Aule e Laboratori
MICROELECTRONIC DESIGN LABORATORY
The Microelectronic Design Laboratory is an advanced design laboratory operated by the Electronic Research Group of the DIEEI (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica, Elettronica e Informatica) of the University of Catania. It concentrates all the equipment needed for designing, simulating, prototyping, testing and characterizing Analog/Digital/Mixed-signal Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and Printed-Circuit Board (PCB) Circuits and Systems.
The laboratory capabilities include: Workstations/PCs equipped with the main CAD tools from state-of-the-art vendors (Cadence, Mentor, Synopsis, Keysight, etc.), Power supplies, Function generators, Oscilloscopes and Multimeters, Micro-Probe Station, Network analyzer, Logic analyzer, Developing systems for Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) ICs and Microcontrollers. The laboratory hence offers unique facilities to the students of the Laurea Magistrale in Electronic Engineering program, by providing access to CAD tools and measurement/testing equipments -such as that housed in silicon foundries and specialized design centers- which help graduates to develop up-to-date design/testing skills and to be highly competitive.
Current research topics: 1, Design of analog CMOS circuits and sensor interfaces; 2, Ultra-low-power microelectronic design; 3. Energy harvesting; 4. Human-machine interfaces and bioelectronics; Flexible and Plastic Electronics; etc.
RADIO FREQUENCY ADVANCED DESIGN CENTER
The Radio Frequency Advanced Design Center (RF-ADC) involves a joint research group of University and Industry with a long and recognized experience in the area of analog integrated circuits (ICs), with special emphasis on RF and microwave ICs. The RF-ADC is supported by the University of Catania and STMicroelectronics, Catania, Italy. It is equipped with design and measurement labs. The design lab is provided with CAD tools such as Keysight ADS, Ansys HFSS, Cadence, Orcad, etc., whereas the measurement lab facilities include a Cascade Microtech probe station for on-wafer characterization with multi-harmonic source/load-pull capabilities as well as test benches for power, noise, spectrum, and s-parameter measurements.
Current research topics: 1. Integrated high-frequency DC-DC converters with galvanic isolation; 2. Battery-less transceivers with RF energy harvesting; 3. CMOS long-range radar sensors for automotive applications.
SENSORS AND MICROSENSORS LABORATORY
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND MICROWAVE LAB
Research activity at “μ-wave lab” (RILTUS and Open-Lab @Unict).
The microwave laboratory of DIEEI is equipped with all the equipment needed for designing, simulating, prototyping, testing and characterizing antennas and microwave devices. In particular it is equipped with a vector network analyzers, a motorized system for antenna measurement (radiation pattern), a set of antennas for accurate characterization of several antennas.
MICROWAVE LABORATORY at University of Catania is equipped with:
- Vector Network Analyzer 10 MHz-40 GHz (Anritsu)
- Vector Network Analyzer 10 MHz-40 GHz (Rohde&Schwarz)
- RF-Signal generator 20 kHz-40 GHz (Rohde&Schwarz)
- Spectrum Analyzer up to 40 GHz (Anritsu)
- Spherical Antenna Measurement System (DAMS)
- Electromagnetic solvers (HFSS, CST, Comsol)
- In house code to solve direct (FDTD) and inverse electromagnetic problems
- Microwave devices and calibrated antennas
- Laser sources
Current research topics/thesis: 1. Mobile antennas: study, manufacture and experimental validation; 2. Study of antennas for sensors networks: monitoring of concrete structures; 3. Antenna arrays and antenna systems for beam shaping; 4. Method for microwave imaging and diagnostic in open spaces and metallic enclosure. Applications: plasma sources diagnostic, antennas characterization in reverberating environments, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), biomedical imaging; 5. Computational electromagnetic; 6. Electromagnetic Bandgap (EBG) structures and devices; 7 Study of innovative metallic and dielectric accelerating structures.