Basic Information

  • Course Code: EE611
  • Course Name: Microwave Integrated Circuits
  • Course Offered In: Autumn, 2022-23
  • Instructors: Prof. Jayanta Mukherjee
  • Prerequisites: Not any hard prerequisites as such. Basic knowledge about Circuits, Network theory and MATLAB/SciLab would be useful. Understandings from EE301 : EM Waves help throughout the course.
  • Difficulty (on a scale of 5): 3

Course Content

The course focuses on the concepts of Microwave theory at start and moves towards its applications. The details of course content are as follows :

  1. Introduction
    Introduction to Microwaves, Group and Phase Velocities, Microwave systems based on passive elements, Waveguides, Modes in waveguides, Transmission Lines, Lossy Transmission Lines.
  2. Operations on Transmission Lines
    Impedance calculation, Impedance matching, Reflection coefficient, The Smith Chart, Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR), Quarter wave transformers, Bandwidth analysis, N-Section Network, Binomial transformer, Chebyshev transformer, Tapered lines.
  3. Microwave Network
    Impedance Matrix, S Parameters and their properties, Signal Flow Graphs, ABCD Parameters, Passive devices, 1 port devices, 2 port devices, 3 port devices, E plane Tee, Circulators, Power devices, Couplers, Balanced amplifiers, Circuit resonators and their types.
  4. Filters\
    Bandpass filters, Bandstop filters, m-derived filters, Image filters, Filter prototypes, Kuroda’s Identities.

Feedback on Lectures

Attending lectures is very useful for good grades as Prof. Mukherjee explains proofs on board and he answers all the doubts. If your doubt isn’t resolved, he’ll go through the derivation again. Taking notes in the lectures is strongly recommended. Sometimes Prof. gives hints about important concepts for exams point of view.

Feedback on Evaluations

There were 2 quizzes (10% each), Midsem (30%), Endsem (30%) and Course Project (20%). Questions are based on calculations and derivations of fundamental concepts. Solving practice questions and previous year papers is helpful. Project consists of designing a microwave circuit using Advanced Design Systems (ADS) software and implementing it on PCB. Grading statistics : AA - 5, AB - 12, BB - 7, BC - 6, CD - 1, DD - 1, FR - 5 | Total - 37

Study Material and Resources

  1. David M. Pozar, Microwave Engineering, Fourth Edition, 2012.
  2. Peter A. Rizzi, Microwave Engineering, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1988.
  3. Davis W. Alan, Microwave Semiconductor Circuit Design, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1984.

Follow-up Courses

EE614 : Solid State Microwave Devices and Applications.

Final Takeaway

If you are interested in Microwave theory and circuits, this course will help you explore as concepts are built from the basics. Project work can be very interesting if you put in the effort.