Course Description: This course will focus on RF portions of modern wireless telecommunications and data transmission systems. RF subsystems, including modulators, phase-locked loops, and related components, are predominantly analog in nature, in contrast to the extensive use of digital technology elsewhere in wireless systems.

Course Objectives: Appreciate the social, economic, and safety aspects of modern wireless systems, including cellular telephones, wireless local area networks, GPS, DBS, PCS, and RFID systems. Analyze and design wireless systems, including considerations such as noise effects, propagation and fading effects, receiver selectivity and filtering, bit error rates, and networking issues. Design key components for wireless systems, including mixers, synthesizers, demodulators, and antennas.

Course Outline by Topical Areas:

Introduction to Wireless Systems

Wireless Systems and Markets (cellular, PCS, GPS, DBS, WLAN)

Design and Performance Issues (radiation hazards, allowable powers)

Cellular Telephone Systems and Standards (AMPS, IS-54, IS-95)

Noise in Microwave Systems

Thermal Noise (gaussian bandlimited noise, pdf, white noise)

Basic Threshold Detection (error function)

Noise Temperature and Noise Figure (cascaded networks)

Noise Figure of Passive Networks (noise figure of couplers)

Dynamic Range and Intermodulation Distortion (saturation, third order intercept)

Antennas for Wireless Systems

Antenna System Parameters (directivity, gain, efficiency)

The Friis Equation (radio links)

Antenna Noise Temperature (G/T)

Basic Practical Antennas (dipoles, loops)

Propagation (space loss, attenuation)

Fading (multipath, Rayleigh fading)

Mixers

Mixer Characteristics (conversion loss, noise figure)

Diode Mixers (small signal model, large signal model)

FET Mixers (active, passive, Gilbert cell)

Other Mixer Circuits (balanced, image rejection)

Transistor Oscillators and Frequency Synthesizers

Radio Frequency Oscillators (FET, crystal, voltage-controlled)

Microwave Oscillators (IMPATT, Gunn, dielectric resonator)

Synthesis Methods (direct, digital look-up, phase-locked loops)

Phase Locked Loops (phase detectors, linearization, first and second order loops)

Oscillator Phase Noise

Modulation Techniques

Amplitude Modulation (SSB, DSB, envelope detection)

Binary Digital Modulation (ASK, FSK, PSK)

Error Probabilities for Binary Modulation (ASK, FSK, PSK)

Effect of Rayleigh Fading on Bit Error Rates

M-ary Digital Modulation (QPSK, QAM)

Receiver Design

Receiver Architectures (superheterodyne)

Dynamic Range (minimum detectable signal, AGC)

Frequency Conversion and Filtering (image rejection, spurs, spur-free range)

Examples of Practical Receivers (AMPS)

Multiple Access Techniques

TDMA

FDMA

Spread Spectrum (dss and fh)

CDMA

Course Requirements:

Homework: 25% of grade

Examinations: Midterm exam (25%), Final exam (30%)

Computer Language: None

Computer Facilities: None

Laboratory: None

Project: Project report (20%)

Degree Applicability:

CE[AA]	CH[NA]	CS[AA]	EE[BDE]	EM[E]	ESM[NA]	MAT[NA]
MBA[NA]	ME[E]	MES[BE]	MSE[E]	SE[NA]	SY[AA]

Click here for further information on degree applicability.

NTU Semester Credit Hours: 3
Number of Lecture Hours: 40 (50 minute) lectures - Pretaped Spring 2001
Days Class Meets on Campus: Monday/Wednesday/Friday

Contributing Scholar:
Mr. David M. Pozar
Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA   01003
Phone: 413-545-2127

Fax: 413-545-1227
pozar@ecs.umass.edu

Note: Contributing Scholars are responsible for the design, organization, content, and presentation of NTU courses. Online classroom management, student management, and other matters related to academic administration of courses are the responsibility of support "Faculty". Either person is often called "Instructor". To identify and differentiate between these roles, we use the terms "Contributing Scholar" and "Faculty".

Academic/Administrative Contact:  
Ms. Barbara Barnett
Phone: 413-545-0063
Fax: 413-545-1227
bbarnett@ecs.umass.edu


Prerequisites: Familiarity with the topics of noise and figure in microwave systemns, S-parameters, microwave filters, couplers, mixers amplifiers, oscillators, probability, and random variables. Most of this material is coverd in ECE 584-585; if you have not had this sequence, you will have to study these topics on your own.

Textbooks: (Order Materials)

1.

Microwave and RF Design of Wireless Systems, C. M. Pozar, John Wiley and Sons, 2000 Course Notes: Course notes provided by the professor will be sent via PDF format, to students with email access, at no charge. Students without email will need to contact the VIP to order the notes in printed form and will be charged $25.