
7. RF switch circuit
8. Power amplifier
9. IC packaging technology and its concern
10. Microwave related circuits and systems
Microwave Active Circuit Design
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Prerequisites & Grading Policy
Prerequisites:
Electromagnetics I & II.
Grading Policy:
Homework: 20%
(2 reports for paper review, 4 pages for each,
choosing two topics as introduced in this course )
Midterm: 40%
Final Project: 40%
(Circuit design and presentation, choosing one of
the papers you studied)
Microwave Active Circuit Design
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Radio-Frequency Bands (1)
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Radio-Frequency Bands (2)
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Radio-Frequency Bands (3)
Absorption by the atmosphere in clear weather
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Microwave Communication System (1)
RF transceiver including passive components
(SAW filter, LC matching network) and
active circuits (switch, PA, LNA, mixer, VGA,
VCO, synthesizer)
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Microwave Communication System (2)
Analog RF system
Digital RF system
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Microwave Communication System (3)
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Microwave Communication System (4)
Channel access method used by various radio communication technologies.
The methods allow multiple users simultaneous access to a transmission system.
TDMA (Time division multiple access)
FDMA (Frequency division multiple access)
CDMA (Code division multiple access)
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Microwave Communication System (5)
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Microwave Communication System (6)
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/

802.11a 54Mbps

22Mbps

30
5 GHz
802.11b
11Mbps

5Mbps

40-50
2.4 GHz
802.11g 54Mbps

22Mbps

40-50
2.4 GHz
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
A wireless local area network (WLAN) links
two or more devices using some wireless
distribution method (typically spread-spectrum or
OFDM radio), and usually providing a
connection through an access point to the wider
internet. This gives users the mobility to move
around within a local coverage area and still be
connected to the network. Most modern WLANs
are based on IEEE 802.11 standards, marketed
under the Wi-Fi brand name.

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Standard Multiple
Access
Receive
Frequency
(MHz)
Transmit
Frequency
(MHz)
Channel
Spacing
(kHz)
Mod.
Scheme
Region
DAMPS
(IS-54)
TDMA/FDMA 869-894 824-849 30 /4 DQPSK USA
GSM TDMA/FDMA 935-960 890-915 200 GMSK Europe
CDMA
(IS-95)
CDMA/FDMA 869-894 824-849

1250 BPSK/QPSK USA
JDC TDMA/FDMA 940-956
1447-1489
1501-1513
810-826
1429-1441
1453-1465
25 /4 QPSK Japan
W-CDMA CDMA Emerging 40,000 M-PSK USA
ISM TDMA/CDMA/
FDMA
902-928 902-928 10,000 BPSK USA
DCS-1800 TDMA/FDMA 1895-1907 1710-1785 200 GFSK UK
CT2 FDMA 864-868

864-868 100 GFSK Europe
Asia
DECT TDMA/FDMA 1800-1900 1800-1900 1728 GFSK Europe
PHS TDMA/FDMA 1895-1907 1895-1907 300 /4 DQPSK Japan
Digital Cellular and Cordless Phone Standards
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Specifications for 2G Communication
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)
DCS (Distributed Control System)
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3G/3.5G/3.75G Distance
(km)
Data rate
(Mbps)
Band
(GHz)
TX peak power
(dBm)
CDMA2000
WCDMA
TD-SCDMA
3~12 0.3~2 0.82~0.85
1.92~1.98
2.11~2.17
33/27/24/21
HSDPA 3~12 3.6/7.2/14.4 0.85/1.9/2.1 24
HSUPA 3~12 3.6/7.2/14.4 0.85/1.9/2.1 24
Specifications for 3G/4G Communication
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Specifications for 3G/4G Communication
4G Distance
(km)
Data rate
(Mbps)
Band
(GHz)
TX peak power
(dBm)
WiMAX 802.16e up to 50 10/30/70 2.3~2.7
3.4~3.7
5.8
33/27/24/21
LTE 3 50/100 0.7~0.86 (FDD)
1.5~2.1 (FDD)
2.3~2.6 (TDD)
33/27/24/21
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RF ICs and Modules (1)
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RF ICs and Modules (1)
GaAs X-band PA SiGe PA for WiMAX
GaN 40 W Class-E PA
LDMOS PA for VHF band
SiC 10 W Class-AB PA
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System on Chip (SoC)
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Microwave/millimeter-wave Applications (1)
Microwave Oven Specification

AC Power: 120 Volts AC 60 Hz (13.3A)
1500 Watts, Single phase, 3 wire grounded
Output Power: 1200 Watts full microwave
power (IEC60705)
Frequency: 2450 MHz
Magnetron: 2M246-050GF
Timer: 0 ~ 99 min. 99 sec.
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Microwave/millimeter-wave Applications (2)
77 GHz
Automotive Radar
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Microwave/millimeter-wave Applications (3)
94 GHz MMW image obtained from a scanning radiometer
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THz differential absorption radar
Australian Radio Tele-scope using
an InP amplifier (100 GHz)
Microwave/millimeter-wave Applications (4)
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S-parameter (1)
Generalized scattering parameters have been defined by K. Kurokawa.
These parameters describe the interrelationships of a new set of variables (a
i
, b
i
).
The variables a
i
and b
i
are normalized complex voltage waves incident on and reflected
from the i
th
port of the network.
They are defined in terms of the terminal voltage V
i
, the terminal current I
i
, and an
arbitrary reference impedance Z
i
,where the asterisk denotes the complex conjugate:
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S-parameter (2)
Limitations of lumped models At low frequencies most circuits behave in a predictable
manner and can be described by a group of replaceable, lumped-equivalent black
boxes. At microwave frequencies, as circuit element size approaches the wavelengths of
the operating frequencies, such a simplified type of model becomes inaccurate. The
physical arrangements of the circuit components can no longer be treated as black boxes.
We have to use a distributed circuit element model and s-parameters.
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S-parameter (3)
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S-parameter (4)
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S-parameter (5)
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Vector network analyzer (VNA): The vector network analyzer, VNA is a more useful
form of RF network analyzer than the SNA as it is able to measure more parameters about
the device under test. Not only does it measure the amplitude response, but it also looks at
the phase as well. As a result vector network analyzer, VNA may also be called a gain-phase
meter or an Automatic Network Analyzer.
Network Analyzer (1)
DUT must be measured under a small input power (small-signal operation)
S11,S21
S11,S12
S22,S21
S22,S12
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Network Analyzer (2)
Formats of S parameters
Smith chart
Polar
Log scale plot
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Large Signal Network Analyzer (LSNA): The large signal network analyzer, LSNA is a
highly specialized for of RF network analyzer that is able to investigate the characteristics
of devices under large signal conditions. It is able to look at the harmonics and non-
linearties of a network under these conditions, providing a full analysis of its operation. A
previous version of the Large Signal Network Analyzer, LSNA was known as the
Microwave Transition Analyzer, MTA
Network Analyzer (3)
[S]
p,f,n
p: input power
f: operation frequency
n: harmonic order
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Network Analyzer (4)
X-parameters are a unified way of describing nonlinear device-under-test (DUT) behavior:
Harmonics
Large signal input & output match
Large signal isolation and transmission
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Network Analyzer (5)
Sum of the harmonics can transform the frequency-domain
signals into time-domain signals.