Workshops and Short Courses

This new workshop aims to cover aspects related to transceivers for wide-IF and SDR systems, is a rapidly growing area of investigation for 5G and other applications. As SDR systems proliferate and wider-IF receivers and transmitters are needed for other reasons (multi-channel, wide modulation bandwidth...), the study of the transceivers themselves is increasingly important. Topics including IF and system model development, receiver front-ends, transceiver metrics (including EVM and separate linearity measures), wideand multiple-IF system structures, will be covered in this workshop. Programme 14:20 14:30 Welcome 14:30 15:10 System Modeling of Wideband Receivers John Wood, Maxim Integrated  Abstract 15:10 15:50 Using behavioural models in the design of nonlinear microwave circuits. Application to microwave power detectors and (free-running/synchronized) oscillator circuit design M. F. Barciela, Ana Peláez-Pérez, A. Rodríguez-Testera, S. Woodington and P. J. Tasker, Universidad de Vigo, Spain  Abstract 15:50 16:20 Coffee Break 16:20 17:00 System level modelling of wideband transceiver components using advanced nonlinear measurement techniques Christian Fager, Chalmers University, Sweden  Abstract 17:00 17:30 The use of Mixed-signal Characterization for SDR design Nuno Borges Carvalho, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal  Abstract 17:30 18:00 Wide-IF receiver linearity and distortion mechanisms Jon Martens, Anritsu, USA  Abstract 18:00 18:10 Discussion WORKSHOPS AND SHORT COURSES 14:30 15:10 System Modeling of Wideband Receivers John Wood, Maxim Integrated Abstract The system-level design of RF transceiver systems often relies on simple models for the RF and data-converter components, which are simulated in commercial system simulators to develop the specifications for the products. Behavioral models for power amplifiers (PA) have received considerable attention in recent years, with Volterra-based models for the PA: such models can be identified from measurements. Comparatively little attention has been paid to the modeling of other hardware in the system, such as the data converters which are at the heart of software-defined radio (SDR) systems. Here we describe a behavioral model of a wide bandwidth interleaving RF-to-digital ADC. The model includes both analog and digital parts, describing the analog nonlinearity and frequency response, and digital impairments such as jitter, thermal noise, and interleaving errors. The model is implemented in a commercial system-level simulator. 15:10 15:50 Using behavioural models in the design of nonlinear microwave circuits. Application to microwave power detectors and (free-running/synchronized) oscillator circuit design M. F. Barciela, Ana Peláez-Pérez, A. Rodríguez-Testera, S. Woodington and P. J. Tasker, Universidad de Vigo, Spain Abstract X-parameters have become a useful measurement-based tool in the modelling and design of microwave nonlinear circuits: power amplifiers, power detectors or oscillators, among others. Recently, they have been used in the development of analytical design aids to guide the complex nonlinear circuits design flow. In this presentation different aspects related to this application will be described, as well as their use in power detectors and oscillator circuits design (free-running and synchronized) for communications applications in the microwave band. 16:20 17:00 System level modelling of wideband transceiver components using advanced nonlinear measurement techniques Christian Fager, Chalmers University, Sweden Abstract Future wireless devices need to have improved performance, shorter development time, and reduced cost. This is pushing the need for accurate simulation and modeling of highly integrated transmitter and receiver components/subsystems with realistic wideband signals. This presentation will describe our research on advanced nonlinear measurement systems, and in particular how these enable new types of behavioral models to be developed and used to investigate hardware impairments at system level. The research is exemplified with characterization and modeling of nonlinear distortion in multi-band transmitters and analysis of antenna mutual-coupling effects in highly integrated MIMO systems. Ongoing research on wideband millimeter wave characterization and modeling targeting 5G massive MIMO systems will also be covered. 17:00 17:30 The use of Mixed-signal Characterization for SDR design Nuno Borges Carvalho, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal Abstract In this talk the use of mixed-signal characterization will be discussed in the framework of SDR design and modelling. The use of digital parameters in this framework and its applications to digital and analog integrated circuits will be discussed and presented in this framework. Some examples will be presented in the workshop to validate and demonstrate the proposed approach. A specific application on the use of this approach to DPD design will be presented and discussed. 17:30 18:00 Wide-IF receiver linearity and distortion mechanisms Jon Martens, Anritsu, USA Abstract Wide-IF systems, and receivers in particular, can present linearity and distortion challenges due to factors including embedding admittance variations on the converters, converter linearity variations, and complex interactions with digitizers and their clock systems. This talk will explore a variety of problematic mechanisms, incurred with different converter (sampler and wideband mixer) and digitizer technologies, a semi-quantitative look at the levels of the effects, and potential mitigation techniques.