ELEC ENG 3018 - RF Engineering

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2017

This course introduces the basics of RF Engineering. It covers a broad range of topics around RF devices and systems. The course illustrates how different building blocks such as amplifiers, oscillators and mixers, as well as guiding structures including transmission lines and waveguides, work together to build RF transmitters and receivers. It introduces important parameters and concepts related to these components, such as scattering matrices, impedance matching and non-linearities. The course shows how the electromagnetic theory applies to RF systems, and is a pathway towards more advanced courses on antennas & propagation and telecommunications.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code ELEC ENG 3018
    Course RF Engineering
    Coordinating Unit School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 5 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Assumed Knowledge ELEC ENG 2008, ELEC ENG 2009
    Course Description This course introduces the basics of RF Engineering. It covers a broad range of topics around RF devices and systems. The course illustrates how different building blocks such as amplifiers, oscillators and mixers, as well as guiding structures including transmission lines and waveguides, work together to build RF transmitters and receivers. It introduces important parameters and concepts related to these components, such as scattering matrices, impedance matching and non-linearities. The course shows how the electromagnetic theory applies to RF systems, and is a pathway towards more advanced courses on antennas & propagation and telecommunications.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Professor Withawat Withayachumnankul

    Dr Hong Gunn Chew
    Practical Coordinator
    Email: honggunn.chew@adelaide.edu.au


    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

     
    1 Review the basic electromagnetic theory in the context of RF engineering;
    2 Examine characteristics of guided waves with the transmission line theory
    3 Analyse and design common transmission lines and waveguides
    4 Analyse RF sub-systems with microwave network analysis
    5 Calculate impedance matching and tuning network for transmission lines and waveguides
    6 Explain operation of active devices with small-signal approximation model
    7 Examine characteristics of amplifiers, oscillators, and mixers
    8 Discuss how RF components constitute RF transmitters and receivers.

     
    The above course learning outcomes are aligned with the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for the Professional Engineer.
    The course is designed to develop the following Elements of Competency: 1.1   1.3   2.1   2.2   

    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1-8
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    2-7
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1-8
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Text Book:
    Pozar, David M., “Microwave Engineering”, Wiley 4th edition, 2011, ISBN: 978-0470631553.

    A set of course notes, practice problems and other supporting materials will also be available for downloading from the MyUni course site.
    Online Learning
    Extensive use will be made of the MyUni web site for this course, https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/webapps/login.

    Course notes, tutorial problems and solutions, laboratory exercises and practice problems will all be available for downloading from the web site.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course relies on lectures as the primary delivery mechanism for the material. Tutorials supplement the lectures by providing exercises and example problems to enhance the understanding obtained through lectures. Practicals are used to provide hands-on experience for students to reinforce the theoretical concepts encountered in lectures and to appreciate the significance of these concepts. Continuous assessment activities provide the formative assessment opportunities for students to gauge their progress and understanding.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    Activity Contact hours Workload hours
    Lecture 22 lectures 22 66
    Tutorials 4 tutorials 4 20
    Practicals RF Measurements and Systems 10 20
    Tests 2 tests 2 10
    Exam 1 paper 2 40
    TOTALS 40 156
    Learning Activities Summary
    Activity Sessions Week Topic
    Lecture 1-2 1 Review of electromagnetic theory
    3-6 2-3 Transmission line theory
    7-11 4-6 Transmission lines and waveguides
    12-15 7-8 Microwave network analysis
    16-17 9 Impedance matching and tuning
    18-20 10-11 Amplifiers and oscillators
    21-22 12 Mixers
    Tutorial 1 4 Transmission lines theory
    2 6 Transmission lines and waveguides
    3 10 Microwave network analysis and impedance matching
    4 12 Amplifiers, oscillators, mixers
    Tests 1 5 Transmission lines theory
    2 11 Microwave network analysis and impedance matching
    Practical 1 1-2 Calibration with spectrum analyser
    2 3-4 Power amplifier and frequency synthesiser
    3 5-6 Mixer and phase noise
    4 7-8 End-to-end RF transceiver measurement
    Practicals
    Note that practical classes will be in weeks 1-8. Students must attend their allocated practical classes. Further instructions on the operation of the laboratory session will be provided and the start of the semester. Occupational Health and Safety inductions will also be provided.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Weighting (%) Individual/ Group Formative/ Summative
    Due (week)*
    Hurdle criteria Learning outcomes
    Test 1 10 Individual Summative Week 5 1. 2.
    Test 2 10 Individual Summative Week 11 3. 4.
    Practicals 20 Group Formative Weeks 1-8 Min 40% 8.
    Exam 60 Individual Summative End of semester Min 40% 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
    Total 100
    * The specific due date for each assessment task will be available on MyUni.
     
    This assessment breakdown is registered as an exemption to the University's Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy. The exemption is related to the Procedures clause(s):
     
    This course has a hurdle requirement. Meeting the specified hurdle criteria is a requirement for passing the course.
    Assessment Related Requirements
    The examination and practicals are prescribed assessment exercises in which students must obtain at least 40% in each exercise in order to pass the course. Failure to achieve at least 40% in either the exam or the practical work will mean that the student will obtain a final total mark of no more than 49%.

    A hurdle requirement is defined by the University's Assessment for Coursework Programs policy as "...an assessment task mandating a minimum level of performance as a condition of passing the course.
    If a student fails to meet a hurdle requirement (normally no less than 40%),and is assigned a total mark for the course in the range of 45-49, then the student is entitled to an offer of additional assessment of some type. The type of assessment is to be decided by the School Assessment Review Committee when determining final results. The student’s final total mark will be entered at no more than 49% and the offer of an additional assessment will be specified eg. US01. Once the additional assessment has been completed, this mark will be included in the calculation of the total mark for the course and the better of the two results will apply. Note however that the maximum final result for a course in which a student has sat an additional assessment will be a “50 Pass”.

    If a student is unable to meet a hurdle requirement related to an assessment piece (may be throughout semester or at semester’s end) due to medical or compassionate circumstances beyond their control, then the student is entitled to an offer of replacement assessment of some type. An interim result of RP will be entered for the student, and the student will be notified of the offer of a replacement assessment. Once the replacement assessment has been completed, the result of that assessment will be included in the calculation of the total mark for the course.
    Assessment Detail
    Details of individual assessment tasks will be provided during the semester.
    Submission
    All written submissions to formative assessment activities are to be submitted to designated boxes within the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering by 3:00pm on the specified dated and must be accompanied by a signed cover sheet. Copies of blank cover sheets are available from the School office in Innova 3.26.
    No late submissions will be accepted. All formative assessments will have a two week turn-around time for provision of feedback to students.

    Full details can be found on the School website:
    http://eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/current-students/undergraduate/
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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