Beginning with RF design

[metalgarri]

Hi everybody,
I'm electronics engineering student and I like analog electronics very much. I already have knowledge about signal propagation and electromagnetic fields but I know really few things about practical RF system level design...

How can I start? what is the best way to go from theory to practice? Have you got advice for books or board for learning this part of electronics?

Thank you in advance

Carmine

 

[Ow@i$]

"ARRL - Experimental Methods in RF Design"
Is a very good book in understanding Basic & Advance RF practical Design......!!!

RF Microelectronics by Behzad Razavi
is another good book in understanding Basics!!!

 

[metalgarri]

Thank you!
I studied analog integrated circuit on the other book from Razavi and it was really clear. Looking to the table of contents in RF Microelectronics it seems to cover almost all the basic things...

Do you have any suggestions also on RF pcb level design?

thank you

 

[x_stunner]

Hello I suggest the followings in order:

1_Fundamentals_of_Microelectronics_Behzad Razavi (800 pages)
2_Design Of Analog Cmos Integrated Circuits (Razavi) (700 pages)
3_Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit Design - Plett (400 pages)
4_The Design of CMOS Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuits, 2nd Edition, 2004 - Thomas H. Lee - (800 pages)
5_rf_microelectronics_razavi (300)

and try to read "the suggested refrences for further study" in each book if any

Thomas H Lee is the guru in analog electronics and Behzad Razavi is well the master.

 

[jiripolivka]

Find a local radio amateur or a club with experienced amateurs who can teach you. To get more experience without such friends, you will need to equip your own laboratory and start with simple projects like making your RF oscillator, a detector, transmit a data or voice signal over our room, design your antenna, etc.

 

[Ow@i$]

Do you have any suggestions also on RF pcb level design? thank you

Now that is a complete different topic.
Attached doc will help!!!

 

[jiripolivka]

Now that is a complete different topic.
Attached doc will help!!!

Do find the ARRL Radio Amateur;s Handbook! PCB is one way to go but before you can "print" your circuit, you must be sure it works. Prototyping can be done on an unetched PCB which is used as ground, and other components are mounted on it . To mount you can use small PCB squares, 1/8W resistors, or round islets made in the PCB by a cleverly ground drill bit.
My prototypes use small brass plates (15 x 20 mm)as ground, and RF 50-Ohm lines made of Rogers Teflon-based 20-mil PCB, cut in strips. Similar material for small 3x3 mm squares to anchor DC and control .lines. I need no thru holes, my MMICs are well grounded and heat-sunk, the tiny circuits are pretested on a test jig with SMA connectors, then installed in milled aluminum boxes. Perform well to >5 GHz, LNAs, power amplifiers, switches, detectors. Never any failure over 15 years.

 

[metalgarri]

So seems to be not so hard also prototyping RF circuits. Nice to hear
And can I found evaluation board that are good for learning some practical RF?

 

[jiripolivka]

So seems to be not so hard also prototyping RF circuits. Nice to hear
And can I found evaluation board that are good for learning some practical RF?

To my knowledge there are no such "learning" eval boards on the market. I did use some eval boards from Hittite to save development time, but those boards do not allow modifications. MMIC packages also turned to the new SMD contacts not easily solderable by hand, so tinkering is less easy.

My prototyping requires an experience I learned over 50 years. I understand it is not easy to get fast. This is why I recommend the ways radio amateurs use to learn. I went the same way and it works.

 

[rfmw]

Jiri, why don't you post a photo of your prototype circuits, many will benefit

 

[BigBoss]

So seems to be not so hard also prototyping RF circuits. Nice to hear
And can I found evaluation board that are good for learning some practical RF?

It's not true..
Prototyping RF Boards is quite difficult and it needs so many experiences.
Reading is the first step of course but gaining experiences takes many years.
I'm electronician since my age of 10 and now I'm 50 years old and I still learn something everyday.
It's a so long road and you should do practice what you have learnt before and repeat ,repeat and again repeat..
Because there are millions of details and every detail has a deep importance.

 

[jiripolivka]

Jiri, why don't you post a photo of your prototype circuits, many will benefit

Thanks for the suggestion I only do not know how to insert a picture. Let us try! The pictures show a 1.5 GHz module with a directional coupler and two adjustable attenuators using 100-Ohm SMD trimmers.