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TARGET.news 4/2005
The e-letter of the European Project TARGET - Top Amplifier Research Groups in a European Team
Topics
- TARGET Year 1 Review
- TARGET activities in planning period No. 2
- Start of work package LAB EXTENSION (1.3.2)
Events
TOPICS
TARGET Year 1 Review
To put it into a nutshell: TARGET had a very positive year 1 review! In particular, our management and coordination including the electronic tools for reporting and for distributing information were regarded as being excellent. Several scientific activities, e.g. Quick Shot Modelling, Thermal Measurements, Technology Evaluation Maps, Amplifier Design, Linearisation, and Transmitter Modelling, got “A” grades from our referees. Of prime importance for the integration of the network and particularly successful in the eyes of the reviewers are our tutorials, our summer and winter schools, and the exchange programme. Our presence at international conferences during the first year of TARGET is honourably mentioned.
For the ongoing period of work our number one goal is to develop strategies for durable integration. This is the unanimous outcome of the year 1 review procedure. Consequently, the recommendations of our project officer – based on the detailed reports of our referees – aim at strengthening our integrating and network promotion activities.
I think that the planning of months 13 – 30 already includes many activities in line with these recommendations. Therefore, I am looking with some optimism into the future. I thank all who contributed so much to the success of our first year of TARGET!
Gottfried Magerl
TARGET activities in planning period No. 2
In the next 18 months planning period (starting with January 1, 2005) we’ll see a series of ongoing activities that are alive over the whole duration of the network. These activities are:
- Internet – our joint electronic platform,
- Pools – the repository of shared software, models, and data,
- Tutorials – our internal scientific discussion forum,
- Exchange – the student and researcher programme tailored to gain new insights and friends,
- Meetings – the financial source of Board and Steering Committee meetings,
- Strategy – our advisory group for quality control and strategic decisions,
- Scientific Co-ordination – this is myself, therefore no comment,
- Special Events – our conference stage within the scientific community,
- Summer (and winter) schools – the most demanding courses in most attractive locations,
- Online & PR – our TARGET newsletter and more,
- Liaison – our window to the “outside” world,
- Transfer and R&D Services – something completely new (see below!),
- Network Co-ordination and
- Net Admin – our strong backbone!
A first series of six work packages, mostly belonging to the TARGET CLASSIC strand of our joint research programme, will be completed by the end of June 2005. These work packages are:
- Lab Setup – the definition of our virtual lab infrastructure for common use,
- Quick Shot Short Term Prototyping – our joint effort to design, build, and characterise microwave power amplifiers by splitting the work among different groups,
- Quick Shot Modelling – the very first attempt to assess the quality of different modelling approaches both on active device and circuit level,
- Technology Evaluation Maps – a broad overview of potentials and limitations of RF devices based on (almost) all kinds of semiconductor materials,
- Power Amplifier Design Overview – gives the answer to the question “What is going on in Europe in the field of microwave PA design?”
- Linearisation Evaluation Map – the comprehensive overview of linearisation techniques and most likely the source of one (or two) TARGET books.
Three more work packages will be completed during the second half of this year:
- Front-End-sampler Group – design the technical and commercial concept for realising a fast front-end sampler in Europe,
- Thermal Measurement Techniques I – the development and comparison of different thermal measurement and 3D simulation techniques for (high power) active devices,
- Transmitter Modelling for Broadband Wireless Access – a system oriented approach to develop and compare accuracy and validity of transmitter analysis methods.
Of course, in addition to these ongoing and successfully ending activities we’ll start the following new or substantially re-shaped work packages:
- Lab Extension under the supervision of Alain Barel will propose calibration and measurement improvements for our virtual lab infrastructure.
- Technology Roadmap will find the potentials and limitations of RF devices based on III-V semiconductor technology, on III-N compounds and on SiC, and on Si-technology like in CMOS, LDMOS, SiGe and C-based devices. Work package leader will be Wolfgang Richter.
- Thermal Measurement Techniques II will continue their successful work on different thermal measurement and modelling techniques under the leadership of Jean-Pierre Teyssier. This group will offer later on a thermal measurement service of transistors and MMICs to the European RF community.
- Modelling Overview will support the European circuit / system designer through the identification of actual and future needs in terms of active device (large signal) modelling for all technologies under consideration of WP 2.2.A.2. This work package will be supervised by Angel Mediavilla.
- Power Amplifier Characterisation Criteria will draw advantage from shared measurement resources for determining standard criteria to measure, characterise, and represent the best suited figures of merit of PAs. Work package leader will be Paolo Colantonio.
- Amplifier Modelling will create a comprehensive overview of RF power amplifier research activities that are primarily focused on signal and system level behavioural modelling theory, approaches, and methodologies within and without the TARGET NoE. Maírtín O’Droma will co-ordinate this WP.
