Multi-device radio frequency power amplifiers (PAs) often exhibit strongly non-linear behavior in combination with long-term memory effects, leading to an extremely challenging model development cycle. This paper presents a new, dynamic, behavioral modeling technique, based on a combination of the real-valued decomposed piecewise method and concepts from the field of machine learning. The underlying theory of the proposed modeling technique is provided, along with a detailed modeling procedure. Experimental results show that the proposed decomposed piecewise support vector regression (SVR) model leads to significant performance improvements when compared with standard SVR models for both single transistor and multi-transistor PAs. Different model thresholds are used to test the proposed model performance for both PA types. For the single-transistor PA, modeled using only one partition, an approximately 10 dB normalized mean square error (NMSE) reduction is seen when compared with the standard SVR model. For the same PA, when utilizing two partitions, the reduction improves to 14 dB. When applied to a multi-device Doherty PA, the NMSE between model and measurement data is −50 dB, representing more than 10 dB improvement compared with the standard SVR model.

In this article, the design of a new dual-band impedance transformer with ultra-high transforming ratio (UHTR) is presented. The closed-form expressions are derived analytically using a lossless transmission-line theory. To practically validate the proposed design concept, two examples of dual-band transformer working at smaller and larger frequency ratios are designed for different load impedance of 500, 1000, and 1500 Ω. Finally, three prototypes of dual-band transformer with UHTR are designed, fabricated, and tested. For all these prototypes, different frequency ratios (two operating frequencies can be chosen arbitrarily) are considered. The measured return loss of the prototypes is better than 15 dB at all the operating frequencies. The measured results are matched very closely with the simulated results. This design is then extended to match a complex load at two different frequencies. The multi-band characteristic is obtained by decomposing a shorted stub into a stepped impedance section of the proposed structure. With the necessary derivation and analysis, a tri-frequency matching network is designed for a transforming ratio of 10.

A novel design of planar dual-band microstrip crossover operating at small and large frequency ratios is presented. These features of the proposed dual-band crossover are achieved by a cross-shaped transmission line. To obtain the dual-band characteristics, the required closed form design formulas are computed using the ABCD matrix method. Based on the design formulas, the realizable small and large band ratios are calculated as 1.65–2.14 and 4.1–8.76, respectively. To validate the computed band ratios, three examples of dual-band crossovers are presented. Finally, two prototypes of dual-band crossover working at smaller and larger frequency ratios are fabricated and tested. The fabricated dual-band crossovers exhibit good return loss and isolation of over 20 dB with minimal insertion loss.

This paper presents the design and measurement results of a high-gain D-band broadband power amplifier (PA) implemented in a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The topology of the PA is based on four differential cascode stages with interstage matching networks. A detailed analysis of the frequency behavior of the transimpedance-gain of the common-base stage of the cascode is presented by means of small-signal equivalent circuits, when the proposed four-reactance wideband matching network is used for output matching to the subsequent stage. The effect of the size of the active devices, in achieving a desired gain, bandwidth, and output power, is investigated. The fabricated D-band amplifier is characterized on-wafer demonstrating a peak differential gain and output power of about 25 dB and 11 dBm, respectively, while utilizing a DC power of 262 mW from a 2.7 V supply. The 3-dB small-signal bandwidth of the PA spans from 100 to 180 GHz (limited by the measurement setup), making it the first SiGe-based PA to cover the entire D-band frequency range. The PA achieves a state-of-the-art differential gain-bandwidth product of around 1.4 THz and the highest GBW/PDC ratio of 5.2 GHz/mW among all D-Band Si-based PAs.

