The
University of
Queensland
School of
Information Technology and
Electrical Engineering
Semester 1, 2006
COMS7303- Design of Microwave Circuits II
Course Profile
Version
This is version 1.0 of the COMS7303 course profile, dated 27th February 2006.
Changes since the last version
Not applicable
Course Summary
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Course Code(s): |
COMS7303 |
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Unit Value: |
#2 |
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Contact Hours: |
4 hours per week (3L1C) |
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Purpose: |
COMS7303 aims at developing advanced theoretical and practical skills associated with the analysis, design and optimization of active microwave circuits which are the part of modern wireless and landline communication sub-systems.
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Teaching Staff
Professor Marek
Bialkowski (Course Coordinator)
Office: 78-527
Phone: 53563
Fax: (07) 3365-4999
Email: meb@itee.uq.edu.au
Consultation Time: Friday 4:00pm - 4:55pm
Note: If you are calling from outside the University follow the appropriate instructions for each location below.
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(07) 336 5xxxx |
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Ipswich Campus indial |
(07) 338 1xxxx |
Course Goals
The course
is intended for the Master of Engineering programme as set forth by the
The course introduces the concept of noise and nonlinearities followed by equivalent circuit models of diodes and transistors that are used to generate, switch, phase shift, detect, mix or amplify microwave signals. It places an emphasis on integration of these solid-state devices with planar guiding structures using hybrid approach. An application of modern CAD software packages is demonstrated to simulate and optimize microwave passive and active sub-systems.
It is expected that upon successful completion of the course, students will:
- understand the operation of microwave detectors, switches, phase shifters, modulators, mixers, amplifiers and oscillators
- know how to design the above microwave devices and sub-systems using planar wave guiding technologies
- be able to skilfully use commercial software (CAD) packages intended for the design and simulations of microwave devices and sub-systems.
Graduate Attributes Developed
The
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A. IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF THE FIELD OF STUDY |
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Graduate Attribute |
Specific Competencies (What) & Learning Activities & Assessment (How) |
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A. A comprehensive and well-founded knowledge of the field of study. |
From the lecture and laboratory sessions the students will gain in-depth knowledge of operation and design process of microwave circuits and sub-systems that include solid-state devices in the form of diodes or transistors for signal generating, switching, phase shifting, detecting, converting and amplifying. |
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B. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION |
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Graduate Attribute |
Specific Competencies (What) & Learning Activities & Assessment (How) |
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B1. The ability to collect, analyse and organise information and ideas and to convey those ideas clearly and fluently, in both written and spoken forms. |
The students will develop ability to write clear and concise engineering reports at professional level. |
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B2. The ability to interact effectively with others in order to work towards a common outcome. |
During laboratory sessions, which involve the use of modern microwave Computer Aided Design packages the students will effectively interact in small groups to achieve the specified design goals. |
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C.
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Graduate Attribute |
Specific Competencies (What) & Learning Activities & Assessment (How) |
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C. The ability to work and learn independently. |
Two written assessments will encourage each student to develop an independent understanding of the course material. The course assessments will require creativity to efficiently use microwave CAD packages to design and optimize performance of microwave circuits incorporating solid-state devices such as diodes or transistors. |
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D. CRITICAL JUDGMENT |
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Graduate Attribute |
Specific Competencies (What) & Learning Activities & Assessment (How) |
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D. The ability to define and analyse problems. The ability to apply critical reasoning to issues through independent thought and informed judgment |
The students will apply critical reasoning in the completion of assessments. The written reports will require explanations of the meaning of the obtained solution. |
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E. ETHICAL AND SOCIAL UNDERSTANDING |
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Graduate Attribute |
Specific Competencies (What) & Learning Activities & Assessment (How) |
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E. An understanding of social and civic responsibility |
The students are expected to be familiar with the school's misconduct policy; they are expected to conduct themselves appropriately in the use of the school's CAD facilities. |
Assumed Background
Pre-requisites: (ELEC3100 or
7101) + (COMS4104 or 7104) or equivalent
Compatible: COMS7300 or 7301;
Prior to taking COMS7303, it is suggested to take the COMS7302 course, which is offered in the same semester.
