High-Speed Mixed-Signal IC

Through five decades of continued transistor scaling, the size of unit computing has gone to virtually zero. In the foreseeable future, Computing will be all around us, in mostly invisible forms, leading to 50+ billions of connected devices to the Internet (Internet of Things or IoT). Increasingly, connectivity has become an indispensable part of modern computing devices. By some estimates, IoT devices will generate 3+ exabytes (one billion gigabytes) of data per day by 2018. The various communication fabrics that will handle this enormous amount of data needs to be extremely energy-efficient. The advance and prosperity of CMOS technology has enabled design of these communication fabrics using mixed-signal and digital-heavy techniques, which allows for lower power, reconfigurability and faster time-to-market. This course will build basic understanding of such mixed-signal circuits and systems and highlight their use in communication systems (wireline IO, wireless), which are becoming increasingly important in the data-driven world. A design project will be a key component of the course. The students will conduct a group design project that will help them obtain practical design knowledge and skills and exposure to Process Design Kit (PDK) and EDA tools like Cadence Schematic Editor, Layout Editor, and Simulator (Hspice or SpectreRF).

ECE69500

Credit Hours:

3

Learning Objective:

A student who successfully fulfills the course requirements will have demonstrated: 
  • an ability to analyze linear resistive circuits.
  • an ability to analyze 1st order linear circuits with sources and/or passive elements.
  • an ability to analyze 2nd order linear circuits with sources and/or passive elements.

Topics Covered:

Week Major Topics
1 Introduction and Principle Topics
2-3 Mixed-Signal Circuits Overview a. Transistors b. Passives c. Analog Circuits d. Digital Circuits e. Mixed-signal circuits
4-6 Communication Systems Overview a. Analog vs. Digital Communication b. Broadband vs. Narrowband Communication c. Wireline/Wireless/Optical Communication d. Bandwidth, Spectral Efficiency, Modulation (QAM, PAM), Coding
7 Review and Midterm I
8-10 Mixed-Signals Circuits in Wireline Systems a. Applications b. Channels c. Transmitter, Receivers d. Time-domain Samplers e. Clock and Data Recovery f. Equalization basics
11-13 Mixed Signal Circuits in Wireless Systems a. Applications - different types (PAN, BAN, WAN, RF/mm-wave etc.) b. RF System level concepts c. Link Budget d. RF Transmitter Architectures (Polar, Cartesian, Digital PA) e. RF Receiver Architectures (Synchronous, Asynchronous, N-Path receivers) f. ADC
14 Review and Midterm 2
15 Project Presentations - Ultra Low Power Asynchronous Receiver Design a. LNA/Amplifier b. N-path Mixer c. OOK Sampler/Strong Arm Latch

Prerequisites:

Understanding of linear circuits, KCL, KVL, concepts from undergraduate courses in circuit design, signal processing, and microelectronics
Web Content:
Syllabus, grades, lecture notes, homework assignments, solutions and quizzes.
Exams:
Two Midterm Exams

Textbooks:

  1. Digital Systems Engineering, W. J. Dally, J. W. Poulton, Cambridge University Press, 1998, ISBN No 9780521592925
  2. RF Microelectronics, 2nd Edition, Behzad Razavi, Pearson, 2012, ISBN No. 9780137134731