In this study, a dual-wideband monopole antenna has been designed and developed for the universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), wireless local area network (WLAN), and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) applications. A novel approach integrating artificial bee colony (ABC) with the HyperLynx® 3D electromagnetic platform based on the method of moments has been employed to calculate the design parameters of the monopole antenna performance for the respective target frequencies and return loss. The proposed dual-wideband antenna operates in the dual-frequency ranges of 1.69–3.99 and 4.75–6.22 GHz applicable for the UMTS, WLAN, and WiMAX applications and it is fabricated on the flame resistant-4 substrate plate of 42 × 51 × 1.6 mm3. The performance of the presented monopole antenna is analyzed in terms of gain, radiation pattern, and s-parameter. The input reflection coefficient (S11) parameter and radiation pattern of the antenna are verified through the measurements. The measured values of the antenna parameters are found to match well within tolerable limits with the simulation results. The results illustrate that the presented dual-wideband monopole antenna obtained by using the ABC algorithm exhibits better performance in point of operating bands and s-parameter as compared with the multi-band antennas previously published in the literature.

Electromagnetic characteristics of the E-plane T-junction for two rectangular waveguides using resonant coupling between the waveguide sections were studied by mathematical modeling. The problem of coupling between infinite and semi-infinite rectangular waveguides through a resonant slot in the end-wall of the semi-infinite waveguide in the presence of resonant monopole is solved in a strict electrodynamic formulation. The monopole with variable surface impedance is placed parallel to the narrow walls at an arbitrary position inside the infinite waveguide. The problem is solved analytically by the generalized method of induced electro-magneto-motive forces. Impedance vibrator inclusions with variable electro-physical parameters have been analyzed as control elements for waveguide junctions. To this purpose energy characteristics of the junction in the single-mode regime of the both waveguides, and also in multi-mode regime of the semi-infinite waveguide is investigated. The results may be useful for development of variety antennas and waveguide devices, which involves waveguide junctions.

In this paper, we demonstrate the successful implementation of an onwafer noise parameters test set that employs an extended six-port network and a conventional noise figure analyzer. The necessary formulation that enables the calibration of the noise parameter test set as well as extraction of the noise wave correlation matrix of a two-port device under test (DUT) was tested for coaxial connector-type DUT measurement in an earlier work but not for onwafer-type DUT. Furthermore, we demonstrate the performance of this technique against data obtained from the well-known tuner method. Measurement carried out for very low-noise figure (2 dB) onwafer-type amplifier demonstrates the capability of our technique. The measured noise parameters show fluctuations in minimum noise figure, NFmin of ±0.1 dB, and in noise resistance Rn of about 2%. This test set is simple and fast leading to tremendous time- and cost-savings as well as a simplified procedure in onwafer noise parameters measurements.

This paper presents the design of a size miniaturized and harmonic suppressed wideband double-section rat-race coupler (RRC). Series and shunt stepped-impedance transmission line units are proposed to replace the quarter wavelength transmission lines in the conventional design of wideband (50% fractional bandwidth) two-stage rat-race coupler. Design equations are derived using the lossless transmission line model. The proposed double-section RRC occupies only 14% area of the conventional coupler, with good return loss and isolation performances. In addition, the full-wave simulation and measured responses exhibit harmonic suppression up to at least fifth harmonic. The proposed design can be easily implemented using the standard printed circuit board etching process without any via-holes, bonding wires, and lumped elements, which make it very useful for wireless communication systems

This paper presents the design of a compact, planar, single layer, tri-section ultra-wideband (UWB) branch-line (BL) coupler. The prototype offers 10 dB return loss characteristics from 3.1 to 13.7 GHz. Over a major portion of the band, phase imbalance of ±10° is achieved. The method of deploying multi stage impedance feed has been used to achieve improved bandwidth. To enhance the power output through the coupled port throughout the operating band, ring shaped slots have been introduced in the ground plane beneath the series arms. The performance of the fabricated prototype has also been validated experimentally.

The recent developments in electronic cards such as the network equipment are characterized by the miniaturization of the board size and the increasing complexity of the layout. Because of these requirements, multi-layered printed circuit boards are commonly used and vias connecting signal lines on different layers, or integrated circuit devices to power and ground planes, are frequently used and often essential. However, a via is not an ideal transmission line. Besides, it creates discontinuities at high frequencies leading to high insertion loss degradation of signal which limits the performances of integrated circuit and systems. In this paper, the impacts of coupling between via and parallel-plates cavity on the response of microwave integrated devices are highlighted in the first part. Then, to describe the intrinsic interaction between the via transition and parallel-plate modes, the notion of parallel-plates matrix impedances is presented and new boundary conditions like open or plated through holes shielded boundaries of the cavities are introduced. Then, using this physics-based model, an intuitive equivalent circuit has been developed. Finally, the proposed approach and the equivalent circuits were validated by using comparisons with electromagnetic simulations and measurements in different scenarios.

