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EE30124: High frequency electronics and design

[Page last updated: 23 October 2023]

Academic Year: 2023/24
Owning Department/School: Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Period:
Semester 1
Assessment Summary: CWRI 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Coursework (CWRI 100%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Learning Outcomes: After completion of the Unit the student will: be able to design simple microwave networks using matrix approaches; have an appreciation of stripline and coplanar realisation of high frequency circuits; be able to design amplifier circuits and compensate for such non-idealities as mismatching and distortion; have a knowledge of the architecture and components of digital and and analog transmitter and receiver systems.


Aims: This course introduces students to the engineering techniques and approaches required at high frequencies above around 100MHz - the RF, microwave and millimetre wave range. This includes commonly used circuit description, analysis and design schemes - in particular using the scattering matrix or S-parameter representation.
Modern circuit realisation using stripline and coplanar technologies are outlined. The use of high frequency amplifier gain blocks and other sub-system blocks in design are outlined. Analog and digital transmitter and receiver blocks and signal sources are introduced.

Skills: Students will learn the techniques and design and analysis approaches suitable for high frequency devices and circuits. These skills will be demonstrated by the design and analysis of typical devices and circuits. Taught, facilitated and tested.

Content: Transmission lines, ABCD Matrix, S-parameters and ideal component examples.
Simple cascades of components. 2 and N-element match. Attenuators.
Printed circuit transmission lines such as microstrip and coplanar. Directional couplers. Issues caused by real component parasitics.
High frequency failure of feedback amplifiers. Gain Blocks and Sub-system Blocks, biasing, printed circuit layout and grounding.
Frequency Synthesis - Direct digital synthesis, Frequency (and phase) locked loops.
Frequency mixing and Intermodulation. Zero-IF and heterodyne schemes. I/Q modulation & demodulation, filtering and Bode approximation. Transceiver schemes.
Noise and Capacity/Spectral Efficiency. 3rd order intermodulation description of system distortion and 3rd order intercept. Cascade analysis for gain, noise figure, and 3rd order intercept.
Distortion control in amplifiers - Feedforward and Cartesian feedback schemes.

Course availability:

EE30124 is Optional on the following courses:

Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering
  • UEEE-AFB13 : BEng(Hons) Computer Systems Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKB13 : BEng(Hons) Computer Systems Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFB01 : BEng(Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKB01 : BEng(Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFB14 : BEng(Hons) Electronic Engineering with Space Science & Technology (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKB14 : BEng(Hons) Electronic Engineering with Space Science & Technology with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFB15 : BEng(Hons) Electronic Systems Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKB15 : BEng(Hons) Electronic Systems Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFM13 : MEng(Hons) Computer Systems Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKM13 : MEng(Hons) Computer Systems Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFM01 : MEng(Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKM01 : MEng(Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFM14 : MEng(Hons) Electronic Engineering with Space Science & Technology (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKM14 : MEng(Hons) Electronic Engineering with Space Science & Technology with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFM15 : MEng(Hons) Electronic Systems Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKM15 : MEng(Hons) Electronic Systems Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2023/24 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2024/25 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2023/24.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.