Radio frequency | EPFL Graph Search

Radio frequency (RF) is the oscillation rate of an alternating electric current or voltage or of a magnetic, electric or electromagnetic field or mechanical system in the frequency range from around 20kHz to around 300GHz. This is roughly between the upper limit of audio frequencies and the lower limit of infrared frequencies. These are the frequencies at which energy from an oscillating current can radiate off a conductor into space as radio waves, so they are used in radio technology, among other uses. Different sources specify different upper and lower bounds for the frequency range. Electric current
Electric currents that oscillate at radio frequencies (RF currents) have special properties not shared by direct current or lower audio frequency alternating current, such as the 50 or 60 Hz current used in electrical power distribution.

Energy from RF currents in conductors can radiate into space as electromagnetic waves (radio waves). This is the basis of radio t

Computational Analysis and Methods for Electromagnetic Exposure Limits, Antenna Optimization and Cell Phone Design

Chen Xi Lin

In recent years, the advancements of wireless technologies have led to rapid developments in the field of telecommunication, power delivery and bio-medical applications. During the evolution of a wireless technology, the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) between a radiating source (e.g., an antenna) and nearby active or passive elements (e.g., a closely integrated electronic component or a human body) often introduces challenging design requirements. This thesis focuses on the applications of state-of-the-art computational electromagnetic compatibility (CEMC) techniques in multidisciplinary engineering design tasks, with an emphasis on computational bio-electromagnetic compatibility (CBEMC). The analyses reported in this thesis span practical applications from power frequency (Hz) to radio frequency (GHz), providing research outcomes which significantly benefit the understandings of low-frequency human body exposure safety and radio-frequency antenna integration and optimization. The research aspect of the thesis is initiated with a thorough review of the existing low-frequency exposure safety guidelines recommended by international regulatory committees. The subsequent analyses suggest essential scientific basis for the update and revision of the existing exposure limits. Practical exposure scenarios (e.g., magnetic resonant wireless power transfer) are investigated with novel assessment techniques. Subsequently, a computer-aided optimization scheme based on network-distributed genetic algorithms is applied to highly detailed numerical mobile phone model and human body phantoms. The investigated optimization technique is proven to be superior than traditional empirical approaches. Finally, the CEMC techniques are applied in the context of non-dosimetry related engineering design environment by investigating the integration of a miniature loudspeaker (acoustic component) and a mobile device antenna (radio frequency component). Based on simulation and measurement data, the coupling mechanisms are determined to establish the fundamental design guidelines for optimum antenna-speaker co-existence and performance. In summary, this thesis details several novel applications of CEMC in the most stringent and complex industrial design environments. The presented research findings serve as indispensable basis for future research oriented towards the exposure-compliant and electromagnetic- compatible designs for novel wireless technologies.

EPFL2013

Time-Varying Components for Enhancing Wireless Transfer of Power and Information

Romain Christophe Rémy Fleury, Mohammad Sajjad Mirmoosa, Xuchen Wang

Temporal modulation of components of electromagnetic systems provides an exceptional opportunity to engineer the response of those systems in a desired fashion, both in the time and frequency domains. For engineering time-modulated systems, one needs to thoroughly study the basic concepts and understand the salient characteristics of temporal modulation. In this paper, we carefully study physical models of basic bulk circuit elements—capacitors, inductors, and resistors—as frequency dispersive and time-varying components and study their effects in the case of periodical time modulations. We develop a solid theory for understanding these elements, and apply it to two important applications: wireless power transfer and antennas. For the first application, we show that, by periodically modulating the mutual inductance between the transmitter and receiver, the fundamental limits of classical wireless power transfer systems can be overcome. Regarding the second application, we consider a time-varying source for electrically small dipole antennas and show how time modulation can enhance the antenna performance. The developed theory of electromagnetic systems engineered by temporal modulation is applicable from radio frequencies to optical wavelengths.

2021

Hybrid continuous-discrete-time multi-bit delta-sigma A/D converters with auto-ranging algorithm

Sergio Pesenti

In wireless portable applications, a large part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain. Digital circuits show many advantages. The power consumption and fabrication costs are low even for high levels of complexity. A well established and highly automated design flow allows one to benefit from the constant progress in CMOS technologies. Moreover, digital circuits offer robust and programmable signal processing means and need no external components. Hence, the trend in consumer electronics is to further reduce the part of analog signal processing in the receiver chain of wireless transceivers. Consequently, analog-to-digital converters with higher resolutions and bandwidths are constantly required. The ultimate goal is the direct digitization of radio frequency signals, where the conversion would be performed immediately after the front-end amplifier. ΔΣ-modulation-based converters have proved to be the most suitable to achieve the required performance. Switched-capacitor implementations have been widely used over the last two decades. However, recent publications and books have shown that continuous-time architectures can achieve the same performance with lower power consumption. Most designs found throughout the literature use a single- or few-bit internal quantizer with a high-order modulation. As a result, in order to achieve the resolutions and bandwidths required today, the sampling frequency must exceed 100MHz. This approach leads to non-negligible power consumption in the clock generation. Moreover, the presence of such fast squared signals is not suitable for a system-on-chip comprising radio frequency receivers. In this thesis we propose a low-power strategy relying on a large number of internal levels rather than on a high sampling frequency or modulation order. Besides, a hybrid continuous-discrete-time approach is used to take advantage of the accuracy of switched-capacitor circuits and the low power consumption of continuous-time implementation. The sensitivity to clock jitter brought about by the continuous-time stage is reduced by the use of a large number of levels. An auto-ranging algorithm is developed in this thesis to overcome the limitation of a large-size quantizer under low-voltage supply. Finally, the strategy is applied to a design example addressing typical specifications for a Bluetooth receiver with direct conversion.

EPFL2007