Electronics for Telecommunications systems

Module Mod. Electronics for Telecommunications

The course of Electronics for Telecommunications deals with architectural and circuital solutions of the radio frequency (RF) front-ends for the wireless communication systems, which are based on modern integration VLSI technologies. The course aims at providing the knowledge of the main RF front-end architectures and of the electronic techniques for the  critical aspects of the RF processing, which are the high frequency, the high gain, the low noise and the high linearity.
At the end of the course, the student will acquire:

Knowledge and understanding

Knowledge of how a modern transceiver for the most widespread wireless telecommunication applications, such as mobile handsets, WLAN, WSN, Bluetooth, etc., is made and  how it works, and how it is interfaced with the antenna on one side and with sensors and actuators on the other.

Applying knowledge and understanding

Capacity of designing of the main RF processing building blocks (LNA, oscillator, PLL, etc.) thanks to the acquisition of the circuit topologies and their relative design equations;

Making judgements

Capacity of managing and completing the knowelege on the RF front-end architectures and electronic design techniques for their implementation, being able, thanks to the course, to understand the specialized literature on the topics dealt with;  

Communication skills

Capacity to comunicate and describe the acquired skills on the RF front-end electronics for wireless communications, their relative subsystems and basic bulding blocks, and the VLSI technologies useful for their physical implementation;

Learning skills

Capacity of autonomously deepening the knowledge of the radio system electronics.

The course is mainly based on lectures that will be recorded in both audio and written form and made available for students in the same day. Whether teaching should be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it could be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the program planned and outlined in the syllabus.

1. Basic knowledge of electronic circuits: amplification stages, differential stage with resistive load, current mirrors, bias circuits;
   
2. Knowledge of frequency response and Bode diagram;
3. Basic knowledge of feedback systems and frequency stability.

PROGRAM OF THE COURSE

WIRELES COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS: antenna, radio front-end, base-band analog front-end, digital signal processing (DSP), analog front-end for sensors and actuators.

PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS OF AN RF FRONT-END: sensitivity, operating frequency, voltage and power gain, noise figure, linearity parameters, phase noise, efficiency.

TRANSISTOR NOISE: noise sources of BJT and MOS transistors, noise voltage and current, signal to noise ratio, noise figure.

IMPEDANCE TRANSFORMATION AND MATCHING: the impedance transformation problem, propierties of reactive networks, impedance matching, impedance matching performance parameters.

FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE RF PROCESSING: low noise amplifier (LNA), simple and quadrature mixer, image rejection mixer, variable-gain amplifier (VGA), intermediate frequency (IF) amplifier, phase networks, power amplifier (notes).

PHASE LOCKED LOOP (PLL): performance parameters (operating frequency, tuning range, phase noise, spurious rejection, stability). PLL building blocks: reference oscillator, phase frequency detector (PFD), charge pump (CP), loop filter, voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), frequency divider, PLL applications in the RF transceivers.

ARCHITECTURES OF RF FRONT-ENDS: superheterodyne conversion, homodyne conversion, low-IF conversion, sliding IF conversion.

1. B. Razavi, “RF Microelectronics”, Ed. Theodore S. R., Prentice Hall.

Teaching materials
1.    Course notes;
2.    Recorded lessons.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/r12uuvi8w5996ajw96whq/h?rlkey=gbhx3z65actuj3ma3ki0d0uue&dl=0

Oral test aimed at verifying the maturity acquired by the student on the subject in general as well as the knowledge of the specific topics covered. Verification of learning can also be carried out by a remote connection wheter conditions require it.

The exam will evaluate:

1. the relevance of the answers;
2. the quality of  answers' contents;
3. the ability to connect answers contents;
4. the ability to make examples;
5. ownership of technical language and expressive ability.

Note

To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students may request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on educational objectives and specific needs. Students can also contact the CInAP (Centro per l’integrazione Attiva e Partecipata - Servizi per le Disabilità e/o i DSA) referring teacher within their department.

1. Describe the homodyne receiver highlighting advantages and limitations;
   
2. Draw and comment the schematic of a superheterodyne RF front-end;
3. Draw the schematic of a low-noise amplifier and discuss the main design equations;
4. Draw and discuss the block diagram of a PLL;
5. Discuss the design equations of a frequency controlled oscillator (VCO);
6. Discuss the lossless impedance transformation networks.