This unique Master-level course provides you with in-depth know-how of microwave engineering and antennas. The course combines both passive and active microwave circuits as well as antenna systems. Future applications, like millimeter-wave 5G/beyond-5G wireless communications or automotive radar, require experts that can co-design highly integrated antenna systems that include both antennas and microwave electronics. We will provide you with the required theoretical foundation as well as hands-on experience using state-of-the-art design tools. The web lectures are supported by many on-line quizzes in which you can practice the background theory.
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Next to this, we will provide you hands-on experience in a design-challenge in which you will learn how to design microwave circuits and antennas. Throughout the course you will work on the design challenge in which you will design a complete active phased array system, including antennas, beamformers and amplifiers. The course is supported by a book written by the team of lecturers, which will be made available to the students. After finalizing the course a certificate can be obtained (5 ECTS), which can be used when you start a full MSc program at Eindhoven University of Technology.
The lecturers all have an academic and industrial background and are embedded in the Center for Wireless Technology Eindhoven (CWT/e) of Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands.
What You Will Learn
- Module 1: Introduction of the course, including an overview of applications and trends.
- Module 2: Passive microwave circuits, covering transmission-line based circuits including impedance - matching, power combiners, filters.
- Module 3: Antenna theory. This provides an introduction into antenna theory, including phased arrays.
- Module 4: Active microwave circuits. Extension towards amplifiers, including low-noise amplifiers.
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Promo
In this short video the lecturers will introduce themselves and will provide a general overview of the scope of the course. The lecturers all have a solid academic and industrial background and are embedded in the Center for Wireless Technology Eindhoven (CWT/e) of Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands.
Introduction (Module 1) and Passive Microwave Circuits (Module 2, part I)
In week 1 we will provide you with an introduction to the course including an overview of applications (Module 1). In addition, we will start with Passive Microwave Circuits (Module 2) by introducing transmission line theory. We will also introduce the design-challenge in which you will develop your own 4-channel phased array system including beamformer and active microwave electronics. Next to this, we will show you how to use the open-source design tool QUCS. We will use this tool for the design of passive and active microwave circuits.
WEEK 2
Passive Microwave Circuits (Module 2, part II)
In week 2 we will continue with Passive Microwave Circuits (Module 2) by introducing the concept of microwave networks. We will use this concept by analyzing power combiners. In addition, you will start your design challenge by designing a 4-channel beamformer network.
WEEK 3
Passive Microwave Circuits (Module 2, part III)
In week 3 we will finalize our journey into Passive Microwave Circuits (Module 2) by first introducing the Smith chart and by applying it for the design of matching circuits. Next to this, we will show how you can design microwave filters.
WEEK 4
Antenna Theory (Module 3, part I)
In week 4 we will start with Antenna Theory (Module 3) and introduce the concept of antennas by exploring the main characteristics of antennas, including directivity, antenna gain and input impedance. We will show how these parameters can be used to determine the range of wireless system or radar. As a first real antenna concept, we will introduce phased-array antennas. In addition, the design challenge will continue with an antenna design. This includes an introduction into the antenna design CST.
WEEK 5
Antenna Theory (Module 3, part II)
In this week the real hard-core theoretical antenna framework is presented. Starting from Maxwell's equations we will derive the general expression for the radiated fields by any antenna configuration. The framework will be applied to the electric dipole and wire antennas. In addition, your will participate in a workshop that introduces a state-of-the-art antenna design tool.
WEEK 6
Antenna Theory (Module 3, part III)
In this week we will extend our theoretical framework with magnetic sources. In this way, you can use the framework to analyze aperture antennas. We will show this by analyzing horn antennas, reflector antennas and microstrip antennas. We will also show how microstrip antennas can be used to create a phased-array system. We will finalize the week by providing you with some background knowledge in numerical methods. This will help you to understand the underlying principles of numerical electromagnetics used in commercial tools such as ADS and CST.
WEEK 7
Active Microwave Circuits (Module 4, part I)
In this week we will extend the theory on microwave circuits towards active circuits which make use of transistors to realize amplifiers. We will start by introducing the various definitions which are used to describe the gain of an amplifier. As a next step we will present a design methodology for low-noise amplifiers. You will also start with the last part of your design challenge by designing a low-noise amplifier.
WEEK 8
Active Microwave Circuits (Module 4, part II)
In the last week of the course we will dive deeper into the design of microwave amplifiers by exploring by exploring the stability conditions of amplifiers. When stability is secured, the amplifier performance can be further optimized by proper design of the input and output matching circuits. For this purpose the concept of constant-gain circles can be used.
