The ultimate practical resource for today's RF system design professionals

Radio frequency components and circuits form the backbone of today's mobile and satellite communications networks. Consequently, both practicing and aspiring industry professionals need to be able to solve ever more complex problems of RF design.

Blending theoretical rigor with a wealth of practical expertise, Practical RF System Design addresses a variety of complex, real-world problems that system engineers are likely to encounter in today's burgeoning communications industry with solutions that are not easily available in the existing literature. The author, an expert in the field of RF module and system design, provides powerful techniques for analyzing real RF systems, with emphasis on some that are currently not well understood. Combining theoretical results and models with examples, he challenges readers to address such practical issues as:

* How standing wave ratio affects system gain

* How noise on a local oscillator will affect receiver noise figure and desensitization

* How to determine the dynamic range of a cascade from module specifications

* How phase noise affects system performance and where it comes from

* How intermodulation products (IMs) predictably change with signal amplitude, and why they sometimes change differently

An essential resource for today's RF system engineers, the text covers important topics in the areas of system noise and nonlinearity, frequency conversion, and phase noise. Along with a wealth of practical examples using MATLAB(r) and Excel, spreadsheets are available for download from an FTP Web site to help readers apply the methods outlined in this important resource.

Preface xvii

Getting Files From the Wiley Ftp and Internet Sites xix

Symbols List and Glossary xxi

1 Introduction 1

1.1 System Design Process 1

1.2 Organization of the Book 2

1.3 Appendixes 3

1.4 Spreadsheets 3

1.5 Test and Simulation 3

1.6 Practical Skepticism 4

1.7 References 5

2 Gain 7

2.1 Simple Cases 8

2.2 General Case 9

2.2.1 S Parameters 9

2.2.2 Normalized Waves 11

2.2.3 T Parameters 12

2.2.4 Relationships Between S and T Parameters 13

2.2.5 Restrictions on T Parameters 14

2.2.6 Cascade Response 14

2.3 Simplification: Unilateral Modules 15

2.3.1 Module Gain 15

2.3.2 Transmission Line Interconnections 16

2.3.3 Overall Response, Standard Cascade 25

2.3.4 Combined with Bilateral Modules 28

2.3.5 Lossy Interconnections 32

2.3.6 Additional Considerations 38

2.4 Nonstandard Impedances 40

2.5 Use of Sensitivities to Find Variations 40

2.6 Summary 43

Endnotes 45

3 Noise Figure 47

3.1 Noise Factor and Noise Figure 47

3.2 Modules in Cascade 49

3.3 Applicable Gains and Noise Factors 54

3.4 Noise Figure of an Attenuator 55

3.5 Noise Figure of an Interconnect 56

3.6 Cascade Noise Figure 56

3.7 Expected Value and Variance of Noise Figure 58

3.8 Impedance-Dependent Noise Factors 59

3.8.1 Representation 60

3.8.2 Constant-Noise Circles 61

3.8.3 Relation to Standard Noise Factor 62

3.8.4 Using the Theoretical Noise Factor 64

3.8.5 Summary 65

3.9 Image Noise, Mixers 65

3.9.1 Effective Noise Figure of the Mixer 66

3.9.2 Verification for Simple Cases 69

3.9.3 Examples of Image Noise 69

3.10 Extreme Mismatch, Voltage Amplifiers 74

3.10.1 Module Noise Factor 76

3.10.2 Cascade Noise Factor 78

3.10.3 Combined with Unilateral Modules 79

3.10.4 Equivalent Noise Factor 79

3.11 Using Noise Figure Sensitivities 79

3.12 Mixed Cascade Example 80

3.12.1 Effects of Some Resistor Changes 81

3.12.2 Accounting for Other Reflection…