MicroApps Seminars

More than Moore is driving interest in integrating multiple die into a single package, which brings system-level considerations for planning and placing components and die into a small space. Integrating different chip architectures and manufacturing processes necessitates sophisticated design tools and methodologies. Cadence Virtuoso Studio, enabled for multi-process technologies, brings heterogeneous integration within a single platform.

Modern radar systems face increasingly sophisticated jamming threats that demand agile, high-performance signal processing solutions. Recent advances in RF Integrated Circuits (RFICs) offer powerful tools to counter these disruptions at a commercial scale. This presentation explores the design and performance of a 16-channel digital beamforming system to implement real-time jammer cancellation. By dynamically steering and reshaping the receive beam, the system can nullify multiple jammers as they emerge. This will be contrasted with beam amplitude tapering and null steering techniques. The basics of each approach and performance results on commercially available hardware will be presented.

Learn how the new load pull analysis in Cadence Virtuoso ADE Artist provides improved capabilities for RF designers: 1) New tuner that supports souce and load pull analyses at the fundamental, second, and third harmonic 2) New interface for visualizing the load and source results including over 20 dedicated measurements. 3) Greater flexibility in previewing and defining swept Gamma points 4) Compatible with Virtuoso Studio RF load pull analysis We will highlight the new load pull analysis features in Virtuoso ADE Artist 25.1 with Spectre X Simulator 25.1, along with guidance on when to use the new features.

The evolution of new technologies and applications are driving increasing chip complexity with reduced design cycles. The layout of dense circuitry central and graphically processing units requires careful attention to ensure proper performance. We demonstrate a methodology which couples electromagnetic extraction, a SPICE solver, and machine learning to automatically co-optimize the physical layout with the circuit netlist to achieve the desired performance. This workflow is demonstrated on a 2.5GHz low noise amplifier (LNA).

In Cadence's Virtuoso Studio RF (VSRF) platform it is now possible to fully co-design acoustic filters and Silicon ICs through our Virtuoso Design Link and Virtuoso PDK capabilities. This microapp will demonstrate the co-design workflow and how it enables optimization of the filter, the IC, and the matching network concurrently to drive optimum system level performance over traditional design flows where each component is optimized individually. As part of this flow, we will leverage new machine learning enhanced optimization algorithms that excel under high variable and goal counts.

RF filters isolate desired frequencies, suppress interference, and create quiet testing environments for semiconductor devices. This paper describes low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and band-stop filter solutions for accurate measurement of a semiconductor Device Under Test (DUT) for 5G frequency with special emphasis including extending high pass frequency to 20GHz, maintaining high isolation of 60~100dB between bands, sharp roll off at the band edge, and low PIM (passive Intermodulation). Future work will present tunable filters and switch filter banks to dynamically change the passband for multi-band devices or specific test cases.

High frequency capacitors are small / difficult to handle and are highly dependent on your layout. In general, they restrict your design flexibility and increase the difficulty of your design. Vishay’s MIM capacitors remove all the difficulties in designing with high frequency capacitors and are easy to accurately simulate because they are like ideal custom-built parallel plate capacitors. You just need to keep a couple of things in mind. • Layout is critical • They can be simulated like ideal capacitors using 2 plates, a dielectric and its thickness.

There is an increasing need for RF low noise amplifiers (LNAs) that operate at cryogenic temperatures. This is largely due to growing demand in quantum computing, deep-space communication, radio astronomy, and low-temperature physics research. These applications require LNAs that can amplify extremely weak signals while contributing negligible added noise to the system. To achieve best-in-class noise performance, beyond that traditionally possible, innovations are being investigated and adopted. This talk will provide an overview of applications, discuss technological advancements that allow this noise performance to be realized, and highlight the exceptionally low noise temperatures being achieved today.