Resources
Course Profile Copy
In the first lecture (or class meeting) students will be directed to the web
address at which this course profile can be read. Students enrolled at
Textbook
The suggested text is
* D. M. Pozar, Microwave Engineering - 2nd ed, John Wiley & Sons, 1998.
or
L. Besser and R. Gilmore, Practical RF Design for Modern Wireless Systems, vol. I: Passive Circuits and Systems, Artech House, 2003.
* Note that recently the 3rd edition of this book has been issued. The relevant information is available at www.wiley.com/college/pozar.
Microwave CAD for use in Classes:
1. SERENADE - SV85 (free download*)
* SerenadeTM Harmonica - Student Version,
free download (~30MB) from the Laboratory/Projects page (can be accessed only by
students actually enrolled in the course).
2. Microwave OfficeTM - can be accessed in the Laboratory only by students actually enrolled in the course.
Handouts
Lecture and project materials will be available to students enrolled in the course via the course WEB site.
Facilities
Prac sessions will be held in 78-108. During these sessions students will be allowed to use computer facilities to conduct their work on assigned projects.
Consultation
Lecturer is available for consultations as indicated above. For an appointment outside these times an e-mail contact should be used.
Distribution of Notices
All important current notices will be conveyed to students via the Noticeboard linked to the course WEB page. Students are expected to visit the Noticeboard at least once a week.
Web
The course web site is available at http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~coms7303. The course web site will contain: (1) Course Profile, (2) Lecture Material (Modules and Supplementary readings), (3) Assignments, (4) Noticeboard, (5) Marking.
Newsgroup
The course newsgroup is uq.itee.coms7303. This group is available on both the University and School news servers (news.uq.edu.au and news.itee.uq.edu.au).
Students are free to post questions (and answers!) to the newsgroup. Copies of announcements will also be posted to the newsgroup. The teaching staff will monitor the newsgroup.
Teaching Activities
Lectures
There is one 3-hour lecture session each week for the last 6-7 weeks of semester 1:
Lecture :
Wednesday 5pm-7.50pm (room 78-420)
Pracs
Commencing from week 7, Room 78-108 in GP-South Blg will be available for students to familiarize themselves with Microwave CAD and to work on Two Assignment Projects.
The availability of Microwave Lab is listed below (subject to change).
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Prac Session |
Day |
Time |
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Pa |
Monday |
5pm – 8pm |
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Pb |
Saturday |
10am-12noon |
Attendance
You are strongly encouraged to attend the teaching sessions. Failure to attend a session may result in you being disadvantaged. It is up to you to find out what happened at any class session that you miss.
Teaching Plan
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Week Number |
Monday's Date |
Lecture Number |
Lecture Topic |
Prac Session |
Assessment |
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7 |
10 April |
1 |
Noise and Nonlinear Effects in Active Microwave Circuits |
Simulation of microwave circuits including linear and non-linear elements |
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17 April |
Mid-semester break |
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8 |
24 April |
2 |
Diode Detectors, Mixers and Control Circuits |
Project No 1: Design and simulation of PIN diode phase shifters and mixers with the use of microwave CAD software |
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9 |
1 May (Labour Day) |
3 |
RF Transistors Characteristics and Biasing Considerations |
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10 |
8 May |
4 |
Design of Narrowband, Low-Power Transistor Amplifiers for Maximum Gain, Specific Gain and Low Noise |
Project 2: Design and simulation of transistor amplifiers with the use of microwave CAD software
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11 |
15 May |
5 |
Design of Broadband and High Power Amplifiers |
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Submission of Report on Project 1. |
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12 |
22 May |
6 |
Design of RF and Microwave Oscillators |
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13 |
29 May |
7 |
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Submission of Report on Project 2. |
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5 June |
Revision Period |
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Exam Week 1 |
12 June |
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Exam Week 2 |
19 June |
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Assessment
Assessment in COMS7303 is based on the two Assignment Reports. Your final grade (on a 1 to 7 scale) will be determined by combining the marks from the various assessment components as described below. For each assessment item, reference is made to the specific learning objectives (from the list above) which the assessment item will address.
Assignments
Dates for submission of the two Assignment Reports are shown in the above table. The submission should be made via the Submission Box posted in the GPS by 5pm on the date indicated above. All details concerned with the format of Assignment Reports will be posted on the WEB and explained by the coordinator during the Lecture sessions. Also the mark allocation for each part of the Assignment will be clearly indicated on the Project WEB site. In general, the Assignment Reports reflect the student ability to perform a professional engineering design, including proper presentation of the results obtained by using available CAD software packages.
