Making Telecoms Work in the U.S.
Making Telecoms Work Shops provide a cost and time efficient way in which telecommunication engineers, product managers and policy makers can access technical information and advice not readily available elsewhere in the public domain. The workshops demonstrate how engineering issues can be practically resolved and how performance gains and cost savings can be achieved
Session topics cover all physical connectivity media including wireless, cable, copper and fibre.
The next workshop in this series
UHF Broadband and Multi Band RF Design
A two day programme for engineers and team leaders involved in UHF broadband multi band cellular transceiver and integrated UHF (TV) receiver design. The programme is also relevant to policy makers needing to understand how the RF performance of user devices including smart phones, lap tops and net books determines future spectral value.
Date |
To be confirmed
Venue |
To be confirmed
Background |
Modern RF design procedures draw on a wide range of computer modelling tools but successful RF design is still dependent on engineers having an in depth understanding of RF component and RF circuit behaviour. Additionally, open and closed loop adaptive techniques implemented at base band have to be closely coupled with RF measurement and RF circuit behaviour over a wide range of operating conditions.
The programme draws on over 40 years of practical RF design experience combined with an in depth exposure to modern simulation and RF and baseband optimisation techniques and includes a comprehensive review and analysis of new passive and active materials, new components and innovative circuit and adaptive control techniques.
Objectives |
To review UHF and multiband transmitter/receiver architecture options, particularly the main performance influencing parameters in multiband multi standard transceivers. To characterise these parameters and consider how they can be optimised in terms of device and design options, ‘good practice’ circuit layout techniques and system implementation.
Delegates will learn how to optimise component choices and design processes to achieve:
- Optimisation of key UHF/ multiband and multi standard RF parameters including noise, gain, stability, sensitivity, selectivity and power efficiency.
- An understanding of individual parameters and how they influence RF and baseband system performance and overall network performance.
Scope |
This is a practical rather than academic programme focusing on real life components and design processes and performance optimisation techniques.
The programme goes ‘behind the results’ to understand how RF circuits and related base band functions behave under a wide range of operational conditions. We review the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of RF and base band design procedures to ensure greater consistency in end product performance.
The techniques addressed in the programme will assist design engineers to make more informed device, design and architectural choices and to implement those choices with greater confidence.
The Design Challenge |
Design and manufacturing teams are being asked to produce mobile phones, lap tops and base stations that cover at least five frequency bands.
However the requirement is broadening to include UHF transmit and receive capability either in the 700 MHz band (USA and parts of Asia) or 800 MHz band (Europe and other parts of Asia).
Some devices, particularly ‘larger than smart phone form factor devices’ are also expected to receive DVB-T or ATSC TV broadcasts and there are present discussions on the viability of re broadcasting TV using cellular base station hardware.
The 700 and 800 MHz UHF bands introduce specific design challenges both in terms of operational bandwidth and size constraints including a need to implement adaptive matching and other adaptive techniques in order to increase operational bandwidth beyond traditional ‘good practice’ limits.
Additionally the transceivers have to co exist at a minimum with the 850 MHz and 900 MHz bands, 1800 and 1900 MHz bands, 1.9/2.1 GHz (Band 1) and other radio functions, for example Wi Fi and Bluetooth at 2.4 GHz and GPS and FM receivers.
In the longer term there will be a need to support 2.6 GHz, possibly 3.5GHz and additional regionally specific allocations. Integrated ‘White Space’ cognitive transceivers have also been proposed.
A requirement to support multiple standards introduces significant complexity, for example a need to support higher order modulation options and symbol orthogonality implies a need to control linearity and minimise noise and distortion in all parts of the transmit and receive chain.
In parallel, an assumed market need for high peak average data rates suggests a need to deliver base band sampling and processing across extended 10, 15 or 20 MHz channel bandwidths.
Present design solutions for multi band have used tried and trusted architectures and RF design options that have relied on discrete switch paths for each band. This results in component duplication but also introduces additional insertion loss and poor isolation.
Other options exist but need to be carefully implemented to realise performance gain within acceptable cost parameters.
Agenda |
DAY ONE |
|
|
09.00 – 09.30 |
Band plan over view – low band (700/850/900 MHz), mid band (1500/1800/1900/2100) and high band (2.4/2.6/3.5GHz), design and performance requirements |
|
09.30 – 10.30 |
Specification and performance needed to achieve co existenceThe Receiver Front End – how receiver front-end performance
is a key factor in determining overall sensitivity. Selectivity
– the distribution of bandwidth to achieve co-channel and adjacent
channel performance. Gain distribution to achieve dynamic
range. Image response suppression in the superhet receiver. RF
filter specifications. The Direct Conversion (Zero IF) receiver
approach versus the Superhet. |
|
10.30 – 11.00 |
Coffee |
|
11.00 – 12.30 |
Current specification and performance
limitations |
|
12.30 – 13.30 |
Lunch |
|
13.30 – 15.00 |
Improving performance through the use of new active and passive materialsIn this session we review new passive materials, new active materials and their present and possible future potential in delivering flexible RF front ends that can meet present and future cost and performance expectations. The session includes a study of RF MEMS, silicon on sapphire and BST based devices and related functional and system performance. |
|
15.00 – 15.30 |
Tea |
|
15.30 – 17.00 |
Utilizing new component technology
in receiver and transmitter architectures |
|
17.00 – 17.45 |
Implementation case study |
|
17.45 – 18.45 |
Networking drinks and light refreshments |
|
DAY TWO |
|
09.00 – 10.30 |
Design Study 1 – present co existence architecturesCase study of a five band GSM/HSPA+ phone, typical architecture and RX/TX performance, possible performance gain opportunities using open or closed loop adaptive matching and other ‘new’ component and circuit optimisation techniques and related system implementation considerations. |
10.30 – 11.00 |
Coffee |
11.00 – 12.30 |
Design Study 2 – future co
existence architectures |
12.30 – 13.30 |
Lunch |
13.30 – 15.00 |
Design Study 3 |
15.00 – 15.30 |
Tea |
15.30 – 17.00 |
Design Study 4 |
17.00-17.30 |
Summary and close |