An efficiency of linear amplification with nonlinear components (LINC) system is degraded due to the low efficiency of a power combiner for high peak-to-average power ratio signals such as long-term evolution signal. A multi-level LINC system can be used to improve the performance of the conventional LINC system. In this paper, a novel 9-point finite difference method to determine the optimal threshold values for 3-level LINC system is suggested. Instead of solving the complicated differential equation, the proposed method can extract optimal threshold values efficiently by numerical method. The 3-level LINC system adopting the proposed scheme and dynamic biasing significantly improves the power efficiency and linear performance simultaneously. The proposed system is verified by comparing the performance of the 3-level system with those of the conventional and 2-level LINC systems.

Wireless domestic applications involving high data rates are required to work on millimeter wave band. Signal propagation at this frequency range is affected by walls and oxygen absorption which limits communication distances to few meters in one room. Radio coverage can be extended to other rooms by optical links. Performances of such photonic systems are dependent on optoelectronic devices, electrical driving, and receiver circuits. In this paper, radio-over-fiber (RoF) links based on the intensity modulation and direct detection technique are investigated for transmission of a broadband OFDM signal. Direct and external modulations are exploited to analyze system performances according to the ultra wideband (UWB) millimeter-band standard. To avoid component tolerances at high frequencies, an intermediate frequency modulation of the optical transducers is chosen. Optoelectronic and optical components of RoF links are modeled by equivalent electrical circuits with consideration of noise and nonlinearities. These models are validated in system simulation by error vector magnitude evaluation with a measurement setup according to the UWB centimeter-band standard.

A compact and broadband TE11-TE01-mode converter, suitable for various industrial applications like bypass level measurements, is presented in this contribution. Based on stepped waveguide technique, the main advantages of the recommended converter design and the specific field distribution of the TE01-mode are discussed in detail. The converter is presented exemplary for a frequency range from 23 to 28 GHz, which corresponds to a bandwidth of approximately 20 % of the center frequency. Numerous three-dimensional electromagnetic field simulations are performed to optimize the converter and to investigate its reflection and transmission behavior. Realized by six different single elements and 11 parts in total, fast and effective simulations can be performed with CST Microwave Studio. Considering realistic production process parameters, like fillets or tolerances, a good return loss better 17 dB, an insertion loss of 0.1 dB, and an excellent mode purity are achieved. Compared with back-to-back, realistic disturber scenario, and far-field measurements with a first prototype, the expected excellent converter behavior can be validated without limitations. Hence, the suitability of the presented converter design is proven and the feasibility is demonstrated.

This paper presents the design of a fully integrated ultra-low-power Ultra Wide Band (UWB) pulse generator. The circuit is designed and optimized for low rate and localization applications. This UWB transmitter is based on the impulse response filter method in order to achieve high energy sub-nanosecond pulses. The circuit has been integrated in a ST-Microelectronics CMOS 0.13 μm technology with a supply voltage of 1.2 V on a die area of 0.56 mm2. A power manager is used to reduce the power leakages to 3.91 μW which gives a power consumption of 3.98 Mw at 10 kb/s. The measured dynamic energy consumed per pulse is 68 pJ and the measured energy of the emitted pulse is 2.15 pJ.

In this paper, a novel wideband right-angle transition between thin substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) and rectangular waveguide (RWG) based on multi-section structure operating at center frequency 31.5 GHz is presented. A multi-section SIW with a rectangular aperture etched on the broad wall and two stepped ridges embedded in the RWG flange are introduced to obtain a wide impedance matching. The simulations show that the bandwidth with return loss better than 20 dB is about 17 GHz. In order to verify our designs, two back-to-back transitions with different lengths are fabricated and measured. The experimental results agree well with simulations. The proposed component shows an insertion loss less than 0.44 dB and a return loss better than 14.5 dB over 12.15 GH, which corresponds to 38.57% bandwidth.