- Transmitter Architecture for Broadband Wireless Access will evaluate and study possible transmitter architectures and their influence on system performance for the main wireless applications, wireless sensor networks included. The WP will be under the leadership of Alessandro Cidronali.
- TARGET Future will link modelling and analysis capabilities, integrating the design effort from materials and processing through to system-level performance. The intention in TARGET Future is to progress this core vision through the new instrument of an internal competitive call for proposals. TARGET Future will be in the hands of Tom Brazil.
As our main goal is durable integration, we’ll have to look for possible sources of income for the time after funding. This is the main intention of the completely re-shaped work package “Transfer and R&D Services” under the leadership of our prime contractor ftw. Following the recommendations of the TARGET Strategy Group and the conclusions of the Year 1 Review a first set of possible R&D services offered by TARGET partners will be defined that will be provided both TARGET internally and to the “outside” world, in particular to industry. Emphasis will be given to R&D services in line with the integrative power and the excellence character of the network rather than to services that are offered at a commercial basis also. In a first step these services will cover the fields of
- Education, training and dissemination of knowledge,
- Measurement and characterisation,
- Linear and nonlinear modelling of devices, circuits and systems, and
- Amplifier design.
For this aim we will use the material prepared for TARGET summer and winter schools, the TARGET virtual lab infrastructure, and the commonly available soft- and hardware resources collected by the TARGET Pools programme.
In conclusion, our second period of planning will be full of the most challenging and interesting activities. I don’t doubt that we will be even more successful than in year 1 as TARGET has proven to be a strong and truly excellent network!
Gottfried Magerl
Start of work package LAB EXTENSION (1.3.2)
The aim of WP 1.3.2 is to develop the specific calibration procedures needed for both types of measurement system (MTA’s and LSNA’s) that are presently used for the characterisation of the nonlinear behaviour of components and systems at microwave frequencies. The emphasis is laid on the collaborative way this happens between the partners instead of performing it individually like done in the past. This WP starts midyear 2005 and will run for 18 months.
The programme is as follows:
Task 1: Inventory of the calibration methods
WP 1.3.2 can benefit intensively of the Round-Robin power-sweep measurement of the Watkins-Johnson Amplifier organized by Dominique Schreurs in spring 2005 as part of WP 1.3.1 Lab Setup. The comparison of the measured results is of course paramount information for WP 1.3.1 but interrogating the partners almost simultaneously about the performed calibration procedure while doing this power-sweep measurement is also a gold-mine of information for WP 1.3.2. Jan Verspecht, a newly entered TARGET partner, which runs a consulting company, is excellently positioned to perform this interrogation task. I hope all partners will give him a good reception.Task 2: Common calibration efforts
- develop and agree on a calibration method valid for LSNA’s and MTA’s
- introduce stochastic calibration methods
- implementation of narrow band phase calibration based on narrow band measurements with multisine excitations
Task 3: Calibration efforts of the different partners- traceability of the phase calibration to electro-optical standards up to 50 GHz
- repeatability of phase calibrations based on the Nose-to-Nose principle with Step-Recovery-Diode transfer.
- development of calibration of PA measurements connected in low-resistance mode (10 Ohm instead of 50 Ohm)
- development of calibration of pulsed-mode PA measurements
- improvement of calibration of three-ports measurements (mixers, circulators)
- implementation of BLA (Best Linear Approximation) measurement method for the modelling of OFDM modulations and similar
- extend frequency range of LSNA to 50 GHz and beyond
Task 4: Organize a workshop
The research results of the common calibration task will be presented in a synthetic way to all the participants of WP 1.3.2, to the potentially interested partners of TARGET and to external users.For further information consult Prof. Alain Barel at
alain.barel@vub.ac.be.EVENTS
Second TARGET Summer School
The second TARGET Summer School focused on “Linear Power Amplifier Design and Wireless Systems” will take place from August 29th to September 2nd.
This four-day school, hosted by Sabanci University (Istanbul, Turkey) offers intermediate sessions dealing with the fundamentals, theory and practical aspects of wireless systems, RF and microwave technology, and power amplifiers. Tutorials on RF integrated circuit design techniques with application examples and software tools are included as well.
There is also the chance to mix business with pleasure as the program includes additional social and cultural tours and events, providing the opportunity to explore Istanbul!
Find further information on http://www.target-net.org/summerschool/index.html or write an email to Erasmus Langer (Erasmus.langer@tuwien.ac.at) or to Yasar Gurbuz (yasar@sabanciuniv.edu).
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Imprint
published by: ftw. Forschungszentrum Telekommunikation Wien Betriebs-GmbH, Donau-City-Straße 1, 1220 Vienna, Austria, Phone +43/1/5052830-0
responsible for content: Prof. Dr. Gottfried Magerl, Mag. Sue Raab
