Catalog Description:

The course covers the design of RF and microwave systems with applications to wireless communications. Topics include noise and distortion in RF systems; antennas, propagation and fading; basic modulation techniques; receiver design

Course Credits: 3

Prerequisites: Microwave Engineering II (ECE 585) and Communications (ECE 564)

Required background experience: familiarity with the topics of noise, S-parameters, microwave filters, couplers, mixers, amplifiers, oscillators; probability and random variables; basic analog and digital modulation schemes

Text: Microwave and RF Design of Wireless Systems, D. M. Pozar, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2000.

Expected Outcome

It is expected that the student will achieve a good understanding of the overall design of wireless systems combining material from microwave theory and communication systems

Course Topics

1. Introduction to Wireless Systems

wireless systems and markets; design and performance issues such as radiation hazards, allowable powers, cellular telephone systems and standards

2. Noise and Distortion in Microwave Systems

Thermal noise, noise temperature and noise figure, cascaded systems, dynamic range, third-order intercept point and intermodulation distortion, transmitter phase noise, adjacent channel power ratio, narrowband noise representation

3. Antennas and Basic Propagation

Antenna system parameters, free-space properties, two-ray model, multipath and Rayleigh fading

4. Modulation Techniques

Analog modulation (AM, SSB, DSB, FM, PM), digital modulation (ASK, FSK, PSK, QPSK, QAM) and bit error rates

5. Receiver Design

Receiver architectures, dynamic range, sensitivity, automatic gain control, MDS, frequency conversion and filtering, practical receivers