Course info

Programme:

Masters’ Programme in Electrical Engineering and
Information Technology

Module / Course Title:

Radio Frequency and Microwave Systems

No:

MF20

Semester:

EM1-3 (winter term)

Coordinator / Responsibility:

Prof. Dr. P. S. H. Leather (Prof. Dr. M. Stichler)

Lecturer:

Prof. Dr. P. S. H. Leather

Language:

English

Position in Curriculum:

Technical elective for EE/IT-Master’s program.

Course Type / Weekly Hours:

50% lectures, 50% exercises, 2 hours per week

Workload:

Duration: 1 semester

Lecture/class presence: 1 hours x 15 weeks =     15 hours
Exercises: 1 hours x 15 weeks =                           15 hours
Lecture pre-class and post-class study                40 hours
Examination preparation:                                     20 hours
Total workload:                                                   90 hours

Credits:

5

Prerequisites:

-

Specific Goals / Learning Objectives:

1. Develop an overall picture of radio and microwave systems, primarily for communications.
2. Understand performance requirements and how they relate to system specifications.
3. Learn about various transceiver architectures, their merits and costs.
4. Derive system specifications from wireless communication standards.
5. Calculate an end-to-end link budget, develop a level plan and create system level behavioural models.

Topics

1. Modulation, Transmitters and Receivers

     Receiver, transmitter and transceiver architectures
     RF signals
     Analogue modulation
     Digital modulation
     Interference and distortion
     Early receiver technology
     Modern transmitter architectures
     Modern receiver architectures

2. Antennas and the RF Link

     RF antennas
     Radiation from a current filament
     Resonant antennas
     Traveling-wave antennas
     Fundamental antenna parameters
     The RF link
     Radio link interference

3. RF Systems

     Broadcast, simplex, duplex, diplex and multiplex
     Cellular communications
     Multiple access schemes
     Spectrum efficiency
     Cellular phone systems
     Generations of radio
     4G, 5G: beyond 3G and Long Term Evolution
     5G, fifth generation radio: beyond 5G

     [Radar systems introduction]

Grading / Examination:

Homework simulation assignments and a written examination (90 minutes) at the end of the course (TBC).

Material:

The course is based mainly on reference A, in particular chapters 2-4. Additional material may also be sourced from references B-G. Students should be able to derive their notes from the course lectures which are available as PDF documents.

Literature:

A) Steer: Microwave and RF Design (2nd Ed.),
Scitech, 2013, ISBN: 978-1-61353-021-4
B) Egan: Practical RF System Design,
Wiley-IEEE, 2003, ISBN: 978-0-471-20023-9
C) Bowick: RF Circuit Design,
Newnes, 2007, ISBN: 978-0-750-68518-4
D) Hagen: Radio-Frequency Electronics,
Cambridge, 1996, ISBN: 978-0-521-88974-2
E) Gharaibeh: Non-linear Distortion in Wireless Systems, Wiley-IEEE, 2012, ISBN: 978-0-470-66104-8
F) Smaïni: RF Analog Impairments Modeling for Communication Systems Simulation,
Wiley, 2012, ISBN: 978-1-119-99907-2
G) McCune: Practical Digital Wireless Signals,
Cambridge, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-521-51630-3

Overall Educational Goals:

Ability/Proficiency Goal  &  Degree of Relevance:

1 = essential,  2 = important, 3 = is touched

Profound technical knowledge:

Mathematics and nat. science fundamentals

2

Subject specific fundamentals

2

Subject specific specialization

2

Multidisciplinary knowledge

2

Team-working and communication skills:

Team-working skills

2

Ability to present ideas and skills self-confidently and convincingly

2

Understanding team processes

2

Problem-solving skills:

Ability to analyse and structure technical problems

1

Ability to develop and implement solution strategies

2

Ability to combine different technical fields

2

Methodological skills

Ability to think logically, analytically and conceptually

1

Selection and good use of appropriate methods

2

Systematic further development of design methods

2

Scientific approach:

Ability to analyse and structure complex tasks

1

Ability to describe and document results clearly

1

Ability to extend existing knowledge independently

2

Ability to identify technical developments

2

Practical experience and professional competence:

Knowledge of real-world problems

2

Familiarity with procedures and processes within a business organisation environment

3

Ability to solve problems under practical real-world conditions

2