RF Circuit Validation & Testing (RF137-4-29)

Synopsis

The ever increasing demand for wireless communication has resulted in RF circuits being found in various electronics circuitry today. Engineers who work with RF circuits range from those who design the circuits, those who test and validate the circuits to those who integrate off-the-shelf RFIC serving various functions. Regardless of the depth involved in working with RF circuits, one good way to start understanding these circuits are by means of testing and validating the RF circuits.

This course therefore serves not only engineers involved in testing, validation and characterization of RF circuits but engineers from various disciplines who incorporate RF circuits into their design.

Course Highlight
This course starts with essential concepts required for the setup of testing and validation of RF circuits such impedance matching for various goals (stability, noise figure, power, gain, etc), design of RF test and circuit boards, in-fixture calibration and test environment setups.

The course then proceeds to the testing and validation of RF circuits, covering various measurement parameters of typical RF transceiver building blocks. Participants are taught the theories behind the measurement parameters and also the test setups in performing the measurement such as required instruments, accessories and instruments operating conditions.

What previous participants say about this course
Answers to the question 'what did you like most about the course'

• "Practical Approach on Measurement technique" - 28 Feb 08
• "A Balance mixture of theory and practice" - 28 Feb 08
• "Experience lecturer" - 28 Feb 08
• "Hands-on lab equipment & relate it to previous work environment" - 28 Feb 08
• "Practical lab most interesting" - 1 Apr 08
• "Lab. Instructor can apply to the field" - 1 Apr 08
• "Particularly on the LNA, mixer, PA and etc. Measurement" - 26 May 08
• "Application of the theory learned and obviously on how to use them in my work and those related area" - 26 May 08
• "Both theory and practical task" - 26 May 08

Figures below showing RF Transceiver and RF instruments used in the training

What You Will Learn

• Impedance matching functions
• Designing RF test and circuit board
• In-fixture error correction Using VNA
• Test environment setup
• Measurement of typical RF building blocks such as LNA, PA, mixer, filter and oscillator

Who Should AttendThe primary target audience for this course is engineers involved in test development, testing, validation and characterization of RF components and circuits. This course is also applicable to a broad audience who need to have strong understanding of the various RF components and integration of these components for example

• RF Design Engineer
• Board Layout Engineer
• Analog/Digital Designer incorporating RF Circuits
• R&D Project Managers
• QA Engineers
• Technical Marketing Engineers

PrerequisiteAttended RF Microwave Essential Concepts - A Practical Approach OR have very strong understanding of RF Microwave fundamentals concepts such as transmission line theory, Smith Chart, impedance matching and operating principles of RF measurement instruments.

Exposure to RF Microwave circuit work would be useful.

Course MethodologyThe students are first taught the theories in classroom setting. The concepts are then re-enforced through exercises and examples of how the theories are applied in real-life. Demonstration using various RF/MW instruments and building blocks of an RF Transceiver will be carried out to illustrate various principles and techniques.

The following software tools are used in this training :

• AppCAD
• Agilent ADS
• Fabian Kung's Smith Chart

The RF Transceiver's building blocks used are :

• Antenna
• Low Noise Amplifier
• Power Amplifier
• Filter
• Mixer
• Synthesizer

The RF/MW instruments used are :

• Signal Generator
• Spectrum Analyzer
• Vector Network Analyzer

Course Duration3 days, 9am - 5pm

Course StructureReview of Fundamental Concepts

• Characteristic Impedance
• SWR, G, r, Return Loss
• Measurement Plane
• Smith Chart, Impedance Transformation
• Noise Figure - Shot, Flicker, Thermal/Johnson/Nyquist
• Noise Figure Definition
• Cascaded System
• Link Budget Analysis
• Noise Temperature
• Y-Factor Computation

Introduction to RF EDA Tools

• Definition of CAD and EDA Tools
• Features of EDA Tools
• Examples of EDA Tools
• Simulator Type
• Common Simulation Usage in RF Design

Impedance Matching Functions

• Stability Consideration
• Matching Goal (Noise Figure, Power Output, Gain)
• Matching Concept (Single, L, Pi, T)
• Matching Implementation (Q Factor, Lumped, Distributed, Hybrid)
• Isolation
• Load Pull, Stub Tuner
• Grounding, DC Biasing, Decoupling Capacitor, RF Choke

Designing RF Test and Circuit Board

• Practical Transmission Line (Propagation Modes, Importance of TEM, Low Loss Advantages)
• Transmission Line Construction (Microstrip, CPW, Stripline)
• Passive Components Selection - SRF, Types, Packaging
• PCB Material Consideration (Coating, Loss Tangent, Dielectric Constant, Recommended, Loss Consideration)
• Layout (Design Rules, Grounding Vias, DC Supply Line Routing, Decoupling Capacitors, Feeding in/out for SMA Connectors, Typical Dimensions for DC Supply Pins, SMA Connectors, Mechanical Stresses, Tolerancing, Heat Sinking
• Production Test Boards - Allowance for Contactors, Types of Contactors, Allowance for Fixturing, Mechanical Stresses, Heat Sinking
• Troubleshooting - TDR, Impedance Verification

In-fixture Error Correction Using VNA

• Concepts of In-fixture
• Port Extension
• De-embedding (T-parameters)
• Gating (TDR, TDT)
• Calibration (Response, SOLT, TRL, TRM, LRM)

Test Environment Setup

• RF Anechoic Chamber
• Radiation Absorbent Material (RAM)
• Shielded Room
• Shielding Mechanism, Shielding Effectiveness (SE)
• EMI Vs RFI
• Conducted Vs Radiated interference
• Sources of Interference
• Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
• Two types of EMC measurements
• Conducted Immunity Test System
• Common Antenna Parameters Measured
• Open Field Test (Path Loss Analysis)

Filter Measurement

• Filter usage, Types and Physical Realizations
• Filter Measurements
• Transmission Measurements - Insertion Loss, Group Delay, Group Delay Flatness,
• Rejection
• Reflection Measurements - Return Loss, Impedance
• Shape Factor, BW
• Measurement Uncertainty

LNA Measurement

• Usage of Low Noise Amplifier
• Transmission Measurement - Gain, Isolation, Group Delay, P1dB
• Reflection Measurement - Return Loss, Impedance, SWR
• Distortion Measurement - OIP3, IIP3
• Noise Figure Measurement
• Example of LNA Specifications
• Summary of Measurement Solutions

PA Measurement

• Usage of Power Amplifier and its Characteristics
• PA Measurement and Considerations
• Small Signal Measurement - Gain/Gain Flatness, Reverse Isolation, Return Loss/SWR,
• Input/Output Impedances
• Large Signal Measurement
• Distortion Measurement - Harmonics, OIP3/IIP3, AM-PM
• PAE Definition and Measurement
• Modulation Measurement - ACPR, Spectral Regrowth, OBW, EVM
• Output Power Measurement
• Broadband/Narrowband Measurement
• Example of PA Specifications
• Summary of Measurement Solutions

Oscillator Measurement

• Usage of Oscillator
• Oscillator Characterization and Measurements
• Oscillator Measurements - Frequency range, output power, tuning sensitivity, power supply pushing, harmonics, Frequency and Power Pulling, Output Return Loss
• Phase Noise and Jitter - effect of phase noise, unit of measure, Region of Validity, phase noise to jitter conversion
• Phase Noise Measurements
• Jitters Measurements

Mixer Measurement

• Usage of Component
• Mixer Types
• Tuned Receiver with Freq Offset
• Conversion Loss
• SWR
• Isolation (RF-IF, LO-RF, RF Feedthrough)
• Compression
• Intermodulation
• Image Rejection