Drones have become prevalent in the battlespace. They are small, lightweight, and power constrained. To make them available in large numbers, there are also cost constraints. This makes size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) a key consideration for onboard systems. Telemetry and sensor packages use RF filters for the suppression of out-of-band emissions and interfering signals. Filter SWaP-C is dependent upon the technology: cavity, ceramic, lumped element, or printed. This session will describe the differences and benefits of each technology and will provide details of practical printed filters as a solution to the SWaP-C challenge for applications to 40 GHz.

RF PAs require precision biasing on either their drain or gate to optimize performance, efficiency, and reliability. A large amount of engineering manpower and board space goes into designing the biasing circuitry. Comprehensive control and protection of the PA involve implementing power sequencing, voltage and current monitoring, and precise gate bias voltages. TI PA biasing controllers significantly reduce complexity of board circuitry through integrating DACs and ADCs, along with other desirable features, in small packages.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping passive component design particularly for RF filter components. Conventional workflows depend on experience and extensive prototyping, which increases cost, slows development, and decelerates time-to-market. This presentation highlights how AI-assisted design workflows can be used to integrate intelligent algorithms with EM modeling and simulation to accelerate optimization, minimize prototyping iterations, and deliver highly accurate performance predictions.

With driven demand for wireless data, radio operators combat rising global energy costs and inherent higher power consumption of 5G radios with radio power efficiency mechanisms and techniques. This micro-app highlights the available standards to help designers reduce power at both network and radio level. This analysis includes power saving from the adoption of small cells in the field, and the benefits of RF transceiver digital pre-distortion (DPD) and fast standby to wake-up features. DPD and standby modes enable designers to improve efficiency of transmitter chain and achieve additional power savings in non-peak hours and 3GPP based silent time slots.

The Internet of Things (IoT) demand smaller device footprints with greater functionality. As data rates and communication ranges rise, interference between co-located digital and RF systems becomes a major development risk. Simulation is common in electronics design, yet expectations can be unrealistic and models overly complex. When applied effectively, however, simulation reveals risks and guides mitigation. This talk demonstrates a workflow combining physics-based field solvers with behavioral system models for efficient characterization of mixed-signal electronics. FEM determines transfer functions and interference paths, spectra are derived analytically or by Fourier transform, and final performance models enable isolation and spectral-management strategies.

Learn about the new stability enhancements in the Spectre X 25.1 simulator, which include the following new features for RFIC designers: 1) Improved stability accuracy in the presence of strong feedback, 2) Support of probing multiple nodes in the circuit simultaneously, and 3) New stability metrics. The stability enhancements provide significant improvement over the existing methodologies and allow designers to determine stability issues localized to a node, allowing them to rapidly remedy the issue. See the productivity-improving features highlighted in the new Virtuoso ADE Explorer/Assembler 25.1 Environment with the Spectre X 25.1 simulator.

Recent advances in ADC and DAC technology have enabled the practical realization of direct-sampling architectures, which provide access to the full RF bandwidth provided by the ADC/DAC. However, there are unique considerations that need to be made regarding master clock rate selection, frequency planning, aliasing effects, Nyquist zones, and spur and distortion avoidance. The USRP X440 uses a direct-sampling architecture and thus operates differently from other USRP devices. Attendees will gain an understanding of the challenges of this architecture, and how to make informed decisions when using the X440.

Integrating multiple electromagnetic systems on modern platforms creates severe co-site interference, difficult to measure or simulate, especially at high frequencies where platforms are electrically large. This work utilizes the Cosite option in WIPL-D software to enable practical analysis. The method simplifies the problem by isolating critical coupling regions and suppressing insignificant parts of the platform. Different configuration settings allow for targeted manipulation of the simulation scenario. This approach facilitates efficient and accurate prediction of co-site interference where traditional full-wave analysis or direct measurement is often infeasible.

Phase Locked Loops(PLLs), also known as RF synthesizers are used for generating high frequency outputs phase locked to low frequency references across various bands for example L to Ka band. Output phase noise performance of the RF synthesizer is crucial for various systems which includes RADAR, communication systems (BER), TX/RX chains, etc. For systems which need good in-band performance, dominant factors for the noise contribution is PLL, input reference noise and slew rate dependent reference path additive noise. Impact of the reference slew rate on the overall system and ways to improve the RF synthesizer output phase noise is presented.

