ECE 719 Advanced Microwave Design

Spring 2010 (approval of changes, title, grading, etc., is pending)

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Michael Steer, Professor Phone: (919) 515-5191

435 Monteith Research Center

Campus Box 7914 E-Mail mbs@ncsu.edu

Raleigh, NC 27695-7914 URL: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~mbs

COURSE WEB SITE: http://courses.ncsu.edu/ece719/lec/001/ (not until semester starts)

PREREQUISITES:

ECE549 Microwave and RF Design (new title)

TEXTBOOK:

M.B. Steer, Microwave and RF Design: A Systems Approach, First Edition. Click Here. (Avoid purchasing a used Beta Edition.)

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Development of microwave design skills using microwave electronic design automation tools applied to filter, amplifier and oscillator design.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Development and examination of techniques for design of microwave and millimeter wave components and systems. Specific topics include filter, mixer, oscillator and amplifier performance and design. Design for specified frequency, noise, power, mixer or oscillator performance will be considered. Computer aided design techniques will be used.

COURSE DELIVERY:

The course delivery will be web-based with multimedia capture.

MODULES AND BRIEF SYLLABUS:

The class will be taught as three modules which are more or less independent of each other. Each module will have approximately 10 lectures each nominally 75 minute long.

Module 1. RF SYSTEMS (75 minute lectures)
L1           Course Introduction
M1L1     Introduction to Filters
M1L2     Filter Prototypes
M1L3     Filter Development
M1L4     Distributed Filters
M1L5     Filter Technologies
M1L6     Project 1

Module 2. TRANSMISSION LINES
M2L1     Transistor Technology
M2L2     Linear Amplifiers: Design Strategy and Stability
M2L3     Linear Amplifiers: Design
M2L4     Distributed Biasing
M2L5     Noise and Distortion
M2L6     Advanced Topics: RFICs, Switching Amplifiers, Managing Distortion
M2L7     Project 2

Module 3. NETWORKS
M3L1     Diodes, Mixers, Switches
M3L2     Oscillators
M3L3     Voltage Controlled Oscillator Design I
M3L4     Voltage Controlled Oscillator Design II
M3L5     Voltage Controlled Oscillator Design III
M3L6     Project 3

COURSE REQUIREMENTS :

Homework: Approximately sixteen homework sets (10%) . Homework will be assigned for each lecture.

Examinations: Three quizzes (15% each, one for each module).

Projects: Three projects (15% each, one for each module).

Computer Software: Microwave Office (student download will be available).

Computer Facilities: Students are required to have an NC State EOS account to access the course Web Site.

QUIZ DATES

Quiz 1: not assigned, Two hours.

Quiz 2: not assigned, Two hours.

Quiz 3: not assigned, Two hours.

COURSE OUTLINE BY TOPICAL AREAS:

Microwave filters, amplifiers, mixers, oscillators and switches.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with Disability Services for Students at 1900 Student Health Center , Campus Box 7509, 515-7653. http://www.ncsu.edu/provost/offices/affirm_action/dss/

For more information on NC State's policy on working with students with disabilities, please see http://www.ncsu.edu/provost/hat/current/appendix/appen_k.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

All the provisions of the code of academic integrity apply to this course. In addition, it is my understanding and expectation that your signature on any test or assignment means that you neither gave nor received unauthorized aid.

GRADING POLICY

I do not follow a grading rule but instead use the following guiding principles

A: Gained competence in all major and minor goals of the course.

B: Gained competence in most major and a some minor goals of the course

C: Gained competence in a minority of the major goals of the course.

D/F: Did not gain sufficient competency.

In the past several years the following table has been the average break points. I cannot guarantee that it will be the same this year as I establish different break points each year considering the difficult of the homework and quizzes relative to those in prior years. After automatic assignment of grades I look over each person's record particularly looking to see if there was just one thing that may have pulled grades down. It is not unusual for me to adjust by 1 percentage point. I do not adjust by more.

In a typical class 47% receive A's, 45% B's, 7% do poorly typically not doing all the homework, dropping out.

When I increased the intensity of the homework several years ago that the average gardes in the class shot up. I know the homework is a lot of work, sometimes frustrating, but when you get through it you have picked up the concepts I want you to have.