The course is supported by a book written by the team of lecturers, which will be made available to the students. Throughout the course you will work on the design challenge in which you will design a complete active phased array system, including antennas, beamformers and amplifiers.
Next to this, we will provide you hands-on experience in a design-challenge in which you will learn how to design microwave circuits and antennas. The web lectures are supported by many on-line quizzes in which you can practice the background theory. We will provide you with the required theoretical foundation as well as hands-on experience using state-of-the-art design tools. Future applications, like millimeter-wave 5G/beyond-5G wireless communications or automotive radar, require experts that can co-design highly integrated antenna systems that include both antennas and microwave electronics. The course combines both passive and active microwave circuits as well as antenna systems. Qucs supports transistor models, some need to be added by hand.This unique Master-level course provides you with in-depth know-how of microwave engineering and antennas. There is also a Component library that includes various standard components available in the market (bridges, diodes, varistors, LEDs, JFETs, MOSFETS, and so on).
Analog and mixed simulations can be performed by simulators that read the qucsator netlist format.
The supported file formats as well as usage information can be found on the manpage of qucsconv.Īdditionally, the GUI can steer other EDA tools. The command line conversion program tool is used by the GUI to import and export datasets, netlists and schematics from and to other CAD/EDA software. The attenuator synthesis application can be used to design various types of passive attenuators. microstrips, coaxial cables).Ī component library manager gives access to models for real life devices (e.g. The transmission line calculator can be used to design and analyze different types of transmission lines (e.g. SPICE netlists, or Touchstone files).Ī filter synthesis application can help design various types of filters. It is handy to edit files related to certain components (e.g. The GUI includes a text editor which can display netlists and simulation logging information. It reads a netlist file augmented with commands, performs simulations, and finally produces a dataset file. The analog simulator, gnucsator, is a command line program which is run by the GUI in order to simulate the schematic which you previously setup. The GUI is used to create schematics, setup simulations, display simulation results, writing VHDL code, etc. Qucs consists of several standalone programs interacting with each other through a GUI. Other features include the transmission line calculator, Filter synthesis, Smith-Chart tool for power and noise matching, Attenuator design synthesis, Device model and subcircuit library manager, Optimizer for analog designs, the Verilog-A interface, Support for multiple languages ( GUI and internal help system), Subcircuit (including parameters) hierarchy, Powerful data post-processing possible using equations and symbolically defined nonlinear and linear devices. The documentation offers many useful tutorials (WorkBook), reports (ReportBook) and a technical description of the simulator. Simulation data can be represented in various types of diagrams, including Smith-Chart, Cartesian, Tabular, Polar, Smith-Polar combination, 3D-Cartesian, Locus Curve, Timing Diagram and Truth Table.
Qucs has a graphical interface for schematic capture. Analysis types include S-parameter (including noise), AC (including noise), DC, Transient Analysis, Harmonic Balance (not yet finished), Digital simulation (VHDL and Verilog-HDL) and Parameter sweeps.