The performance of an RF amplifier air-cooled heat sink is compared for three heat pipe configurations. The heat sink dissipates a total of 1900W split between two drivers (150W, 35.9 W/cm2 each) and eight transistors (200W, 47.9 W/cm2 each). All cases are simulated utilizing CFD to test the thermal resistance of each heat sink. Simulation results have been validated with physical experiments. The heat sink is tested for three flow rates of 150, 200, and 250 cfm results are compared for , and pressure loss. Heat pipes are monitored for dry-out.

An overview of structural, mechanical, and thermal characterization techniques to address the thermal challenges of advanced integrated circuits and 3D heterogeneous packaging including the characterization of thin films and layer to layer interfaces in complex 3D structures. Ultra-fast laser-based transient thermoreflectance (TDTR), optical pump-probe imaging, and flash thermography are described. Focus is on buried structures and 3D geometries. Challenges in extracting material and interface physical parameters, identifying buried defects, and the limits in spatial resolution and measurement times are described. Characterization of bonding interfaces, multi-layer interconnects, multi-chip modules, and through-silicon vias is particularly challenging, and rapid scanning techniques are highlighted.

Temperature Variable Attenuators (TVAs) are essential for RF gain stabilization, yet their behavior is often mischaracterized by the simplistic “N-value” designation. In practice, attenuation varies nonlinearly with both temperature and frequency, complicating device selection and design accuracy. This presentation introduces a repeatable, data-driven methodology for characterizing TVA behavior using S-parameter measurements and Python-based analysis. A high-order polynomial regression model is employed to interpolate attenuation across arbitrary temperatures and frequencies. The method is validated with >90% prediction accuracy and includes a discussion on model fidelity, error sources, and optimal temperature sampling strategies.

As device performance continues to improve, customers require over-temperature data to ever higher frequencies, without the time consumption and uncertainty of band swapping. In addition, the popularity of differential topologies mandates the capability for differential as well as single-ended measurements. We will show our new implementation for single ended and differential testing using Keysight NA5307A frequency extenders and InfinityXF probes. Thermal testing from -60 to 175°C is possible either with our EMI and light-tight TopHat or open using our IceShield. Measurement data will be shown from both passive and active devices. Approaches to control module temperature will be discussed

Temperature effects can wreak havoc on transmit/receive module (TRM) performance. This MicroApp will describe two mitigation approaches: active and passive. For the passive approach, selection criteria, integration suggestions, and performance expectations will be presented.

The wireless industry is exploring the use of low-cost Wi-Fi SoC for applications outside of Wi-Fi. Some use cases include point-to-point wireless, airborne communications and other medium-range communications standards. Typical SoC/DFE functions are expensive for wireless transmission. Engineers can make use of Qorvo RF Synthesizers with integrated mixers, along with the newly introduced Qorvo high-performance TCXOs for medium range airborne communications systems. This approach simplifies the design and lowers costs while still allowing designers flexibility to work within allocated frequency bands.

Quantum computing is a promising technology for cryptography and optimization, while Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) is a promising technology for cryogenic logic and memory circuits. Quantum design requires accurate prediction of inductance and resonance frequencies which is challenging for superconductors because of kinetic inductance. Many commercial extraction tools don’t model superconducting physics. RaptorQu is ideal for this task because it accurately models superconducting physics and it integrates within common die-design platforms for easy and seamless modeling of superconducting quantum circuits. This MicroApp will present RaptorQu and prove its utility and accuracy for designing quantum circuits operating above 1 GHz.

This microapp deals with the RF and EM simulation of a design using multiple process and PDKs for 3D integration. It presents step by step the design and simulation of a front-end device (10GHz LNA + Bypass switch) targeting Satcom application. The TPS65RSC SOI Switch is flipped on top of the SiGe TPS65SG6 LNA, either bumped or using hybrid wafer bonding. No modification of existing pdk or EM process file is required. Both die are co-EM simulated using EMX and co-optimized in a single test bench. We will conclude by presenting the simulation results of the entire system.

