By the end of the course, students will be able to: - Identify and describe the key building blocks of RF and microwave transceivers, including relevant technologies and implementation architectures; - Apply Harmonic Balance techniques for large-signal simulation of high-frequency circuits; - Analyze the design principles and performance trade-offs of nonlinear components such as power amplifiers, mixers, and oscillators; Specifically, with respect to power amplifier design, students will be able to: - Use commercial CAD tools to model, simulate, and optimize integrated power amplifiers; - Evaluate efficiency, linearity, output power, and stability trade-offs across amplifier classes (e.g., Class A, B, AB, F) in MMIC design; - Apply techniques for stability analysis, matching network design, harmonic tuning, linearization, and efficiency enhancement;

Mandatory pre-requisites include: - Fundamentals of analog electronics; - Basic knowledge of electromagnetics and transmission line theory; - Knowledge of the main electronic properties of semiconductors; - Basic knowledge of metal-semiconductor junctions; - Knowledge of the operating principle of field effect transistors (FETs); - Understanding of the concepts of large-signal and small-signal behavior and modelling of active devices; It is recommended to be also familiar with the main concepts treated in the "Analog and telecommunication electronics", "Microwave Electronics" and "High speed electron devices" courses: - Familiarity with S-parameters and RF/microwave components; - Knowledge of the basic architectures for receiving and transmitting radio systems; - Basic knowledge of the operation, parameters and basic circuit topologies of the functional blocks within a radio system-mixer, LNA, PA, mixer, oscillators; - Knowledge of integrated technologies for RF, microwave and mm-wave active and passive devices; - Knowledge of high speed electron devices (microwave transistors) operation along with their linear and nonlinear models; - Knowledge of narrowband, wideband ad ultra-wideband microwave amplifier solutions; - Ability to analyze electronic circuits with noise sources; - Capability to analyze linear two ports in terms of power gain and stability, and to design the linear subsystems of a RF and microwave communication system; - Fundamentals of RF CAD tools usage for the simulation and optimization of linear circuits; Accounting for the possible different curricula of the students, review material and/or review lectures on the latter topics will be included in the course.

Lectures (4.2 CFU): - Introduction/review of microwave electronics for communication systems (0.4 CFU) - Review of linear functional blocks (0.5 CFU) - Power amplifiers: basic concepts, nonlinear behavior modelling, current-mode biasing and operating classes, high-efficiency amplifiers, advanced schemes, linearization techniques (1.7 CFU) - Non linear simulation using the Harmonic Balance approach (0.2 CFU) - Power amplifiers design: design flow, load-pull, stabilization, matching and biasing networks (0.8 CFU) - Mixers and oscillators (0.6 CFU) CAD labs (1.8 CFU): - Introduction to commercial CAD tools and linear simulation (0.4 CFU) - Nonlinear simulation and load-pull technique (0.5 CFU) - Individual project: design of a complete single-stage narrowband power amplifier (0.7 CFU) - Examples of layout construction, EM simulation and statistical analysis (0.2 CFU)

The course includes theory, with exercises and CAD demonstrations along, and hands-on CAD labs focused on the design of a simple but complete power amplifier. CAD labs are individual and require CAD software installed on students' own laptops (Windows OS required).

The course material includes slides and notes shown during the lectures and videos on specific topics. The recommended books are 1) Ghione, Pirola "Microwave Electronics" - made available for free int he course's material 2) Razavi, "RF microelectronics" 3) Cripps, "RF Power Amplifiers for Wireless Communications"

Lecture slides; Lecture notes; Lab exercises with solutions; Video lectures (current year); Video lectures (previous years);

Exam: Compulsory oral exam; Practical lab skills test;

The exam is aimed at ascertaining that the students have properly acquired all the expected course outcomes as well as the capability to apply theory and its methods to the solution of exercises. The exam is composed of 2 compulsory parts: 1) A CAD test (on the day scheduled for the exam) lasting 2 hours where the students will have to develop the design of a power amplifier. Students should preferably work on their own PC (Windows OS required, inform the teachers in advance in case if it is necessary to use a different PC). The CAD test is evaluated with a grade from 0 to 10 and it is considered sufficient with a minimum of 5/10. The CAD grade will account for 40% of the final score. Once a grade is awarded for the CAD part, it remains valid indefinitely unless the student decides to retake that part. 2) An oral test of approximately 30 minutes covering all course topics (the schedule of the oral test will be agreed with the students after the CAD test). Only students that got a sufficient grade in the CAD part are admitted to the oral test. The oral test comprises 2 or 3 questions on both theory and exercises, each evaluated with a mark from 0 to 10. Students must answer all question sufficiently to pass the oral test. The final grade for the oral test is given by the average mark among the questions and will account for 60% of the final score. Honors will be awarded to students who not only achieve high grades in both parts but also demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topics and strong presentation skills.

In addition to the message sent by the online system, students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are invited to directly inform the professor in charge of the course about the special arrangements for the exam that have been agreed with the Special Needs Unit. The professor has to be informed at least one week before the beginning of the examination session in order to provide students with the most suitable arrangements for each specific type of exam.