Course 5020: Advanced RF

This Tonex Advanced RF course provides a multidimensional overview for professionals involved in the specification, procurement, design, testing, operations and optimization of next-generation wireless and communications systems.

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Learn critical details of major RF systems analysis and design advances
• Learn the structure of RF systems and associated issues
• Learn about critical RF design and engineering procedures and principals 
• Learn how to work with specifications, procurement, design and development, testing, and operation of current and future RF systems
• Assess RF system design/operations
• Assess effects of RF system advances on communications technique effectiveness
• Examine and evaluate RF systems performance and optimization processes
• Analyze RF system components
• Step through a practical process for analyzing, optimizing and managing advanced RF networks

RF System design and ENgineering Principles

• Overview of RF Systems
• HF, VHF, and UHF Radio Systems, including Analog, Digital, and Trunk
• RF System Design & Integration
• Capturing RF System Requirements
• RF System Requirements Analysis and Design
• Transceiver and Receiver Architecture
• High-Speed PC Board Layout and Design
• Software Defined Radio and Next Generation Hardware
• Modulation Techniques
• DSP Digital Signal Processing
• RF Testing and Measurement

• RF Systems Simulation  and Behavioral Modeling

• RF Modeling
• EM Shielding/EMC Engineering
• Shannon and Nyquist Theorems
• Modulation, Demodulation and Multiple Access Techniques
• Spectral efficiency vs. Power Efficiency
• Antenna Types
• RF system Performance based on C/N and Eb/No
• Link Budget Calculations
• Power Settings for a Balanced Path
• Modeling RF Path Loss
• Noise Figure
• Eb/No vs. SNR
• Receiver Sensitivity
• Dynamic Range
• Intermodulation Distortion
• Power Output
• Spectral Efficiency and System Limitations
• RF Performance Engineering
• Traffic Engineering applied to RF Systems
• System Noise Management
• Scattering Parameter Analysis
• RF Regulatory and Safety Considerations

practical rf sYSTEM DESIGN guidelines

• Basic Building Blocks in Radio and Microwave Design
• Tradeoffs in designing wireless systems
• Design Trade-off between Modulation Scheme, Data Rate, RF Bandwidth, Channel Filter, Power, Noise, Phase Noise, and Bit-Error Rate
• RF Impairments
• Noise and Distortion
• Transistor Oscillators and Frequency Synthesizers
• Receiver Design
• Eb/No vs. SNR, BER vs. noise, Bandwidth Limitations
• Low Noise Amplifiers and Mixers Design
• Oscillator, Frequency Synthesizers and Filter Design
• Oscillators/Phase Noise
• Basic Concepts of Oscillator Design
• Phase Noise in Oscillators
• Calculating the Allowable Phase Noise from the System Specifications
• Power Amplifier Design
• Design Tradeoffs between Linearity, Power, and Efficiency
• Phase-Locked Oscillators
• Modulators
• Power Amplifiers
• Antennas
• Low Noise Receivers
• Mixers
• Overall Receiver Performance
• System Design
• System Operating Margin (SOM)
• Block diagram
• Baseband signaling
• Forward error correction
• Modulation/demodulation
• RF transmitters/receivers

circuit and system level Design

• Circuit and system level in radio transceivers and other RF systems
• Typical Radio Architectures
• Exploring the Design Tradeoffs
• RF Systems Engineering, Integration, and Installation
• RF System Design Principals
• Evaluation, Design and Implementation Management of Reliable, cost-effective RF Systems
• Fundamentals of Digital RF Communication
• Circuit Level RF Design
• RF System Components
• RF Circuit Design
• System Level RF Design Considerations
• RF Surveys
• Measure Signal level, Walking or Driving
• Coverage Analysis
• Examine Terrain-based Coverage, including urban, suburban, rural, tunnels, bridges, campus, and in-building
• Antenna Design Considerations
• Electromagnetic Modeling and Simulation
• Define Antenna Types and Locations to fit Application
• Interference Analysis and Resolution
• Perform intermodulation and Collocation Analysis, Filter Definition
• Evaluate system specifications and performance

RF Optimization Principles

• RF coverage and service performance measurements
• Propagation in Urban Environments, from Simple to Extremely Dense
• Propagation Inside Buildings
• Design, analysis and optimization of wireless networks
• Site Acquisition
• Verification of network deployments for wireless networks
• Network planning resources
• Link budgets, scheduling and resource allocation
• Preparation and Report generation
• Real-time coverage maps
• True-up RF modeling software
• System Setting Parameters
• Initial optimization testing of installed networks
• Antenna and Transmission Line Considerations
• System field-testing and parameter optimization
• Functional testing and optimization for implemented sites
• Test plan development
• System drive test and data analysis
• System parameter settings and interference control
• Key RF Performance Indicators
• FER, Mobile Receive Power, Ec/Io, Mobile Transmit Power
• System accessibility analysis
• Available radio resources and network trunking issues
• System parameter optimization
• Regression analysis to measure benefits
• Self-generated system interference
• Cell site integration
• Construction coordination
• Equipment installation/antenna system verification
• Radio testing
• Initial drive testing
• Performance monitoring
• Site migration planning and testing
• ERP changes
• Orientation changes

EM Shielding/EMC Engineering

• Understand Shielding Mechanisms and Problems
• EMC/Shielding/Grounding Techniques for Chip & PCB Layout
• EMC Design, Bench Top Measurements and Troubleshooting Techniques
• Successful Shielding Strategies
• EMC and Signal Integrity Design Strategies
• Signal Integrity from the Ground Up
• Shielding Enclosures and Cables for Wired and Wireless Products and Systems
• Cost Effective and Optimal Shielding System Engineering and Integration
• Shielding Evaluation