Before converting to a physical layout, define your Printed Circuit Board (PCB) substrate. Use the component to enter parameters: H: Substrate thickness Er: Relative dielectric constant ( εrepsilon sub r Mur: Relative permeability ( μrmu sub r Cond: Conductor conductivity T: Conductor thickness
Passive components form the foundation of microwave systems. Here is how to design them using a practical approach. Transmission Lines and Impedance Matching
This article will serve as a complete primer, walking you through the core philosophy, key design techniques, and essential resources for mastering microwave circuit design with ADS, with a special focus on the practical, hands-on approach championed in Dr. Yeom’s work.
For decades, microwave circuit design was considered a "black art"—a field dominated by expensive lab equipment, hand calculations using Smith Charts, and a trial-and-error approach that consumed weeks of development time. Today, the landscape has changed dramatically. At the heart of this revolution is from Keysight Technologies.
Microwave design differs significantly from low-frequency circuit design. At high frequencies, wavelengths become comparable to the physical size of the components, making standard circuit theory insufficient. The Impact of High Frequencies microwave circuit design a practical approach using ads pdf
Focus on minimizing the Noise Figure (NF) while maintaining sufficient gain.
Create an EM model of your passive layout layout and insert it back into your schematic. Connect your active components (transistors, diodes) to this block. This creates a hybrid simulation combining non-linear schematic models with exact EM layout physics. 7. Manufacturing Preparation and Verification
Signals propagate as waves. Designers must account for characteristic impedance ( Z0cap Z sub 0 ), propagation constants, and reflection coefficients.
Use the to achieve desired specifications (e.g., maximizing gain, minimizing return loss) by allowing ADS to automatically adjust component values within predefined ranges. Step 3: Layout Generation and EM Simulation Before converting to a physical layout, define your
| Simulation Level | Purpose | Speed | Accuracy | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Bias point verification | Seconds | Ideal | | Linear AC/S-param | Gain, Return Loss, Filter shape | Seconds | Approximate | | Harmonic Balance | Non-linear effects (P1dB, IP3) | Minutes | Good | | Momentum (EM) | Coupling, Parasitics, Radiation | Hours | High |
Run the EM solver. You can create an EM model/symbol of the layout and plug it back into your schematic for an accurate circuit-EM cosimulation. 4. Practical Design Case Study: Branch-Line Coupler
Circuit simulators assume current flows strictly inside the schematic lines. In reality, waves couple across nearby traces, causing crosstalk. EM simulation resolves this issue.
Consider the design of a microstrip coupled-line bandpass filter. The schematic simulation might show a beautiful passband response. However, when you generate the layout and run Momentum, you will often see a shift in the center frequency or increased insertion loss due to fringing fields and coupling between lines that are ignored in the simplified schematic model. Transmission Lines and Impedance Matching This article will
This EM-circuit co-simulation is an irreplaceable part of a successful microwave product release.
Instead of simple wires, signals travel via microstrips, striplines, or waveguides.
Switch seamlessly between S-parameter analysis for passive filters and Harmonic Balance (HB) simulators for non-linear power amplifiers and mixers.
High-frequency design differs fundamentally from low-frequency circuit design. At microwave frequencies (typically 300 MHz to 300 GHz), the wavelength of the signal becomes comparable to or smaller than the physical dimensions of the circuit components. The Shift from Lumped to Distributed Elements