DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

ECSE488 HIGH FREQUENCY LABORATORY

Winter Term - 200701

INSTRUCTOR K. FRASER ENGMC 531

LAB HOURS, DEMONSTRATIONS, LAB REPORTS, ETC.

GROUPS AND LAB HOURS

• The class will be divided into groups and each group will perform a total of 5 experiments. Each group has been allocated around 4 to 8 hours lab time per experiment. A timetable for the lab will be prepared.

• In most cases there is only one set of equipment for each experiment.

• The High Frequency Lab is in Room ENGTR 5150.

• ADDITIONAL LAB TIME: the lab is generally accessible from 0835-1725, Monday to Friday, in addition to the scheduled times. At these non-scheduled times, the equipment must be used on a first-come-first-served basis, and there should never be more than two groups in the lab at one time.

DEMONSTRATIONS

• Each group should keep a Lab Book into which all experimental results and observations are directly placed. Graphs and calculations should be done in the lab as much as possible. After the six hours lab time for a particular experiment, the group MUST SHOW THE LAB BOOK TO A DEMONSTRATOR, who will ask questions about the experiment (both theory and practice) and record a mark for each member of the group. To this end, all recorded results must be organized and legible - if the demonstrator cannot read your results, they will not be assessed.



• A timetable for giving demonstrations will be given to each student in ECSE488.

LAB REPORTS

• In addition to the demonstrations, formal reports of two experiments are required. See class notes for further information on report-writing.



• First Report: ONE REPORT PER GROUP; may be for experiments 1 or 2 only.

• Second Report: ONE REPORT PER STUDENT; may be for any of 3, 4 or 5, but each report must be of an experiment for which no one else in the student's group has handed in or will hand in a report.



• Lab Record Folder: PER GROUP (handed in at the end of term). A neatly kept compilation of all experimental set-ups and measurements.



• The final dates for the handing in of the reports will be posted. Please put the reports in the course box on the ENGMC 6th floor. The marked reports will be given back in class. The mark for the report will be reduced by 5 percent for each day the report is late.

ALLOCATION OF MARKS AND TIME

• The allocation of marks is:

• Demonstrations: 30% (6% for each experiment)
• Lab Record Folder: 20%
• First lab report: 20%
• Second lab report 30%

• This is a 2 credit course, which should consequently take about 6 x 13 = 78 hours of work to complete. The break-down is along the following lines:

• Preparation for experiments AND additional lab time @ 3 hrs/exp - 15
• Scheduled lab & demonstration time @ 7 hrs/exp - 35
• 7 scheduled lectures @ 1hr/lecture - 7
• 2 lab reports - 21

• Total - 78

• This is only a suggestion. Obviously, some people will progress faster or slower at some sections than others. Note that preparation for the experiment, including reading relevant parts of equipment manuals, IS IMPORTANT.

OFFICE HOURS

• My office is in room 531 ENGMC and the "office hours" are in the afternoons (1400-1600) when available.

Syllabus

Experiment E1: The Measurement of Passive Components at High Frequencies

• Introduction to the Vector Network Analyzer
• Single port network analysis in the range of 0.3-3000 MHz
• Scattering parameter interpretation, Smith chart and other graphical presentations
• Component models for simple resistors, capacitors and inductors

Experiment E2: The Electromagnetic Spectrum, Field Measurements and Characterization of a High Frequency Tuned Amplifier

• Introduction to the Spectrum Analyzer
• EM RF Environment
• Calibrated Electric Field Measurements in the range 50-250 MHz
• Vertical and Horizontal components and Multipath
• Application of the Spectrum Analyzer as a Scalar Network Analyzer to measure the Transfer Function of the Amplifier
• Concepts of Insertion Gain, Matching, Bandwidths, Q and Feedthrough
• Large Signal Characterization of the Amplifier
• Noise Measurements and Dynamic Range

Experiment E3: Measurements on TE/TM Modes in a Cavity Resonator

• Waveguide Propagation and the Field Structure of the Lower Order Modes in the Resonator
• Methods of Coupling Signals In and Out of the Resonator
• Perturbations of the Mode Structures
• The Spectrum Analyzer in the Scalar Network Analyzer Mode
• Concepts of Insertion Loss, Loaded Q and Bandwidths of the Various Modes with respect to Coupling Techniques
• Use of the Resonator to Determine the Dielectric Constant of Materials