Computational electromagnetic solvers will often utilize tetrahedra and adaptive meshing to provide accurate results. This methodology has presented many challenges from capacity to solve time. By changing the paradigm away from tetrahedra and instead shifting to triangular prisms, meshing can be sped up while maintaining accuracy. Problems that used to be unsolvable with traditional FEM tetrahedra-based methods can instead be handled by triangular prisms. This seminar will explore the state-of-the-art possibilities of handling massive interposers that would previously be restricted to 2.5D solvers.

The latest generation of ADI monolithically integrated software defined radio chip is introduced in this MicroApp. This 6th generation device builds on 15 years, and 5 generations of ADI integrated transceiver SoCs. It contains 4 transmitters, and 4 receiver chains along with a rich set of radio signal processing features. The latest addition to this generation is the low-PHY functionality supporting 4G and 5G wireless standards, 2x25Gbps Ethernet based fronthaul interface in accordance with ORAN standard, and a processor sub-system eliminating the need for an external FPGA.

MEMS based oscillators entered the market about 20 years ago, providing clocks and timing for digital systems. With recent improvements in bandwidth, resolution, programmability, stability, and phase noise, MEMS oscillators are challenging Quartz and SAW based technologies in RF applications. MEMS based products now include XO, TCXO, and VCXO functions, along with complex multi-output clock generators and low noise frequency multipliers. This paper compares the performance of leading MEMS products against legacy solutions and highlights design considerations when choosing between these two fundamentally different technologies.

Receiver performances (such as error vector magnitude) are degraded by nearby transmitters. This degradation is affected by noise, filtering, amplifier distortion, power levels, transmitter-to-receiver frequency spacing and other factors. While measurement of this phenomenon is straightforward in a lab, this is often too late for design changes. Ideally, this should be investigated during the design phase. Typical simulation techniques usually make this analysis slow and difficult. This presentation shows ways to simulate such degradation using Keysight ADS in a straightforward, fast approach that designers can use during their design process and not just as a final validation.

Printed Circuit Board (PCB) substrates have developed from materials we consider primitive today, like Bakelite and cardboard. The first PCB substrate using copper foil was invented in 1943. Safety and electrical performance have developed the PCB substrate industry into a diversified world of many different solutions for the wide array of complex electronic applications that exist today. This paper addresses the pathway of development and commercialization of a disruptive solution to the needs of RF/microwave industry for a PCB substrate that provides a low dielectric constant, low dissipation factor material, that is easily processable and environmentally safe. See attachment.

Next-generation communication and radar platforms demand a low-jitter, high frequency clock synchronized to a global system reference. A typical approach uses a PLL (Phased Lock Loop) with a VCXO (Voltage-Controlled Crystal Oscillator). Qorvo introduces a fully digital Frequency Controlled Oscillator (FCXO) that delivers a single high-frequency output clock synchronized to a system reference. The device replaces both the PLL and VCXO with one small package device operating up to 2.2 GHz, enabling easy distribution across multiple modules in large phased-array antenna systems. The oscillator’s low jitter performance is validated with Error Vector Magnitude (EVM%) measurements of modulated signals.

Nisshinbo has developed rectifiers for Wireless Power Transfer that achieve high efficiency and high dynamic range with low threshold diodes. The prototype device consists of a dual loop antenna with high antenna gain (9.6 dBi), high radiation efficiency (97% @ 5.9 GHz), and a balanced double current rectifier for low output DC voltage. This antenna and rectifier are direct matched, without the need for an impedance-matching circuit, which achieves high efficiency. The measured rectification efficiency is 79 % at a frequency of 5.9 GHz, with an input power of 29 dBm, and output voltage of 6.1 V.

