ECE 69500: Primer on RF Design

Lecture Hours: 1 

Credits: 1

Area of Specialization: Fields and Optics (FO)

Catalog Description:
This 1-credit-hour course covers the fundamentals of RF design. It is designed as a first course for students or engineers with limited background in high-frequency electronics. Engineers that need to understand the “RF language” and gain working knowledge of critical RF concepts will benefit from taking this course. Students in this class will learn the basic RF tools and design principles. By the end of this class students will know important RF concepts and how these are related to the design of practical RF blocks.

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Describe and articulate the basic design principles of RF systems and modules.
  2. Use common tools and techniques in the RF space.

Required Text(s): Michael Steer, Microwave and RF Design: A Systems Approach, 2nd edition, Scitech Publishing, 2013, ISBN-13: 978-1613530214.

Recommended References:

  • Microwave Engineering, 4th Edition, D. M. Pozar, Wiley, 2011, ISBN 978-0470631553.
  • RF Microelectronics, 2nd Edition, B. Razavi, Prentice Hall, 2011, ISBN 978-0137134731.

Lecture Outline:

Week

Principal Topics

1

Introduction – Chapters 1 & 2

2

Transmission lines – Chapters 5 & 6

3

The Smith Chart – Chapters 10 & 12

4

Lumped elements in radio frequencies – Chapter 11

Antennas and RF links – Chapter 3

5

Scattering Parameters – Chapter 9