Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Radio Communications Circuits
Trinh Xuan Dung
Department of Telecommunications Engineering
Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Ho Chi Minh city University of Technology
Dept. of Telecoms Engineering
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Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Course Overview
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
E-mail:
Website:
Trinh Xuan Dung, Ph.D.
Department of Telecommunications Engineering - 114 B3
Telecommunications Lab – 209B1
Saturday 8:00-11:00 AM
dung.trinh@hcmut.edu.vn
http://dte.dee.hcmut.edu.vn/en/people/faculty/
Textbook and References:
[1] B. Razavi, “RF Microelectronics”, Upper Saddle River, Prentice Hall, Second Edition, 2012.
[2] T. Lee, “Design of CMOS RF Integrated Circuits,” Cambridge Uni. Press, 2nd Edition, 2004.
[3] J. Rogers, C. Plett, “Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit Design,” Artech House, 2nd Ed, 2010.
[4] F. Ellinger, RF Integrated Circuits and Technologies, Springer Verlag, 2008.
[5] Telecommunication Circuits And Technology, Andrew Leven.
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Assessment
GRADING:
 Homework and Quiz: 20%
 Mid-term Exam:
30%
Closed book and One single-side A4 note sheet are allowed
 Final Exams:
50%
Closed book and One double-side A4 note sheet are allowed
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HCMUT / 2019
Course Outline
COURSE OUTLINE:
 This course provides comprehensive knowledge on basic principles of high
frequency circuit designs and illustrate how such circuits are used in
communication systems. By the end of this course, students can be able to:
 Contents:
• Chapter 1: Review and Basic Concepts
• Chapter 2: Noise and Nonlinear Distortion
• Chapter 3: Modulation and Multiple Access
• Chapter 4: Passive Components, Resonators and Impedance Matching
• Chapter 5: Transceiver Architectures
• Chapter 6: Mixers - Frequency Conversion Circuits
• Chapter 7: Power Amplifiers
• Chapter 8: Oscillators and Frequency Synthesizers
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Learning Outcomes
After completing the course, students should be able to:
 Understand constitute components of a radio communications system and
characteristics of various radio frequency (RF) transceiver architectures for
radio communications systems.
 Understand the basic concepts used for the design of radio communications
circuits.
 Understand effects of noise and nonlinearity distortion on RF systems and
system parameters such as noise figure, input/output referred noise, 1-dB
compression point, third-order intercept point, sensitivity and dynamic ranges.
 Understand analogue and digital modulation schemes and multiple access
techniques.
 Analyze and design electronic circuits for communication systems, including
LNA, Mixer, Power Amplifier, Oscillators and Frequency synthesizer.
 Read English textbook and to solve related problems.
 Work as a team to solve a given problem (team project).
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Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION TO RF
COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS
Trinh Xuan Dung, PhD
dung.trinh@hcmut.edu.vn
Department of Telecommunications
Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Ho Chi Minh city University of Technology
Dept. of Telecoms Engineering
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Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Wireless Communications Systems
 Wireless Communication Systems: A system allows the communication of
information between two points using Radio Waves.
 Radio waves are generated (then propagate) and received by antenna.
 The word radio refers to techniques that are used in transmitting and
receiving information or power in the atmosphere or free space, or in
transmission lines utilizing electromagnetic waves—so-called radio waves.
 Radio Waves ≡ Electromagnetic waves ≡ Radio Frequency (RF) signal.
 Radio waves propagate in a vacuum with the speed of light.
 Each radio wave is characterized by magnitude (power), frequency and phase.
 The radio waves are classified based on their frequencies or applications.
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Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Wireless Communications Systems
The field of radio frequency (RF) and microwave engineering generally covers the
behavior of AC signals with frequencies in the range of 300 KHz to 300 GHz.
 RF signals :
300 KHz to 3 GHz
Wave length: 1 Km – 0.1m
 Microwave signals:
3 Ghz – 300 GHz
Wave length: 0.1m – 1mm
 Millimeter-wave signals: 30 GHz – 300 GHz
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Wave length: 10 mm – 1mm
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Wireless Communications Systems
ISM: Industrial, scientific and medical
DBS: Direct broadcast satellite
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Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Wireless Communications Systems
 Major Worldwide Cellular and PCS Telephone Systems
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Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Wireless Communications Systems
 A typical communication system can be partitioned into a transmitter, a channel, and a
receiver.
