• TARGET at the EuMW 2008
• TARGET Days 2007 - From Ideas to Results
• TARGET Workshops at the EuMW 2007
• GE 2007 - International Doctoral Summer School - 4th TARGET Summer School
• TARGET International Workshop: Technology of Multimode-Multiband Transceivers
• 3rd TARGET Winter School
• TARGET Days - TARGET meets Industry
• TARGET Workshops at the EUMW 2006
• TARGET focused session at the EUMW 2006
• 3rd TARGET Summer School
• TARGET/MIKON 2006 Workshop on GaN Devices
• IET (IEE) TARGET Workshop
• 2nd TARGET Winter School
• TARGET at the GigaHertz 2005
• TARGET focused session at the EUMW 2005
• TARGET Workshop at the EUMW 2005
• TARGET Workshop at the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium 2005
• TARGET Workshop in Orvieto, Italy
• TARGET focused session at the EUMW 2004
• Press Conference

TARGET at the EuMW2008 in Amsterdam

The Network of Excellence TARGET - Top Amplifier Research Groups in a European Team was created within FP6 of the European Commission in 2004, with the aim to coordinate, address, and join research efforts in the field of microwave amplifier research. In four years TARGET has become a new European standard for joint research, demonstrating the capabilities to transform a preliminary idea into actual results, achieving state of the art in topics ranging from device technology to device characterisation and modelling, from design of power amplifiers and linearisers to transmitter and system design for broadband wireless access.

The aim of this conclusive event was to highlight the major outcomes and successful results achieved in TARGET.

The event was organised in the frame of the international conference ISMOT'07, and it was offered also to non TARGET members (industry, academia, or European Commission members) on the following topics:

1. Semiconductor Materials and Devices
2. Device Characterisation and Modelling
3. Amplifier Design
4. Amplifier Linearisation
5. Amplifier Modelling
6. Transmitter Architecture and Modelling
7. TARGET Future

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TARGET Workshops at the EuMW 2007

"Workshop on Wireless Transmitter Design for Future Wireless Systems" **

Programme

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"Workshop on Advanced Nonlinear and Power Characterization of Microwave Devices and Systems" **

Programme

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"RF Device Characterisation"

Programme

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"Device Level Linearization Techniques"

Programme

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"High-Frequency Phase Calibration Techniques"**

Leading NMIs (National Metrology Institutes) and other experts gave an overview of state-of-the-art (phase) calibration techniques applicable to

• RF and/or microwave frequencies (or resulting low-frequency effects)

• Electrical, optical and/or electro-optical devices and systems

• Based on frequency and/or time-domain techniques

• Signal and/or network analysis

• Different types of signals (CW, modulation, pulse, high-speed)

The workshop was organized and sponsored by both, IEEE TC-33 (http://www.ieee-ims.org/tc33.html) and TARGET WP1.4.

• More information

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GE 2007 – International Doctoral Summer School (18-20/6/2007, Lerici, Italy)





Main topics of the school were:

• From the Device Physics to the Model
• Efficient CAD tools for Modelling
• Nonlinear empirical models of microwave transistors
• Front-end architectures for Software Defined Radio
• Debug of wideband digital radio and demo
• Microwave Circuits Analysis and Design Basics
• Design Synthesis of Matching Network in Microwave FET Amplifiers
• Microwave Power Amplifier Design Basics
• Basics on microwave Linear measurements, VNA fundamentals and calibration techniques
• Advanced Non-Linear measurements: Load/Source-Pull technique and time domain analysis

This Summer School was mainly intended for PhD students who have knowledge on the aforementioned topics.