Determination of Final Grade
The final grade for COMS7303 will be determined based on the marks for the TWO assignment reports, which are of equal value.
Your final grade is then computed from the final mark using the following table:
| final mark | grade |
| 85-100 | 7 |
| 75-84 | 6 |
| 65-74 | 5 |
| 50-64 | 4 |
| 45-49 | 3 |
| 20-44 | 2 |
| 0-19 | 1 |
1. Serious Fail
Fails to satisfy most or all of the basic
requirements of the course.
2. Fail
Fails to satisfy some of the basic requirements of
the course.
3.
- being close to satisfactory overall, or
- having compensating strengths in some aspects of the course, or
- having compensating strengths in other courses, or
- other mitigating considerations.
4. Pass
Satisfies all of the basic learning requirements for the course, such as
knowledge of fundamental concepts and performance of basic skills; demonstrates
sufficient quality of performance to be considered satisfactory or adequate or
competent or capable in the course.
5. Credit
Demonstrates ability to use and apply fundamental concepts and skills of the
course, going beyond mere replication of content knowledge or skill to show
understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, some use of analytical
skills, and some originality or insight.
6. Distinction
Demonstrates awareness and understanding of deeper and subtler aspects of the
course, such as ability to identify and debate critical issues or problems,
ability to solve non-routine problems, ability to adapt and apply ideas to new
situations, and ability to invent and evaluate new ideas.
7. High Distinction
Demonstrates imagination, originality or flair, based on proficiency in all the
learning objectives for the course; work is interesting or surprising or
exciting or challenging or erudite.
Each passing grade subsumes and goes beyond the grades lower than it. At the discretion of the lecturers, final grades may be scaled upwards but not decreased.
In order to successfully pass the COMS7303 course you will have to obtain the Pass grade (at least 50% of the total allocated mark) in each of the two assignments.
Assessment Policies
Submission
Submission of the assignments will be via the submission boxes on level one of the GP South building. Your assignment submission must be accompanied by a signed coversheet declaring that the submission is your original work.
Late Submission
Late submission will attract a penalty of 10 % of the total mark per (working) day late. The request of extensions will only be considered for medical reasons (directed to lecturer or tutor).
Return of Assignments
The assessed Project Reports will be returned to students personally on specific dates only (see announcements on the Noticeboard regarding dates).
Academic Merit, Plagiarism, Proper Referencing, Collusion and Other Misconduct
The School and the wider academic community in general take academic integrity and respect for other persons and property very seriously. In particular, the following behaviour is unacceptable:
- Submission of plagiarised work, i.e. work that contains content copied from an unacknowledged source.
- Submission of work without academic merit, i.e. work that adds little or nothing to material available from reference sources such as textbooks, websites, etc., even where this is appropriately acknowledged.
- Engaging in collusive behaviour, i.e. inappropriate working together with other students where individual work is required, or working with people outside your team where team work is required.
- Copying work done by other students.
- Failing to adhere to the School's regulations concerning behaviour in laboratories, in particular occupational health and safety regulations.
Penalties for engaging in unacceptable behaviour can range from cash fines or
loss of grades in a subject, through to expulsion from the University.
You are required to read and understand the School Statement on Misconduct,
available on the ITEE website at:
http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/about_ITEE/policies/student-misconduct.html. This
Statement includes advice and links to other sites on how to properly cite
references and other sources in your submissions and on acceptable levels of
collaboration.
If you have any questions concerning this statement, please contact your
lecturer in the first instance.
Assessment Feedback
Timely feedback on all progressive assessment in this course will be available in accordance with University policy (HUPP 3.30.6 Student Access to Feedback on Assessment).
It is a student’s responsibility to incorporate feedback into their learning; making use of the assessment criteria that they are given; being aware of the rules, policies and other documents related to assessment; and providing teachers with feedback on their assessment practices.
Support for Students with a Disability
Any student with a disability who may require alternative academic arrangements in the course is encouraged to seek advice at the commencement of the semester from a Disability Adviser at Student Support Services.