Instructor Earl McCune will be presenting papers and tutorials at three upcoming RF/Wireless Conferences:
ISSCC, Sunday 20 Feb., San Francisco, Forum 1 on Advanced Transmitters for Wireless Infrastructure (invited)
“Begin at the Beginning for Transmitter Design”
Abstract: Transmitter design is driven by the signals it needs to generate. Those signals are selected to serve the need of the communication application within which the transmitter will operate. Beyond the communications need, the transmitter must also meet cost and reliability objectives of the application. Here the system level characteristics and fundamental specifications for transmitter design are related from Shannon’s 1948 Fundamental Theorem of Information Theory, from which comes the “Shannon (Capacity) Limit”. Fundamental relationships and tradeoffs are introduced from the Shannon point of view, as well as the Fourier Transform. Non-ideal behaviors in the major transmitter circuit blocks are additionally discussed.
Wireless and Microwave Technology Conference (WAMICON), 18-19 April, Clearwater FL
“Digital Signals: How We Got Here, And Where We Could Get To” (invited)
Abstract – This survey examines the bandwidth efficiency of wireless signals, beginning with a review of the Shannon capacity and of the important differences between signal to noise ratio (snr) and individual bit energy to noise density (IBEND = Eb/N0). Recognizing that communication systems are successful only if they are profitable, value propositions that have been realized along the evolution of adopted wireless signals are reviewed. As the market now desires gigabit data rates while mobile, physical principles are used to extend this historical trend to evaluate options for implementation and their inherent costs so that coming value propositions can be fairly evaluated.
International Microwave Symposium (IMS) workshop on Re-Configurability Requirements for Multi-Standard Low-Power Operation, June, Baltimore (invited)
“Physical Relationships along the Power Amplifier Continuum”
Abstract: Now that the practice of power amplifier design is nearly one century old, it is no surprise that a large number of circuit approaches have appeared to address the many issues involved. In earlier decades with few signal types available, selection of the most appropriate power amplifier type was rather straightforward. Today, with a large multitude of signal types, how to trade off among the various power amplifier types is a real challenge. This tutorial presentation takes a physical approach to each major power amplifier type, and also to the key signals that are in use today or will be in the near future. Mapping these signal types across the various power amplifier approaches presents limitations in the implementation tradeoff. Relative cost of the amplifier types is addressed as a cost baseline for implementing corresponding signal types in an operational communication system.
He also recently presented “Spurious Mechanisms and Debugging in Direct Digital Synthesis” at the
Radio and Wireless Symposium (RWS) and Silicon RF (SiRF) Wed. 19 January, Phoenix
Abstract: While the technique of direct digital frequency synthesis (DDFS) is well known, the mechanisms active in the generation of non-harmonic spurious output signals are not so well known. Here the significant spurious generating processes active in a DDFS design are illustrated. Use of this information in debugging a DDFS design to fundamentally reduce power in spurious signals is discussed. Thus this work specifically excludes dithering, a spurious power spreading process, from the techniques considered.
Be sure to check out Dr. McCune’s upcoming course this March 21-25, Practical Digital Wireless Signals – Measurements and Characteristics.