Programme (pdf)


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TARGET International Workshop: Technology of Multimode-Multiband Transceivers (Florence, April 17/18, 2007, Aula Magna del Rettorato, Università di Firenze)




Supported by the European Network of Excellence TARGET
Sponsored by Facoltà di Ingegneria, Università di Firenze

Wireless technology has been evolving across various vectors from cellular networks to wireless broadband networks to wireless personal area networks. As we move to the third decade of commercial wireless technology deployment, there is a growing trend for a multitude of these technologies emerging on various standard platforms. This scenario reflects in the request for transceiver architectures capable to implement these new applications in an `always and everywhere’ global connectivity.

Extending the scenario to already experienced 3G voice/data systems, users may be moving while simultaneously operating in a broadband data access or multimedia streaming session. The need to support low latency and low packet loss handovers of data streams as users transition from one access point to another is clearly a challenging task, which may require the concurrent use of more than one frequency band at the time. For full-mobile data services, no user interaction will be required to adapt their service expectations because of environmental limitations that are technically challenging but not directly relevant to the user (such as being stationary or moving). For these reasons, the air interface must be able to anticipate the user expectations and deliver accordingly. This is nothing else as the new paradigm of the communication technology also known as: ambient intelligence.The above-described scenario is a dramatic source of specification constrains for the RF transceiver and channel interface that are more difficult to achieve with respect to conventional applications.

This workshop dealt with the most relevant challenges including the technological and modeling aspects of the electron devices fabrication and optimization, which are asked to provide high power with low noise features, the design methodologies of new system architectures.


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3rd TARGET Winter School (19-23/02/2007, Santander, Spain)




"CAD Implementation of Non-Linear Device Models and Advanced Measurements"

This winter school was mainly intended for new PhD students and researchers or anyone who has a limited knowledge in this special topic. The basics as well as advanced methods for device characterisation and model implementation in commercial CAD tools were presented by well known experts in the field. Practical computer work/tutorials were offered as a direct extension of the formal presentations.

Main topics of the school were:

• Overview on Electrical Equivalent Circuit and Data-Based Models
• ADS SDD modelling facilities
• AWR Model Wizard philosophy (compiled models)
• ADS User Defined Models (compiled models)
• VERILOG-A Model Language
• XML Data Base description for device modelling
• Model-Oriented CAD test bench
• Advanced Model-Oriented measurement setups



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TARGET Days - TARGET meets Industry (16-18/10/2006, Frascati, Italy)




The aim of this workshop was to initiate a scientific dialog between TARGET and the wireless industry to discuss technical achievements of the TARGET network in its first three years and to identify future requirements and trends in mobile communication systems.

At this workshop contributions from academia and industry with respect to technical achievements and future trends were given on the following technical areas:

• Semiconductor Materials and Devices
• Device Characterisation
• Device Modelling
• Amplifier Design
• Amplifier Linearisation
• Amplifier Modelling
• Transmitter Architecture and Modelling



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TARGET Workshops at the EUMW 2006 (10/9/2006 Manchester, UK)

"RF Materials and Devices"

The first two presentations provided important background information on semiconductor materials including heterostructures and on modern transistor concepts for high frequency, high power applications. Based on this information, the other presentations discussed the status and prospects of two advanced and promising high-performance RF transistor/MMIC technologies.

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"RF Device Modelling"

The objective of this workshop was to give the attendees an overview on the wide spectrum of methods to model RF semiconductor devices. It goes from the most detailed physical (or transparent-box) models to the behavioral (or black-box) models, passing through the hybrid approach of equivalent-circuit modelling. Next to explaining the basic principles of each approach, their application to recent device technologies were elaborated.

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"Circuit level Linearisation Techniques"

This workshop addressed circuit linearization of microwave transmitter power amplifiers. Topics reviewed include general design issues, feedback schemes and the role of modern control theory, diode presdistion techniques, and electrothermal and memory effects.

