ADS Fundamentals – 2009

LAB 2: System Design Fundamentals

Overview ‐ This chapter introduces the use of behavioral models to create a system
such as a receiver. This lab will be the first step in the design process where the system
level behavioral models are simulated to approximate the desired performance. By
setting the desired specifications in the system components, you can later replace them
with individual circuits and compare the results to the behavioral models.

OBJECTIVES
• Use the skills developed in the first lab exercise.

• Create a system project for an RF receiver using behavioral models (filter,

amplifier, mixer) where: RF = 1900 MHz and IF= 100 MHz.

• Use an RF source, LO with phase noise, and a Noise Controller.

• Test the system: S‐parameters , Spectrum, Noise, etc.

© Copyright Agilent Technologies

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Lab 2: System Design Fundamentals

Table of Contents

1. Create a New Project (system) and schematic. ................................................... 3

2. Build a behavioral RF receiver system. .............................................................. 3

3. Set up an S-parameter simulation with frequency conversion. ............................ 6

4. Plot the S-21 data. .............................................................................................. 9

5. Increase gain, simulate, and add a sccond trace. .............................................. 9

6. Set up an RF source and LO with Phase Noise................................................. 10

7. Set up a HB Noise Controller............................................................................. 12

8. Set up a HB simulation. ...................................................................................... 13

9. Simulate and plot the response: pnmx and Vout. .............................................. 14

10. OPTIONAL - SDD (Symbolically Defined Device) simulation .......................... 15

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PROCEDURE
1. Create a New Project (system) and schematic.

a. Use the File > New Project command and name the new project: system.

b. Open and save a new schematic with the name: rf_sys.

rf_sys.

2. Build a behavioral RF receiver system.

a. Butterworth filter: Go to the Component Palette list

Palette list and scroll down to Filters­Bandpass.
Bandpass. Insert a Butterworth filter. Set it as
shown: Fcenter = 1.9 GHz to represent the carrier
carrier frequency. Set BWpass = 200 MHz and
and BWstop = 1 GHz.

b. Amplifier: Go to the System‐Amps & Mixers palette

palette and insert the Amp. Set S21 = dbpolar
dbpolar (10,180).

For on‐screen
editing, use the
Enter key to step to
the next parameter.

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Lab 2: System Design Fundamentals

c. Term: Insert a termination at the input for port 1. Terms are in the
Simulation­S_Param palette or type in the name Term in the Component
History and press Enter.

NOTE on Butterworth filter ­ The behavioral Butterworth response is ideal; therefore

there is no ripple in the pass band. Later on, when the filter and amplifier are replaced
with circuit models, there will be ripple. For system filter modeling with ripple, use the
behavioral Elliptical filter.

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The next steps will add a behavioral mixer and LO to the RF system.

d. From the System‐Amps & Mixers palette, insert a behavioral Mixer at the
at the amp output ‐ be careful to insert the Mixer and not Mixer2. Mixer2
Mixer2 is similar and also for nonlinear analysis but does not work with
with the small‐signal frequency conversion feature of S‐parameter
analysis that you will use in this exercise.

e. Set the Mixer ConvGain = dbpolar (3,0). Also, set the Mixer SideBand =
LOWER by inserting the cursor in front of the default (BOTH) and using
the keyboard UP and DOWN arrow keys to toggle the setting to LOWER.
Leave all other settings in the default condition.

f. Move component text ­ click the F5 keyboard key and then click on a
component to move its text. Do this so that you can clearly see the
components.

Local Oscillator:
resistor, voltage
source, and
ground.

g. Add the LO by inserting a 50 ohm resistor in series with a V_1Tone

source from the Sources­Freq Domain palette. Set the Freq to 1.8 GHz.
This will provide an IF of 100 MHz at the output. Don’t forget the ground.

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Lab 2: System Design Fundamentals

h. Add a low pass Bessel filter at the mixer output as shown here. The filter
is in the Filters­Lowpass palette. Set Fpass = 200 MHz.

i. Insert a Term for port 2. The final system circuit should look like the one
shown here:

NOTE: You can set the N parameter (order) on the filters but it is not required. By
default, ADS will calculate the order (N) based on the specifications. If N is specified,
ADS will overwrite the filter specifications.
Deleted:
3. Set up an S­parameter simulation with frequency conversion. Formatted: Bullets and Numbering

a. Insert the controller and setup the simulation: 1 GHz to 3 GHz in 100 MHz
steps as shown here.

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b. Edit the Simulation controller and, in the

the Parameters Tab, Enable AC frequency
frequency conversion by checking the box
the box as shown here.

c. Go to the Display tab and check the two

two boxes to display the settings shown
shown here: FreqConversion and
FreqConversionPort. The default (port 1)
(port 1) is used because it is the port where
where frequencies will be converted using
using the mixer settings also. NOTE: this
NOTE: this conversion only works with
with this ADS mixer.

