Course Catalogue

View Specification Document | Reading List

Week 1 Advanced Transmission Line Concepts :

reflections, terminated lines, quarter-wave transformer, generator/load mismatches, conjugate matching, linearity, transients on transmission lines, bounce diagrams

Weeks 2 and 3 RF/Microwave Waveguides :

metallic waveguides, parallel-plate waveguides, substrate integrated waveguide, surface waves, circular waveguides, microstrip, stripline, co-planar waveguides, transverse resonance technique

Week 4 Network Analysis for Passive and Active Systems :

impedance and admittance matrices, reciprocal and lossless networks, the scattering matrix, reference planes; signal flow graphs, the transmission ABCD matrix, equivalent circuits for two-port networks, transformations, 2-port and N-port networks

Weeks 5 and 6 Advanced Smith Chart and Matching Circuits :

the complete Smith Chart, impedance, admittance, lambda/4 transformers, matching circuits, single-stub and double-stub matching systems

Weeks 7 and 8 Passive Circuits and RF/Microwave Filters :

design of couplers and power dividers, hybrids, T-junctions, advanced topologies for increased bandwidth and un-equal power split, filter design and system analysis, specifications, high-pass, low-pass, band-pass, notch, filter dispersion and group delay, and transformations

Weeks 9 & 10 Active RF Circuits and RF/Microwave Systems :

advanced RF/microwave amplifier design and analysis, circuit and RF system noise, noise figure, low noise amplifiers, RF models for diodes and transistors, oscillator design (passive and active), negative resistance, RF envelope detectors, rectifiers, and frequency conversion circuit design for RF/microwave systems; considerations for integrated circuit (IC) implementation technologies such as Gallium Nitride and CMOS

Timetable not known (at U of Edinburgh)

Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 22, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11, Online Activities 1, Revision Session Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 62 )

Enrolment on Sensor & Imaging Systems MSc programme

None

None

Not available: see http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/current/dpt/cxpgee11237.htm

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

On completion of this course, the student will be able to:

To develop knowledge and advanced design skills in radio frequency (RF) engineering, which are essential for many applications such as radar and communications. Advance knowledge relating to the solution of electromagnetic wave propagation as it applies to different RF waveguides, whilst further developing concepts of microwave networks and matching, wave scattering techniques, and their application to passive and active RF/microwave circuits and devices for radar and communication systems.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

- have a detailed understanding of the solution of electromagnetic waves for propagation within RF transmission lines and waveguides, with practical application to different technologies;

- critically analyse modal behaviour of RF/microwave waveguides, including dispersion, impedance, modal solutions, and power flow;

- have an advanced knowledge of wave scattering in RF/microwave devices, admittance/impedance matrices, scattering parameters with application to networks and systems;

- understand the physical layer and physics behind radar systems and telecommunications networks, including wired and wireless communications;

- design passive and active RF/microwave circuits for optimal matching, filtering, power dividing/combining, amplification, frequency generation, frequency conversion, etc. whilst using engineering principles and considering system parameters such as noise and device linearity as well as select for different RFIC technologies and/or printed circuit board (PCB) technologies.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.