 In this course we will study the circuits that interface from the channel to the
receiver/transmitter. These circuits are at the “front-end'” of the transceiver and operate
at high frequency : TX Front-End and RX Front-End
Transmitter
Front-End
Receiver
Front-End
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Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Wireless Communications Systems
 Modulation refers to a process of turning information into (electrical) signals which are
suitable for transmission.
TX: Drive antenna with
high power level
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RX: Sense small signal
(amplify with low noise)
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HCMUT / 2019
Receiver Architecture - Hyterodyne
 “Heterodyning is a radio signal processing technique popularized by Canadian inventorengineer Reginald Fessenden in 1901, in which new frequencies are created by combining
or mixing two frequencies.”
 “The two frequencies are combined in a nonlinear signal-processing device such as a
vacuum tube, transistor, or diode, usually called a mixer. In the most common application,
two signals at frequencies f1 and f2 are mixed, creating two new signals, one at the sum f1
+ f2 of the two frequencies, and the other at the difference f1 − f2. These new frequencies
are called heterodynes. Typically only one of the new frequencies is desired, and the other
signal is filtered out of the output of the mixer.”
f1 + f2
f1
f1 − f2
f2
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Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Receiver Architecture - Superhyterodyne
 Move the incoming RF signal to a much lower frequency for detection
• It is easier to build detectors at lower frequencies
• It is easier have gain at lower frequencies
• Gain can also be distributed across different frequencies to avoid oscillation
• Great performance
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HCMUT / 2019
Receiver Architecture - Superhyterodyne
 Block diagram with a more modern look
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HCMUT / 2019
Receiver Architecture - Superhyterodyne
 Block diagram with a more modern look
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HCMUT / 2019
Integrated Circuits
Jack Kilby, 1958
How many transistors?
Intel i7 3.4 GHz, 2019
How many transistors?
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HCMUT / 2019
RF/Microwave Integrated Circuits
 In a similar way as you put digital logic into the form of
an IC, RF and microwave circuits can also be integrated.
 Both silicon and more exotic materials are used.
• GaAs, mature, high frequencies.
• GaN, emerging, high power.
• InP, maturing, extremely high freq.
• Silicon, mature, low/high power, low cost, high
frequency.
 Today’s silicon IC technologies are extremely fast
• Consider, your Intel i7s are running at a clock rate
of close to 4 GHz; that’s higher than the RF carrier
frequency of your cellphones; also higher than the
high power microwaves in a microwave oven.
• 65nm CMOS transistor can now generate
frequencies up to 300 GHz (over 1,000 GHz if
harmonics are used).
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HCMUT / 2019
RF/Microwave System on Chip
Complete wireless
communication transceiver on
a single chip
Complete radar system
on a single chip, even
with the antenna
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Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Realization of RF/Microwave Systems
 PCBs with Integrated Circuits (IC)
 RF IC suppliers
• Skyworks
• Analog Devices
• RFMD
• Freescale
• Triquint
• Hittite Microwave
• …
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Skyworks
Analog Devices
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HCMUT / 2019
Realization of RF/Microwave Systems
 With discrete transistors (RF/Microwave PCB):
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HCMUT / 2019
Wireless Communications Systems
Receive
Transmit
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HCMUT / 2019
Wireless Communications Systems
Block diagram of the CC1020 IC – Texas Instrument
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HCMUT / 2019
Wireless Communications Systems
2.4 GHz IEEE 802.15.4 / ZigBee-ready RF Transceiver
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HCMUT / 2019
Wireless Communications Systems
RADAR SYSTEMS
Transmit
Receive
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HCMUT / 2019
Wireless Communications Systems
IWR1642 77GHz FMCW Radar EVM
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Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Wireless Communications Systems
Vector Network Anayzer
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Spectrum Analyzer
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Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Wireless Communications Systems
IWR1642 77GHz FMCW Radar EVM
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Dung Trinh, PhD
HCMUT / 2019
Q&A
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