Microwave Active Circuit Design

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

Scope of Course
Active Devices
(transistor &
diode)

Passive Components
(transmission line
& lump LC)

Microwave
Communication &
Applications

Concept and Design

of Microwave and Millimeter-wave
Circuits (non MIC or MMIC technology)

Microwave and Millimeter-wave

Subsystem and System

Microwave Active Circuit Design

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

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

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)
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Radio-Frequency Bands (1)

Radio-Frequency Bands (2)

Radio-Frequency Bands (3)

Absorption by the atmosphere in clear weather

Microwave Communication System (1)

RF transceiver including passive components

(SAW filter, LC matching network) and
active circuits (switch, PA, LNA, mixer, VGA,
VCO, synthesizer)

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)

13

Microwave Communication System (6)

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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.

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

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Digital Cellular and Cordless Phone Standards

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

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Specifications for 2G Communication

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)

DCS (Distributed Control System)

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Specifications for 3G/4G Communication

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

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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

50/100

0.7~0.86 (FDD)
1.5~2.1 (FDD)
2.3~2.6 (TDD)

33/27/24/21

LTE

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RF ICs and Modules (1)

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RF ICs and Modules (1)

LDMOS PA for VHF band

GaN 40 W Class-E PA

GaAs X-band PA

SiGe PA for WiMAX

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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Microwave/millimeter-wave Applications (4)

Australian Radio Tele-scope using

an InP amplifier (100 GHz)

THz differential absorption radar

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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 (ai , bi).
The variables ai and bi are normalized complex voltage waves incident on and reflected
from the ith port of the network.
They are defined in terms of the terminal voltage Vi , the terminal current Ii , and an
arbitrary reference impedance Zi ,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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Network Analyzer (1)

S11,S12

S11,S21

S22,S21

S22,S12

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.
DUT must be measured under a small input power (small-signal operation)

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Network Analyzer (2)

Formats of S parameters

Log scale plot

Polar

Smith chart

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Network Analyzer (3)

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 nonlinearties 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

[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.

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