Surrogate modelling is an innovative technique that can be adapted to electromagnetic simulations. By training on inputs and outputs of simulation results, surrogate models provide methodological advantages for antenna design. For design spaces that are many-dimensional, surrogate antenna modelling helps identify key analytics and relationships among design parameters in a quick, repeatable fashion, enabling more efficient simulations and optimized antenna designs.

This presentation explores transformative 3D printing technologies that are reshaping antenna design, particularly for direction-finding applications. The talk will detail the use of plastic 3D printing followed by metallization processes and direct metal 3D printing. These technologies, combined with 3D printed dielectric lenses, enable the creation of high-performance antennas with complex geometries that were previously unattainable. This approach not only enhances RF performance but also streamlines production processes, offering a significant advancement for the microwave technical community.

This session presents an innovative methodology to accelerate AI/ML solutions for RF applications using physics-based synthetic data generated by a GPU-accelerated Shooting and Bouncing Ray solver, Ansys Perceive EM. By integrating accurate electromagnetic (EM) solutions into the NVIDIA Omniverse platform, this approach supports industrial-scale digitalization and enables the creation of physically accurate virtual worlds for AI training in radar sensing and communication systems. Leveraging technologies such as OpenUSD, RTX rendering, and AI, the methodology facilitates advanced applications including human activity detection, drone detection, and communication channel aging prediction, showcasing the role of synthetic data in revolutionizing next-gen EM system design

Modern aerospace platforms demand multiple RF systems—communications, navigation, telemetry, electronic warfare—competing for limited mounting locations. Traditional co-site interference analysis on electrically large platforms requires extensive computational resources and weeks of iteration, restricting designers to few configurations before design freeze. Using a representative flight vehicle case study, this presentation demonstrates Nullspace's complete workflow for rapid multi-antenna placement exploration: physics-aware defeaturing removing electromagnetically irrelevant details, comprehensive co-site evaluation including mutual coupling, pattern distortion, and platform scattering effects. Fast Adaptive Frequency Sweeps enable frequency-dependent analysis across multiple configurations in hours instead of weeks—enabling design space exploration while configuration changes remain practical.

As operating frequencies rise toward mmWave and sub-THz regimes, electromagnetic interaction between tightly integrated components becomes a dominant factor in system performance. Accurate simulation of complete electronic assemblies—such as connectors on multilayer PCBs with surface-mount components and antennas—is no longer optional; it is essential. Ansys HFSS Mesh Fusion enables full-system electromagnetic simulation using encrypted 3D component models, preserving intellectual property while ensuring accuracy and cross-vendor interoperability. Geometric intersections between components, such as connector pins traversing PCB layers, can disrupt simulation workflows. This presentation introduces intelligent technologies to automatically detect and resolve such intersections within the Mesh Fusion workflow.

Non-parametric optimization offers a flexible framework that adapts to diverse electromagnetic design problems without requiring predefined geometric parameters. This approach is applicable to antennas, filters, waveguides, and other RF components, enabling the exploration of unconventional geometries, the exploitation of advanced manufacturing capabilities, and performance gains beyond those achievable with traditional parametric methods. This presentation introduces workflow, in which material distribution is iteratively modified to obtain an optimized antenna structure with improved electromagnetic performance.

The workflow establishes a tightly integrated system-to-microelectronics process that unifies SysML requirements modeling with multi-domain RF and thermal simulations for rapid development of advanced microwave systems. By linking mission-level performance metrics to RF component parameters through reduced-order and behavioral models, it enables engineers to assess architectures, validate COTS or custom components, and predict system behavior under realistic conditions. An automated, error-mitigating digital backbone removes manual transfer steps and ensures rigorous traceability. The result is faster design cycles, earlier risk detection, and greater confidence that hardware implementations will satisfy requirements, improving the efficiency and reliability of complex RF system development.

New radio designs focusing on the n104 band require rigorous RF design methodologies. This session presents the design and characterization of high frequency PCBs and matching networks leveraging TI's AFE7952 RF sampling transceiver. We explore the validation differences between SOLT and TRL calibration methodologies necessary for accurate characterization above 6 GHz. The talk will cover optimized PCB layout and matching network synthesis extending RF transceiver performance into the 6.5 - 7.1 GHz range.