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TARGET focused session at the EUMW 2006 (12/09/2006, Manchester, UK)

"Characterisation and Modelling of Microwave Power Amplifiers within TARGET"

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3rd TARGET Summer School (27-27/07/2006, Castelldefelds, Spain)

"Linear Power Amplifier Design and Wireless Systems"

This four-day event offered intensive courses covering high level topics on linear power amplifier (PA) design. Attendees heard from top experts in the field various lectures on topics related to advanced linear PA design at both, circuit and system levels. Apart from theoretical lectures, the programme was also application-oriented by practical lab sessions and practical talks on implementation issues.

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TARGET/MIKON 2006 Workshop on GaN Devices (25/05/2006, Cracow, Poland)

"Gallium Nitride Devices: from Basics to Applications"

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IET (IEE) TARGET Workshop (23/05/2006, Cambridge, UK)

"High Efficiency Power Amplifier Design for Next Generation Wireless Applications"

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2nd TARGET Winter School (21-24/02/2006, Jena, Germany)

"Microwave Transistors: Materials and Devices"

This intensive, four-day course provided a thorough understanding of the essential background of RF transistor function and production methods. It was intended for PhD students and engineers new to the field this course will focus both on theoretical and practical issues of established techniques and most up-to-date methods as well.

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TARGET at the GigaHertz 2005 (8-9/11/2005, Uppsala, Sweden)

Joint session AMICOM - TARGET "GaN/AlGaN HEMTs for highly linear communication applications in L-band"

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TARGET focused session at the EUMW 2005 (04/10/2005, Paris, France)

"PA and TRX characterisation, modelling, and design within the NoE TARGET"

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TARGET Workshop at the EUMW 2005 (05/10/2005, Paris, France)

"Black Box Modelling based on Vectorial Large Signal Network Analysis"

This intensive, full-day workshop provided a thorough understanding of the essential background of RF device large signal characterization and black box modelling methods. The workshop focused both on theoretical and practical issues of up-to-date methods. There was also ample time given for questions and discussions.

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TARGET Workshop at the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium 2005 (13/06/2005, Long Beach, CA, USA)

"Advances in RF Power Amplifiers: Modeling, Design and Linearization"

Organized by the TARGET Liaison Officer Prof. Thomas J. Brazil together with Prof. Jose Carlos Pedro and Dr. Dominique Schreurs, this highly-successful and well-attended TARGET workshop took place on the world’s leading microwave conference, the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium 2005, in Long Beach, CA, USA on 13th June 2005. This full-day workshop was co-sponsored by the IEEE MTT-1 “Computer-Aided Design” Committee and MTT-11 “Microwave Measurements” Committee.

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TARGET Workshop (14-15/04/2005, Orvieto, Italy)

"RF Power Amplifiers"

This special event, organised in the historical location, named Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, in Orvieto, aimed to support the integration, the knowledge and the world class research activities inside our Network of Excellence TARGET, in the field of microwave amplifier research. The Workshop has been organised joined with a National Italian Events on Electronic and Electromagnetic Technologies for Space Applications.

21 oral contributions have been selected to be presented in two days, organised in single sessions to allow fruitfully interaction and discussion among researchers here present.

The sessions organised were

• Transmitter Design for Broadband Wireless Access
• Power Amplifier Design
• Non Linear Device Characterisation and Modelling


And the technical papers have been collected in a Book of Proceedings. The number of registered attendees was 90.

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TARGET focused session at the EUMW 2004 (11/10/2004, Amsterdam, Netherlands)

"Co-ordinated Microwave Amplifier Research in Europe"

Chairpersons:
G. Magerl, Vienna University of Technology
F. Giannini, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata"

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Press Conference (28/1/2004, Vienna, Austria)




TARGET presented itself to the public at a press conference in Vienna's stock exchange building. Markus Kommenda, director of the Telecommunications Research Centre Vienna (ftw.) introduced the project jointly with the scientific coordinator, Prof. Gottfried Magerl, head of the Institute of Electrical Measurements and Circuit Design at the Vienna University of Technology.

Knut Consemüller of the Austrian Council for Research and Technology Development presented the project in its context of the Austrian and European research strategy.