Experiment E4: Measurements on a Microstrip Directional Coupler

• Introduction to Microstrip Transmission Lines
• Concepts of Coupled Structures
• Use of the Vector Network Analyzer in the Full Two Port Mode
• Modelling of the Coupled Structure
• Prediction of 4 Port Scattering Parameters
• Interpretation of Measured Scattering Parameters

Experiment E5: Measurements on Simple Wire Antennas and Arrays

• The Study of Halfwave Radiators in particular the J Antenna at 450 ± 50 MHz
• Concepts of Antenna Terminal Impedance and VSWR
• Matching and Balanced and Unbalanced Systems
• Ground Effects and the General Antenna Environment
• Vector Network Analyzer in Single and Dual Port Modes with Smith Chart and Cartesian Presentations
• Antenna Patterns (Restricted to Azimuth in this case)
• A Simple Two Halfwave Radiator Array and Patterns for Two Phasing Harness Configurations
• Concept of Broadside and End-Fire Radiation
• Concepts of the Isotropic Radiator, Antenna Gain and Directivity

Report Guidelines

• The report should be clear and concise. The preparation work must be grouped together with the corresponding experimental results and analysis, so that each topic is presented in full before starting another. The results and observations should be discussed. This applies in particular to any discrepancies between predictions and measurements.

Test Setup Diagrams:

• With the aid of a block diagram, briefly describe the measurement methods and other experimental procedures. This diagram should indicate the type, model number and serial number (workstation #) of the test equipment being used. Important conditions of test should be recorded (e.g., power supply voltages) on this diagram. This serves to explain your test set up(s), describes the conditions under which the test was carried out and shows all the equipment used in the test. There may well be more than one setup diagram for each experiment!

Recording of data:

• The recorded data must have the proper units (e.g., dBm, dBµV, V, dBmV, Ohms, MHz, etc) and the correct number of significant digits. They should be tabulated or graphed, where possible, and related data should be included in the same table or graph. Appropriate scales should be chosen for the graphs to give clarity and precision. The tables, graphs and diagrams should be annotated and identified with a number (e.g. Fig. 1), and preferably a short title. For all measurements estimate the possible error, ± x or ±y%. Make sure that all recorded graphics, figures and tables have additional captions or data that make clear the conditions of test and list information about the unit under test(part number, kit number, nominal value, serial number, etc). Be sure that units and symbols used are standard(IEEE). Part labels, for the most part, should be unique throughout the report.

Content:

• Do NOT describe trivial steps in your mathematical analysis, but do include essential intermediate steps to facilitate reading. Do NOT repeat any theory already described in the textbook; just quote the results, properly referenced. Under certain conditions, experimental results may disagree substantially with theoretical predictions. You should NOT try to cover up the discrepancies because they may be due to an overly idealized model used in the theoretical analysis or instrumentation out of calibration. The emphasis is on your understanding of the observations.



• The length of the textual part of the report should not have to be longer than about 10 type-written pages(minimum font size 10 pt.). It should contain a table of contents. The first page must contain the course number, the experiment number and title, your group number and your names. All pages must be numbered and bound (DuoTang 2 or 3 hole with transparent plastic front cover) together. It is a good idea to remember the colour of your binder and mark the experiment, group and course number and date on the front page.



• The report will be marked on organization, spelling, grammar, style and appearance as well as content. Remember, what you do is of no value to anyone if you are unable to communicate your results! Industry is full of talented engineers who never got very far because they could not communicate effectively.

• Submit the report in the to K. Fraser on the requested date or to an "assignment box" if one is available.

• Your Technical Reports ARE the reponsibility of ALL members of your lab group (for joint reports)  or yourself for single student reports.   All attest to the originality of these works and affirm that they have informed themselves about plagiarism and its consequences by signing the front page of the report in question.   You are reminded of the Faculty of Engineering's Code of Ethics   www.mcgill.ca/engineering/blueprint   and the following:   MCGILL UNIVERSITY VALUES ACADEMIC INTEGRITY.   THEREFORE ALL STUDENTS MUST UNDERSTAND THE MEANING AND CONSEQUENCES OF CHEATING, PLAGIARISM AND OTHER ACADEMIC OFFENSES UNDER THE CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES.   SEE   www.mcgill.ca/integrity   FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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