Development of an RF Direct-conversion Transmitter for Wireless Applications

Advisor: Prof. Anh-Vu Pham

The heart of every wireless communication device consists of a transmitter and a receiver to transmit and receive information. An RF transmitter performs mixing or upconversion of baseband signals (voice or data) to a desired RF frequency band, power amplifying, then transmitting the information. Conventionally,
transmitters are designed using the heterodyne scheme to upconvert baseband signals to an intermediate frequency (IF) then to an RF band. This scheme has been used for more than four decades to implement radio towers, TV stations, pager, cellular phone systems, etc.

The architecture of a RF direct-conversion transmitter will be investigated for upconverting baseband signals to an RF frequency band. Although this technique is attractive to reduce the component count, it faces challenges such as shielding the power amplifier and a VCO and meeting spectral mask requirements. During the summer research program, students will be involved with the design and development of a direct-conversion transmitter using a commercial software package, Advanced Design System (ADS). Off-the-shelf components will be provided to implement transmitter prototypes that will meet communication standard specifications such as Bluetooth. Students will have the opportunities to test and analyze these transmitters using a Signal Vector Analyzer and a Digital Signal Generator.