About the Training Course

Due to the huge proliferation of wireless products, the use of RF system and sub-system elements is increasing. However, market demands in many business sectors are forcing dramatic cuts in the product-to-market schedule and on unit costs. One of the major causes for RF projects running over budget or timescale projections is due to the prototype re-work phase, which arises from the complex nature of RF design.

This intensive, five day course provides acceleration through the RF design learning curve by presenting a comprehensive introduction to RF and microwave design theory, techniques and measurements. Although the course includes the necessary theoretical aspects, great emphasis is placed upon the practicalities of RF engineering. Many of the lectures rely on the use of live demonstrations involving test equipment and computer-based simulation tools to illustrate concepts. In addition, the delegates will have several opportunities to use the AWR Microwave Office design suite and state-of-the-art measurement instruments during the "hands-on" sessions of this course. The course commences with an overview of the fundamental concepts involved with the discipline and then goes on to present design methodologies for both passive and active RF and microwave circuits. Common test and measurement issues are then addressed before dealing with the subject of antenna design. The presenters on the course are specialists drawn from both academia and industry, with a combined design experience of over forty man-years.

CAD software provided by Applied Wave Research.

Click here to download the free trial version.

Who is this training course for?

• Design engineers and technical managers wanting to gain an overview of RF/microwave engineering principles.
• Designers and those with some RF experience but little formal training who wish to broaden their design skill base.
• Baseband and signal processing designers who need to be aware of RF issues.

Benefits of Attendance

• Acceleration through the RF/MW learning curve.
• RF theory supported by numerous demonstrations, case studies and examples.
• Group size limited to 18 delegates to maintain an intimate delegate to instructor ratio.
• Opportunity to discuss specific engineering applications with the speakers.
• Hands-on use of industry standard RF test equipment.
• Hands-on use of AWR Microwave Office RF CAD Tool.

Training Course Content

Monday

Morning
- Microwave Overview - Peter Gardner
- Microwave - Peter Gardner
- The Smith Chart, Matching - Peter Gardner
- Scattering Parameters - Peter Gardner

Afternoon
- Introduction to RF/Microwave CAD Design - Peter Gardner
This 3-hour session reinforces the concepts presented in the morning sessions by giving the delegates access to the AWR Microwave Office Design Suite. A structured set of exercises, will be available in a downloadable format to registered delegates prior to the course and include the following CAD design exercises: transmission line analysis and synthesis, lumped component performance at RF due to parasitics, quarter wave transformers, attenuator design, design of one port matching networks. The delegates can then explore the various aspects of the design exercises at their own pace, during the three hour session.

Tuesday

Morning
- Striplines - Peter Gardner
- Passive Devices - Peter Gardner
- RF/Microwave Filter Design - Peter Gardner

Afternoon
- RF/Microwave CAD Design - Peter Gardner

A continuation of the CAD sessions from Day One. Additional CAD design exercises include: lumped and lumped-distributed branchline and rat race coupler designs, lumped element filter design (low pass, bandpass), distributed element filter design (low pass, bandpass) to complement the morning sessions.

Wednesday

CLICK HERE to see related BOOKS and Training Courses

Morning
- RF Amplifier Design - Peter Gardner
- Designing with PIN Diodes - Peter Gardner
- Mixers - Peter Gardner

Afternoon
- RF/Microwave CAD Design - Peter Gardner

The final CAD session in which delegates will have the opportunity to complete the outstanding exercises and also design a low noise, small signal amplifier.

- Oscillator Design - Andy Dearn

General Theory of RF/Microwave Oscillators; Introduction to Negative Resistance Oscillators; Small Signal (Linear) Design Techniques; Large Signal (Non-linear) Design Techniques; Practical Examples.

Thursday

Morning

- Phase Noise theory - Graham Payne
- Absolute and Residual Phase Noise - Graham Payne
- Direct Spectrum measurements - Graham Payne
- Mixers used as phase detectors - Graham Payne
- Phase lock loop measurement technique - Graham Payne
- Frequency Discriminator Technique - Graham Payne
- Advantages of Cross Correlation to system floor noise - Graham Payne

Afternoon
- Network Analysis I: Applications and capabilities of high frequency network analysers - Duncan McIntosh
- Network Analysis II: Accuracy enhancement and calibration of high frequency network analysers - Duncan McIntosh
- Network Analysis III: VNA Accuracy Enhancement - Duncan McIntosh

Friday

Morning
- Unexpected Problems at High Frequencies - Yi Huang
- Radio Wave Propagation Fundamentals - Yi Huang

Afternoon
- RF/Microwave Antennas Analysis, Design and Measurements - Yi Huang

About the Lecturers

• Dr Peter Gardner, Senior Lecturer, Dept of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Birmingham
• Andy Dearn, Senior Communications Technology Consultant, Plextek Ltd
• Graham Payne, Microwave Applications Consultant, Agilent Technologies Ltd
• Dr Yi Huang, Head of Wireless Communications and Engineering Group, University of Liverpool
• Duncan McIntosh, Technical Consultant, TRW Conekt