Two-port network | EPFL Graph Search

In electronics, a two-port network (a kind of four-terminal network or quadripole) is an electrical network (i.e. a circuit) or device with two pairs of terminals to connect to external circuits. Two terminals constitute a port if the currents applied to them satisfy the essential requirement known as the port condition: the current entering one terminal must equal the current emerging from the other terminal on the same port. The ports constitute interfaces where the network connects to other networks, the points where signals are applied or outputs are taken. In a two-port network, often port 1 is considered the input port and port 2 is considered the output port. It is commonly used in mathematical circuit analysis. Application The two-port network model is used in mathematical circuit analysis techniques to isolate portions of larger circuits. A two-port network is regarded as a "black box" with its properties specified by a matrix of numbers. This allows the res

Analytical Methods for the Study and Design of Integrated Switched Oscillators and Antennas for Mesoband Radiation

Jose Felix Vega Stavro

This thesis was carried out within the framework of a scientific cooperation project entitled “Application of High Power Electromagnetics to Human Safety” developed by the EPFL, the National University of Colombia and Los Andes University, Colombia. The project was funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) through the EPFL Centre Coopéation & Développement (CODEV). The Scientific Cooperation aimed at the study and development of techniques for the generation of high power electromagnetic signals for the disruption or preemptive activation of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) during humanitarian clearance activities. The results and conclusions of the thesis will be applied to the construction of a resonant radiator, which can be used for securing humanitarian demining operations in Colombia. The thesis is devoted to the analysis of a specific type of resonant radiators known as Switched Oscillators (SWO). An SWO is a radiator constituted by a high voltage charging circuit that drives a quarter-wave transmission line resonator connected to an antenna. An SWO can produce high-amplitude, short duration, electromagnetic fields, with a moderate bandwidth, when compared to the main resonance frequency. The outcome of the thesis can be also be used in electromagnetic compatibility applications, for the production of resonant, high power electromagnetic fields, with the aim of testing the immunity of electronic systems against Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (IEMI) attacks. The thesis is divided in three parts. The first part deals with the electrostatic design of an SWO. A method for producing an optimized design of the electrodes forming the spark gap of the SWO is presented. The method is based on the generation of a curvilinear coordinate space on which the electrodes are conformal to one of the coordinate axis of the space. Laplace equation is solved in the interelectrodic space, obtaining an analytical solution for the electrostatic distribution. Furthermore, using appropriate mathematical manipulations, we derive an analytical expression for the impedance of the transmission line formed by the proposed electrodes. The second part of the thesis is devoted to the analysis of SWOs in the frequency domain. An original analysis approach, based on the chain-parameter technique, is proposed in which the SWO and the connected antenna are described using a two-port network using which a transfer function between the input voltage and the radiated field is established. A closed form expression of the resonance frequency of the SWO is also obtained. The developed technique makes it possible to study the response of an SWO when connected to an arbitrary antenna with a frequency-dependent input impedance. The final part of the thesis presents the construction and test of an SWO prototype. The prototype design is based on the theoretical developments presented in the first two parts of the thesis. The realized SWO is experimentally characterized using different antennas. It is characterized by an input voltage of 30 kV and a resonance frequency of 433 MHz. Radiated electric fields using monopole antennas were in the order of 10 kV/m at a distance of 1.5 m. The prototype is used for testing the validity of the electrodynamic model for the analysis of SWOs connected to frequency dependent antennas. Different monopole antennas connected to the SWO are considered and the radiated fields are measured and compared with theoretical calculations. It is shown that the developed theoretical model is able to reproduce with a good accuracy the behavior of the SWO connected to a frequency dependent antenna.

EPFL2013

Analysis and optimization of passive UHF RFID systems

Jari-Pascal Curty

Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. An RFID tag is a small object that can be attached to or incorporated into a product, animal or person. RFID tag contains antenna to enable it to receive and respond to Radio-Frequency (RF) queries from an RFID reader or interrogator. Passive tags require no internal power source, whereas active tags require a power source. As of today (2005), the ubiquitous computing and ambient intelligence ideas are making their way. In order for these to become a reality, a number of key technologies are required. Briefly, these technologies need to be sensitive, responsive, interconnected, contextualised, transparent and intelligent. RFID is such a technology and more particularly passive RFID tags. But, in order to deliver the necessary characteristics that could trigger ambient intelligence, there are some challenges that need to be addressed. Remote powering of the tags is probably the most important. Issues concerning the antenna-tag interface, as well as the rectifier design, that allows the RF signal to be converted to Direct Current (DC) are in pole position. Secondly, the communication link and the reader should be optimized. The RF signal that contains the tag data suffers from a power of four decay with the distance between tag and reader. As a result, both the reader sensitivity and the tag backscattered power efficiency have to be maximized. Long-range powering, as well as sufficient communication quality, are the guidelines of this work. This research project proposes a linear two-port model for an N-stage modified-Greinacher full wave rectifier. It predicts the overall conversion efficiency at low power levels where the diodes are operating near their threshold voltage. The output electrical behavior of the rectifier is calculated as a function of the received power and the antenna parameters. Moreover, the two-port parameters values are computed for particular input voltages and output currents for the complete N-stage rectifier circuit using only the measured I-V and C-V characteristics of a single diode. Also presented in this work is an experimental procedure to measure how the impedance modulation at the tag side affects the signal at the reader. The method allows the tag designer to efficiently predict the effect of modulator design at system level and gives an useful instrument to choose the most appropriate impedances. Finally, the design of a fully integrated remotely powered and addressable RFID tag working at 2.45 GHz is described. The achieved operating range at 4 W Effective Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP) reader transmit power is 12 m. The Integrated Circuit (IC) is implemented in a 0.5 μm silicon-on-sapphire technology. A state of the art rectifier design achieving 37% of global efficiency is embedded to supply energy to the transponder. Inductive matching and a folded-dipole antenna are key elements to achieve these performances. The necessary input power to operate the transponder is about 2.7 μW.

EPFL2006

A model for mu;-power rectifier analysis and design

Jari-Pascal Curty, Michel Declercq, Catherine Dehollain, François Krummenacher

This paper proposes a linear two-port model for an N-stage modified-Greinacher full-wave rectifier. It predicts the overall conversion efficiency at Iow power levels where the diodes are operating near their threshold voltage. The output electrical behavior of the rectifier is calculated as a function of the received power and the antenna parameters. Moreover, the two-port parameter values are computed for particular input voltages and output currents for the complete N-stage rectifier circuit using only the measured I-V and C-V characteristics of a single diode. To validate the model a three-stage modified-Greinacher full-wave rectifier was realized in an silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) CMOS 0.5-μm technology. The measurements are in excellent agreement with the values calculated using the presented model. © 2005 IEEE.