RADIOFREQUENCY ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS

Course objectives

ENG GENERAL The aim of the course is to provide students with the criteria and procedures for the design of devices such as oscillators, amplifiers, mixers and filters widely used in telecommunication, radar and biomedical systems. The CAD exercises, planned as an integral part of the course, complete the project also highlighting the technological and manufacturing aspects. Students who have successfully passed the course will be ready to undertake a design activity in companies in the RF system sector. SPECIFIC • Knowledge and understanding: The course aims to provide the student with the knowledge needed to design radio frequency and microwave circuits. Particular attention is paid to the design of oscillators, amplifiers, mixers and filters. • Applying knowledge and understanding: The theoretical part is complemented by CAD techniques for the design and implementation of radiofrequency circuits applied in interdisciplinary contexts such as radar, telecommunications and biomedical devices. • Making judgements: The CAD design activities, which are an integral part of the course and the object of verification through a specific design practical test, also have the objective of developing the autonomy of the candidate. • Communication skills: CAD design activities involve group work that develop communication and interaction skills. • Learning skills: In addition to the teaching material provided, the student is encouraged to study in an autonomous way using the scientific literature made available and other material available on the web.

Channel 1
STEFANO PISA Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
INTRODUCTION: Examples of telecommunication and radar systems RF OSCILLATORS: resonant circuits, factors of merit and loss, examples of RLC networks around the resonance, the frequency stability coefficient, the quartz as a circuit element, phase noise.Reverse Oscillators: Colpitz, Clapp, Pierce and quartz oscillators.Negative resistance oscillators: maintenance conditions, triggering and stability of oscillations, dielectric resonator oscillators, ceramic resonator oscillators. RF AMPLIFIERS: stability, stability circles, Rollet factor, calculation of transduction gain, noise parameters, amplifiers for maximum gain: dimensioning starting from unconditionally stable transistors, implementation of matching networks with distributed or concentrated elements, dimensioning from conditionally stable transistors, dimensioning of stabilization networks. Low noise figure amplifiers.Power amplifiers, parameters and classes of amplifiers, dimensioning of class A power amplifiers project starting from non-linear models or load-pull measurements. RF FILTERS: Design of microwave filters with the low-pass prototype method of reference, realization in planar technology of low-pass filters RF MIXER: characteristic parameters of Mixer mixers with transistors: BJT, JFET. Diode mixer: non-linear model of the schottky diode, causes and patterns of noise in diodes, single diode mixer, balanced mixers. MODULATORS AND DEMODULATORS: Modulators and demodulators AM, SSB, of frequency.The PLL: operating principle, response to a phase and frequency error, stability, the design of a PLL. IF amplifier and gain control. CAD: Examples of Microwave Office CAD, of all the circuits described
Prerequisites
Knowledge of electromagnetic fields and microwaves theory. Knowledge on electronic devices and on the main transistors circuits
Books
Notes of the lessons downloadable from the teachers' website and from the classroom
Frequency
Face-to-face teaching
Exam mode
oral exam on the theoretical topics of the course and project evaluation developed with the CAD Microwave Office
Bibliography
Pozar, “Microwave Engineering”, John Wiley & Son 1998. Collin, “Foundations for Microwave Engineering”Mc Graw Hill 1992 Roddy, “Microwave Technology”, Prentice-Hall 1986 Bahl, Bhartia, “Microwave Solid State Circuit Design”, John Wiley & Son 2001 Vendelin, Pavio, Rohde, “Microwave Circuit Design”, John Wiley & Son 1990. Sweet, “MIC & MMIC Amplifier and Oscillator Circuit Design”, Artech House 1990 Mass, “Microwave Mixers”, Artech House 1986 Gentili, “Microwave Amplifiers and Oscillators” North Oxford 1986 Rizzi, “Microwave Engineering-Passive Circuits”, Prentice-Hall 1988.
Lesson mode
lectures and MWO CAD exercises in the classroom with laptop
PASQUALE TOMMASINO Lecturers' profile
  • Lesson code10589483
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseElectronics Engineering
  • CurriculumIngegneria Elettronica (percorso valido anche ai fini del conseguimento del doppio titolo italo-statunitense o italo-francese)
  • Year1st year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • SSDING-INF/01
  • CFU9
  • Subject areaIngegneria elettronica