The S‐parameter simulation controller should now

look like the one shown here:

Deleted:

d. Click: Simulate > Simulation Setup. When the

When the dialog appears, change the default
default dataset name to rf_sys_10dB to indicate
indicate that this simulation data represents the
represents the system with 10dB of amplifier
amplifier gain.

e. Click Apply and Simulate.

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4. Plot the S21 data.

a. In the Data Display window, insert a

rectangular plot of S(2,1).

b. Put a marker on the trace near 1.9 GHz

with the mouse. Then insert your cursor Deleted: , t
and type in the value: 1.9 in the readout
box. The gain includes mixer conversion
gain minus some loss to due mismatches.

5. Increase gain, simulate, and add a second trace.

a. Go back to the schematic and change the amplifier

gain S21 from 10 to 20 dB as shown here.

b. In Simulate > Simulation Setup, change the dataset

name to rf_sys_20dB. Click Apply and Simulate.

c. When the simulation finishes you will be prompted

to change the default dataset – answer: No.
No.

d. Edit the existing plot (double click on it) – this is

this is the one with the 10dB trace. When the
the dialog appears, click the arrow to see the
the available Datasets and Equations (shown here) and select the
rf_sys_20dB dataset.

e. Select the S(2,1) data and Add it in dB, clicking OK. Notice that the entire
dataset pathname appears because it is not the default dataset.

f. Put a Max Marker on the new trace. Select both markers (select the Deleted: n
(select the readouts) and click the icon to Turn on Delta Mode (select Deleted: ew marker
(select either as a reference) to see the 10dB difference between the Deleted: command Ma
between the two simulations. Be sure to save the Data Display. Deleted: rker >
Deleted: On

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Lab 2: System Design Fundamentals

Display.

6. Set up an RF source and LO with Phase Noise.

This next step shows how to simulate phase noise, contributed by a behavioral
oscillator, using the Harmonic Balance simulator. At this point in the course, it is not
required that you understand all the Harmonic Balance settings (covered later).

a. Save the current schematic with a new name. Click: File > Save Design
As and type in the name: rf_sys_phnoise.

b. In the saved schematic, delete the following components: S_param

simulation controller, the V_1Tone LO source, its 50 ohm resistor and
ground.

c. Replace the port 1 Term with a P_1Tone source (Sources‐Freq Domain

palette) and set the power and frequency as shown: Freq = 1.9 GHz and P
= polar (dbmtow (­40), 0). Also, rename the source as RF_source and
change the Num parameter to Num =1.

d. Insert a wire label Vout (node) and so the schematic looks like the one
shown here:

e. Go to Sources­Freq Domain palette, scroll to the bottom, select the OSC

icon and insert the OSCwPhNoise ‐ connect it to the mixer. Set Freq =
1.8 GHz and change the PhaseNoise list as shown. The default value of P
is the power in dBm and it has 50 ohms Z (Rout).

Connect to Mixer LO input.

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7. Set up a HB Noise Controller.

a. Go to the Simulation­HB palette and insert a

NoiseCon (Noise Controller) on the schematic
as shown here.

NOTE on NoiseCon: This component is used with the HB

simulator. It allows you to conveniently keep all noise
measurements separate from the simulation controller. Also,
you can setup and use multiple noise cons for different noise
measurements while only using only one HB controller.

b. Freq tab ­ Edit the Noise Con – go to the Freq tab and set the Sweep Type Deleted: 10KHz
to Log from 10 Hz to 10 KHz with 5 points per decade.

c. Nodes tab – Click the Pos Node arrow, select the Vout node, and click the
Add button. The noise controller, like other ADS componets, can read
and identify node names in the schematic.

d. PhaseNoise tab – Set the Phase Noise

Noise Type: Phase Noise spectrum
spectrum and set the carrier
Frequency to 100 MHz. This is the IF
the IF frequency which has phase noise
phase noise due to the LO.

e. Display tab – Go to the Display tab and

check the boxes for the settings you made
(shown here). In the future, you may
prefer to display the desired settings first
and then edit them on the schematic.