Next-generation wireless communication systems rely on advanced radio frequency (RF) technologies to ensure high-capacity, low-latency, and resilient connectivity. This workshop introduces recent progress in phased array antennas, advanced beamforming, and over-the-air (OTA) testbeds for both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (NTN). Key topics include FR2/FR3 prototyping, scalable multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) platforms, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), AI/ML-enabled RF design, and electronically steerable antennas (ESA), offering participants practical methodologies and system-level insights for advancing fifth generation (5G) and sixth generation (6G) technologies.

A methodology is introduced to explore linearization potential of candidate circuit designs for digital beamforming applications. By observing input and output waveform content a dynamic gain model (DGM) can be extracted from simulation or measurement. The resulting DGM can be applied as a digital twin and inserted early in the design cycle, allowing both circuit and system designers to better predict signal impairment with confidence and apply pre-distortion techniques to enhance output power and efficiency. A realistic test case is presented using a candidate X-Band power amplifier and extracted model applied in phased array design.

How can you synchronize a plethora of RF sub-system tiles that could be meters or even tens of meters away from each other? Learn how to synchronize a large, RF phased array system by nulling out path delay differences. Learn how the RF alignment of multiple ADCs and DACs from different sub-systems can each be controlled from a master synchronizer solution from the top of a fan-out tree structure. The alignment solution can accommodate changes in temperature gradient by monitoring the timing skew delta and adjusting synchronization based on the user's pre-defined system limits.

This MicroApps Seminar will cover RF Signal Chain solutions to optimize system designs for 5G, SatCom, Aerospace & Defense applications. RF systems moving to higher-order modulation schemes such as 64/128/256 QAM are delivering high linearity and efficiency in denser environment with stringent peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). Participants will learn GaN on SiC's pivotal role in providing the best figure of merit for the power amplifier in terms of linear output power with the benefit of SWaP-C. Tradeoffs in analog, digital, hybrid and metamaterial beamforming technologies along with RF Signal Chain Solutions for more compelling next-generation products for 5G, SatCom, A&D

Broadband Bias T components include large footprint inductors, at least 100 mil in every direction, to avoid disturbing the transmission line while providing the connection for DC bias. With the use of thin film sputtering, the bias line can be connected to the transmission line in a way that has minimal impact on the broadband RF performance. Using resistive metals, these lines can attenuate any RF signal, allowing the DC current to flow freely onto the line. A proposed example is 0603 footprint with loss less than 1dB through 30 GHz and 2dB through 45 GHz.

RF system validation relies heavily on prototyping, chamber and over-the-air measurements. Yet physical testing cannot capture practical edge cases such as complex device orientation, dynamic blockage, and multipath environments. Remcom is showcasing a scalable automation workflow that integrates XFdtd® and Wireless InSite® to bridge the gap between component-level RF and channel-level performance. We demonstrate an automated pipeline where antenna geometries are simulated in XFdtd, generating Huygens surfaces and S-parameters to analyze in-situ performance with Wireless InSite. This seamless integration allows engineers to model site-specific propagation across complex indoor, urban, and NTN scenarios using the near-fields of the device.

Modern RF and microwave systems require precise, flexible, and software-driven digital control. Swabian Instruments’ Pulse Streamer X (PSX) is a pattern generator with a software-defined architecture, offering programmable frequency, phase, and timing control. The PSX features up to 32 outputs, sub-nanosecond timing resolution, and down to 2 ps RMS phase error. This compact system enables fast prototyping, phase-coherent signal generation, automated switching, and real-time adaptive control. The PSX serves as a platform that enables practicing engineers to build scalable, repeatable, and efficient RF systems. The consolidated, programmable platform of the PSX results in accelerated RF test and measurement workflows

Modern RF and microwave design demands precision and speed, which isolated workflows cannot deliver. This presentation introduces an integrated environment combining EMX, EMX Designer, and Virtuoso Studio RF for seamless data flow from EM simulation to system-level verification. Key features include automated EM simulation management, bi-directional parameter synchronization, and closed-loop optimization, reducing manual effort and ensuring consistency. A novel concept—Parameterized Modifiers—enables synchronized parameter sweeps across domains. This approach accelerates development, improves first-pass success, and establishes a scalable framework for next-generation RF design, paving the way for AI-driven optimization and cloud-based workflows.

