RF Design Tips, Tricks & Tutorials

ADS Users’ RF & Microwave Designs & Applications

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Momentum Papers on Google Scholar

April 29th, 2010 · Application Engineer

One visitor to the this site pointed out that there are hundreds of published papers, citations and references to Momentum on Google Scholar. Maybe you can find an application similar to yours.

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Using EM to Design DGS Structures

February 12th, 2010 · Application Engineer

A Defective Ground Structure (DGS) is an intentionally designed defect on a ground plan, which creates additional effective inductance and capacitance.  This technique can be used to design microstrip lines with desired characteristics such as higher impedance, band rejection and slow-wave characteristics, while significantly reducing the footprint of the microstrip structure.  DGS structures are used in RF/microwave components (filters, dividers, amplifiers and high-speed digital designs.

However, designing DGS structures can be tricky.  Design tools typically don’t include closed-form DGS circuit models, so EM simulation is required to analyze and optimize these structures to meet the design goals.

Both time-domain and frequency-domain EM simulation can be used to simulate DGS structures.  Time-domain techniques, such as Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD), can provide insightful TDR results.  Frequency-domain techniques, such as Finite Element Method (FEM), can very quickly find the resonant frequencies.  Both techniques provide very accurate results compared to measurements.

Read the full details in our presentation EM Insights Series – Episode 12 – Simulation of Defected Ground Structures

See the full series at EM Insights Series

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Free DVD: MMIC Design Seminar

February 5th, 2010 · Application Engineer, Demo/Video

The art of designing MMICs can be achieved with a good design methodology and environment. This MMIC Seminar, available on the web and orderable on DVD, has been designed to provide a complete set of technical material that helps achieve fast and accurate MMIC design.

The technical material included in these seminar style materials will help guide you through the critical steps designers need to carry out in order to achieve the fastest time-to-market at the lowest cost. The steps will help you create robust MMIC designs with first-pass success and high yield, while minimizing development and production costs.

Through the use of the video demonstrations, slide presentations, ADS project files, and Hands-On workshop materials included in this front-to-back MMIC design flow seminar, you will learn the important methodology of:

  • MMIC Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM) for optimizing yield and minimizing cost.
  • Efficient and accurate MMIC layout using a judicious combination of auto and manual design synchronization coupled with DRC and full 3D EM verification.
  • Co-simulating MMIC circuits within a system to verify compliance with wireless system standards for first-pass acceptance by your end customers

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61.5% PAE Class-E GaN HEMT Power Amplifier by Bell Labs

January 26th, 2010 · Article

The December issue of High Frequency Electronics has an interesting article from Andrei Grebennikov of Bell Labs Ireland. Linearity and high efficiency design challenges are addressed with a transmission line for output match of a Class E power amplifier using a Nitronex GaN HEMT transistor.

Class E GaN HEMT Power Amplifier

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ADS Quick Start & Fundamentals Online

January 25th, 2010 · Uncategorized

The “ADS Quick Start & Fundamentals” self-paced e-Learning class is available to all supported customers. This class is very extensive and about 20 hours in length. Downloadable lab exercises are included (see “Attachments” in the course). It can be accessed as shown below along with a one-hour ADS Quick Start class.

To access the ADS Quick Start and ADS Fundamentals e-Learning courses:

  1. Go to the Agilent EEsof EDA Knowledge Center
  2. Click on Technical Support Documents and Examples
  3. Login to the Knowledge Center or click on “Register for a login” near bottom of the page if you need an account
  4. Select the desired e-Learning course under “e-Learning” (Quick Start & Fundamentals)

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24 GHz SiGe BiCMOS LNA for UWB Automotive Radar by STMicroelectronics

January 5th, 2010 · Users Group Paper

Egidio Ragonese & Giuseppe Palmisano of STMicroelectronics & University of Catania present a 3-stage transformer-loaded cascode 24-GHz LNA for Automotive Radar. The transformers use a multi-layer interleaved spiral inductor structure. Momentum EM simulation and optimization of inductance and Q-factor are compared to measurements with Cascade Microtech prober, Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) & Noise Figure Analyser. Layout and manufacturing are shown using a differential topology and 0.13um SiGe:C BiCMOS process. Experimental results are compared with several other technologies and topologies.

Three-stage transformer-loaded LNA Topology

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8 GHz SiGe UWB Receiver Front-End Design in 0.25 um BICMOS SiGe by IHP

January 5th, 2010 · Users Group Paper

Oleksiy Klymenko from IHP reviews Impulse Radio Receiver Architectures including coherent & non-coherent impulse detection principles and associated simulation techniques in 0.25 um SiGe C BICMOS UWB receiver. The receiver  includes the analysis and design of passive balun, LNA, variable gain amplifier (VGA), multiplier, differential 4th & 7th order Bessel Low-Pass Filters. Transient time-domain and harmonic balance frequency-domain simulations as well as verification with measurements.

Impulse Radio Receiver

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60 GHz Low Noise Amplifier Design Methodology in CMOS 65nm by STMicroelectronics

December 17th, 2009 · Users Group Paper

Baudouin Martineau of STMicroelectronics gives an excellent overview of the 60 GHz millimeter wave market, applications including WPAN, automotive radar and 94 GHz imaging; semiconductor technology requirements and 65nm CMOS technology specifically; modeling, parametric cells, electromagnetic simulation, Momentum modeling of vertical and horizontal coupled transformers, LNA design methodology, using circuit and EM simulation and optimization. 

Millimeter-wave building blocks design methodology in CMOS 65nm process by Baudouin Martineau, STMicroelectronics

Spiral Inductor Modeling

Spiral Inductor Modeling

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8W X-Band PHEMT PA Design by UMS

December 16th, 2009 · Users Group Paper

Monolithic Microwave High Power Amplifiers on GaAs for Phased Array Radar deliver high efficiency for X-band applications. Huet, Bly and Serru of UMS demonstrates the design of a HPA using PHEMT technology.

8W-X-Band-PHEMT-High-Power-Amplifier-Design-UMS

UMS High Power Amplifier

UMS High Power Amplifier

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Chinese/English ADS Product Demos

January 11th, 2009 · Application Engineer, Demo/Video

Probably many of you who know Chinese are aware of this website already [www.agilentads.com], but for English speakers/readers this site has hundreds of ADS feature demos that might be of interest to you because they also contain English bubble text in addition to the Chinese text. The best way for English readers to view the site is with Google Translate . This link translates to English, but you can pick any language you’d like.

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