Display these settings:

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8. Set up the HB simulation.

a. Go to the Simulation‐HB palette and insert a HB simulation controller on

controller on the schematic.

b. Edit the HB controller (double click). In the Freq

Freq tab, change the default freq setting to 1.8 GHz
1.8 GHz using the Apply button. Then add the RF
the RF frequency 1.9 GHz and click Apply again.
again.

c. In the Display tab, check the box to display

MaxOrder and click Apply at the bottom

NOTE on HB freq settings ‐ You only need to specify the

LO freq (1.8 GHz) and the RF freq (1.9 GHz) in the
controller. There is no need to specify any other
frequencies because the defaults for Order (harmonics)
and Maximum order (mixing products) will calculate the
other tones in the circuit, including the 100 MHz IF.

d. Go to the Noise tab and check the NoiseCons box as shown. Then use the
Edit button to select NC1 which is the instance name of the Noise Con.
Click Add and Apply.

e. Display tab – Go to the HB Display tab and check the boxes for the
settings shown here. The noise con settings are near the bottom of the list
as you scroll down.

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Lab 2: System Design Fundamentals

The complete schematic for simulating LO Phase Noise at the IF is shown here. Check
your schematic before simulating:

9. Simulate and plot the response: pnmx and Vout.

a. Insert a rectangular plot of pnmx. Use Plot Options to set the X‐axis to
Log scale. Notice trace shows the decreasing dB values assigned in the
oscillator setting (for example: about 30dB at 1 KHz). Also, insert a
rectangular plot of Vout in dBm with a marker on the 100 MHz IF signal.
At ‐40 dBm input, plus about 23 dB of amp and conversion gain, the
output should be about –17.7 dBm as shown.

NOTE: You can

change the minimum
Y axis value to –100
for a more realistic
noise floor.

b. Save all your work. You have now completed the first step in the design
process for the RF receiver. In the following labs, you will build the
circuits that will replace the system model components.

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10. OPTIONAL ­ SDD (Symbolically Defined Device) simulation

SDDs allow you to write an equation to describe the behavior at the nodes of a
component, either linear or nonlinear. For this step, you will write a simple linear
equation describing sums and differences that appear at the output of a 3 port SDD.

a. Use Save Design As to give the current design (rf_sys_phnoise) the name:
rf_sys_sdd.

b. Delete the behavioral mixer in the circuit.

c. Go to the palette Eqn Based­Nonlinear and insert the 3

the 3 port SDD in schematic, in place of the mixer. Connect
Connect grounds on the negative terminals as shown here.
here.

d. Edit the I[2,0] value by inserting the cursor directly on the

on the text and adding the values shown: ­ _ v1 * _v3. By subtracting the
voltage of the mixing terms of the RF (_v1) and LO (_v3), the IF (_v2)
voltage remains. The SDD is now a mixer with no conversion gain, and
both the sum and the difference frequencies will appear at the output.

NOTE: SDDs perform

numerical operations.
This means v1* v3 is a
product of the voltages
at terminals 1 and 3.

e. Simulate and plot the spectrum of Vout in dBm.

in dBm. As you can see, without conversion gain,
conversion gain, the IF signal is much lower.
lower. Also, both the difference and the sum
sum (RF+LO) appear (marker: SUM). Although
Although SDDs can be useful to describe
behavior, writing the proper equations can be
be complicated (requires advanced course).
course).

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Lab 2: System Design Fundamentals

f. Deactivate the HB and NC controllers.

g. Insert a Transient simulation

controller and use the setup shown
here. Also, use Simulation > Setup to
change the dataset name to:
rf_sys_sdd_trans.

h. Run the Transient simulation.

i. Do not change default datasets in the Data Display.

j. Insert an equation (shown here as Vout2) that uses the fs () function to

transform the data – be sure to include the 7 commas after Vout (these
skip arguments). The 10n argument is the start time of 10 nanoseconds
and 40n is the stop time of 40 nanoseconds. NOTE: You could also use
Trace Options > Trace Expression on Vout and then modify the
expression instead of writing an equation and then plotting it.

k. Insert a plot of the equation. As you can see, the 100MHz tone compares
with the HB data extremely well (< 0.1 dB difference).

IMPORTANT NOTE: this step is used only to show how to set up an SDD mixer
(especially the multiplier settings). If you use other models in this same setup for a
comparison, you may get different results (especially Transient) because such models
may have non‐causal responses. Also, delay can be added to some filters to eliminate
the non‐causal effect.

l. Save the design and data.

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EXTRA EXERCISES:

1. Using the rf_sys_phnoise design, run a Transient simulation for the system (not
using the SDD) and compare the results with the fs function.

2. Go back and replace the Butterworth filter with an elliptical

filter model shown here and simulate. Try setting different
ranges for the Ripple value or try using the tuner to adjust
the ripple parameter. Then display the results and look at
the ripple in the passband. To do this, you will have to use
the zoom commands on the data display.

3. Try tuning various parameters in the design.

4. Enter values of LO and RF rejection to the behavioral mixer

and look at the simulation results.

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