This paper shows that the two most common impedance transformation networks for power amplifiers (PAs) can be designed to achieve optimum transformation at two frequencies. Hence, a larger bandwidth for the required impedance transformation ratio is achieved. A design procedure is proposed, which takes imperfections like losses into account. Furthermore, an analysis method is presented to estimate the maximum uncompressed output power of a PA with respect to frequency. Based on these results, a fully integrated PA with a dual-band impedance transformation network is designed and its functionality is proven by large signal measurement results. The amplifier covers the frequency band from 450 MHz to 1.2 GHz (3 dB bandwidth of the output power and efficiency), corresponding to a relative bandwidth of more than 100%. It delivers 23.7 dBm output power in the 1 dB compression point, having a power-added efficiency of 33%.

This paper presents a radio frequency micro-electro-mechanical-systems (RF MEMS) fabrication process based on a stacked structural layer and Au–Au thermocompression bonding, and reports on the performance of a sample RF MEMS switch design implemented with this process. The structural layer consists of 0.1 µm SiO2/0.2 µm SixNy/1 µm Cr–Au layers with a tensile stress less than 50 MPa deposited on a silicon handle wafer. The stacked layer is bonded to a base wafer where the transmission lines and the isolation dielectric of the capacitive switch are patterned. The process flow does not include a sacrificial layer; a recess etched in the base wafer provides the air gap instead. The switches are released by thinning and complete etching of the silicon handle wafer by deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution, respectively. Millimeter-wave measurements of the fabricated RF MEMS switches demonstrate satisfactory up-state performance with the worst-case return and insertion losses of 13.7 and 0.38 dB, respectively; but the limited isolation at the down-state indicates a systematic problem with these first-generation devices. Optical profile inspections and retrospective electromechanical analyses not only confirm those measurement results; but also identify the problem as the curling of the MEMS bridges along their width, which can be alleviated in the later fabrication runs through proper mechanical design.

This paper reports on the ohmic contacts of an radio-frequency micro-electro-mechanical-system (RF MEMS) switch. The structure of the MEMS is described briefly to give information about the organization of the switch device. The most significant performance data are reported, indicating very low actuation voltage below 5 V, switching time of <10 µs and good RF performance for frequencies up to 5 GHz. Since the contact performance is a key for excellent RF performance in the actuated state and for high reliability as well the article is focused on the contacts. It is supposed that asperities are building the current path in a closed contact, which is proved by measurements of the closing process with high time resolution. The measurements exhibit very good power-handling capabilities of the contacts. The reported findings render prior theoretical experiments with a physical device.

This paper proposes a novel and simple expression for effective radius of annular-ring microstrip antennas (ARMAs) obtained using a recently emerged optimization algorithm of artificial bee colony (ABC) in calculating the resonant frequency at dominant mode (TM11). A total of 80 ARMAs having different parameters related to antenna dimensions and dielectric constants was simulated in terms of the resonant frequency with the help of an electromagnetic simulation software called IE3D™ based on method of moment. The effective radius expression was constructed and the unknown coefficients belonging to the expression were then optimally determined with the use of ABC algorithm. The proposed expression was verified through comparisons with the methods of resonant frequency calculation reported elsewhere. Also, it was further validated on an ARMA fabricated in this study. The superiority of the presented approach over the other methods proposed in the literature is that it does not need any sophisticated computations while achieving the most accurate results in the resonant frequency calculation of ARMAs.

Combining a theory for reflection-free termination of coaxial lines together with a novel manufacturing method results in 1-mm coaxial matched loads with an excellent absorption behavior over the frequency range from 0 to 110 GHz. Three different electromagnetic (EM) simulation approaches verify the capability of these matched loads to achieve reflection coefficients smaller than −43 dB over the entire frequency range. Matched loads with a maximum reflection coefficient of only −32 dB have been produced. An excellent performance was achieved by exponentially tapering the outer conductor over the region of a coaxial ceramic substrate coated by a thin-film resistance and by compensation for EM wave propagation inside the resistive coating.