Artificial Intelligence is driving almost every aspect of Technology in the modern world. AI enables machines to have their own brain and provide access to all the information in the world almost instantly. If implemented properly, even Test and Measurement equipment that in today's world are considered to be passive piece of hardware, can become smart, and assist in making accurate, precise and repeatable measurements for the users on their highly complicated and sophisticated devices under test.It is very well understood that complex RF and Microwave measurements are affected by human errors that AI can help fix in future.

Traditional RF measurements using a signal generator and analyzer measure the sum of all distortions in the test device as well as in the test setup. Using best in class instrumentation is the common approach to limit unwanted effects. This session discusses a new approach using residual measurement techniques tackling this challenge. This helps not only for amplifier measurements but also for frequency translating measurements to access the true test device performance.

Despite growing broadband cellular systems, many critical applications, such as emergency services, smart-metering, telemetry, industrial M2M links, asset-tracking. The services continue to use GSM or NB-IOT for its wide-coverage, reliability, and low-cost. Ensuring robust performance in these long-lifecycle systems requires accurate phase-noise characterization of RF-transceiver devices(RFIC). This work presents a refined methodology for measuring RFIC phase-noise using precision external clock source and mathematical tools to separate different components. Moreover, it outlines RFIC power-supply optimization techniques to extract inherent device noise metrics and addresses practical bench-measurement challenges to enable repeatable evaluation of RFIC qualification metrics for GSM and NB-IOT based radios.

Development of new technologies concerned with AI and high-speed communication systems requires precise material characterization at the use conditions, which are concerned with operation frequency,operation temperature as well as actual material thickness from single microns up to few millimeters.This ability supports minimization of signal loss in electronic devices.Seminar will present microwave characterization of solid dielectrics as well as copper foils both used in PCB industr,AI systems, etc.Moreover, newly developed techniques support measurements of dielectric properties of coolant liquids allowing for development of efficient immersion cooling systems crucial for demanding AI centers,and in-situ liquid life cycle monitoring for quality inspection.

This MicroApp provides a practical guide for performing real-time over-the-air (OTA) data collections (recordings) for large data sets with USRP SDR radios for applications such as spectrum monitoring and AI/ML. We will consider the performance and capability tradeoffs between the various USRP devices, and discuss practical considerations regarding antennas, power levels, data rates and sampling rates, data word width, CPU I/O and disk I/O, and Ethernet connectivity. We will also examine the SigMF and DigitalRF file formats for storing and organizing data, as well as how to use the RF Data Recording API to automate large data collections.

New communication systems are climbing the frequency ladder to access wider bandwidths for higher data rates in the next generation 6G and satellite links. Mixing concepts are often used to translate the IF signal to the target RF frequency. Especially if beamforming comes into play as typically used in satellite communication, a solid understanding of the phase conversion between IF and RF is essential as digital beamforming controls in the baseband and IF the phase for the RF and enables different beam directions. We will discuss a fast and easy calibration for VNA-measurements for fast and easy phase information.

There is an ever-increasing need for improved RF performance, lower power consumption and increased digital integration in test, instrumentation, and radar applications. In this session, we will dive into the suitability of 3 new ZIF based SDR Transceivers to support these needs - ranging from 2 to 8 channels, up to 400MHz BW, up to 7.125GHz tuning range, and with DPD / CFR integrated. We will walk through each of these device architectures, discuss the differences of a ZIF based approach versus the classic Direct RF approach, and outline best design approaches to maximize the performance of these new products.