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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Engineering : Postgrad (School of Engineering)

Postgraduate Course: Radio Frequency (RF) and Microwave Circuits and Systems (MSc) (PGEE11237)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Engineering CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryTo develop knowledge and advanced design skills in radio frequency (RF) engineering, which are essential for many applications such as radar and communications. Advance knowledge relating to the solution of electromagnetic wave propagation as it applies to different RF waveguides, whilst further developing concepts of microwave networks and matching, wave scattering techniques, and their application to passive and active RF/microwave circuits and devices for radar and communication systems.
Course description Week 1 Advanced Transmission Line Concepts :
reflections, terminated lines, quarter-wave transformer, generator/load mismatches, conjugate matching, linearity, transients on transmission lines, bounce diagrams

Weeks 2 and 3 RF/Microwave Waveguides :
metallic waveguides, parallel-plate waveguides, substrate integrated waveguide, surface waves, circular waveguides, microstrip, stripline, co-planar waveguides, transverse resonance technique

Week 4 Network Analysis for Passive and Active Systems :
impedance and admittance matrices, reciprocal and lossless networks, the scattering matrix, reference planes; signal flow graphs, the transmission ABCD matrix, equivalent circuits for two-port networks, transformations, 2-port and N-port networks

Weeks 5 and 6 Advanced Smith Chart and Matching Circuits :
the complete Smith Chart, impedance, admittance, lambda/4 transformers, matching circuits, single-stub and double-stub matching systems

Weeks 7 and 8 Passive Circuits and RF/Microwave Filters :
design of couplers and power dividers, hybrids, T-junctions, advanced topologies for increased bandwidth and un-equal power split, filter design and system analysis, specifications, high-pass, low-pass, band-pass, notch, filter dispersion and group delay, and transformations

Weeks 9 & 10 Active RF Circuits and RF/Microwave Systems :
advanced RF/microwave amplifier design and analysis, circuit and RF system noise, noise figure, low noise amplifiers, RF models for diodes and transistors, oscillator design (passive and active), negative resistance, RF envelope detectors, rectifiers, and frequency conversion circuit design for RF/microwave systems; considerations for integrated circuit (IC) implementation technologies such as Gallium Nitride and CMOS
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 22, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11, Online Activities 1, Revision Session Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 62 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 80 %, Coursework 20 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Written exam 80%
Coursework 20%
Feedback Formative assignments consisting of 2 components:
Part 1: Exam style questions, weeks 3 to 4, as practice and feedback for the final written examination.
Part 2: Virtual lab data analysis and interpretation questions, weeks 5 to 6 (as practice and feedback for the summative virtual lab assessment).
Coursework: 20% (weeks 7-10), consisting of a remote laboratory exercise followed by data analysis/interpretation and submission of a brief prepared fill in sheet summarising the findings and analysis.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. have a detailed understanding of the solution of electromagnetic waves for propagation within RF transmission lines and waveguides, with practical application to different technologies;
  2. critically analyse modal behaviour of RF/microwave waveguides, including dispersion, impedance, modal solutions, and power flow;
  3. have an advanced knowledge of wave scattering in RF/microwave devices, admittance/impedance matrices, scattering parameters with application to networks and systems;
  4. understand the physical layer and physics behind radar systems and telecommunications networks, including wired and wireless communications;
  5. design passive and active RF/microwave circuits for optimal matching, filtering, power dividing/combining, amplification, frequency generation, frequency conversion, etc. whilst using engineering principles and considering system parameters such as noise and device linearity as well as select for different RFIC technologies and/or printed circuit board (PCB) technologies.
Reading List
Fundamentals of Applied Electromagnetics, Pearson, 2015, Fawwaz T. Ulaby and Umberto Ravaioli, ISBN 10: 0133356817, ISBN 13: 978-0133356816.
Microwave Engineering, Wiley, 2011, David M. Pozar, ISBN 10: 0470631554, ISBN 13: 978-0470631553.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsRF Circuits,Microwave Engineering,Noise,Systems,Network Analysis
Contacts
Course organiserDr Symon Podilchak
Tel: (0131 6)50 5643
Email: S.Podilchak@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Megan Inch-Kellingray
Tel: (0131 6)51 7079
Email: M.Inch@ed.ac.uk
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