Mathematical approach to large-signal modelling of electron devices

A general purpose mathematical approach is proposed for the large-signal modelling of microwave electron devices (e.g. MESFETs, bipolar transistors, diodes, etc.). The mathematical model, which is based on mild assumptions valid both for field effect and bipolar devices in typical large-signal operating conditions, can easily be identified through conventional measurements and is particularly suitable for nonlinear microwave circuit analysis based on harmonic balance technique

Frequency stability in resonator-stabilized oscillators

A simplified stability analysis of resonator-stabilized oscillators is carried out by using the describing function approach. On this basis a criterion for the evaluation and optimization of the frequency stabilization introduction in an oscillator by a resonating element with a large quality factor is proposed. In particular, a frequency-stabilization index which can be conveniently used in the design of highly stable oscillators is defined. The validity of this performance index has been verified in the design of microwave oscillators using dielectric resonators as frequency-stabilizing element

The vector-gradient Hough transform

The paper presents a new transform, called vector-gradient Hough transform, for identifying elongated shapes in gray-scale images. This goal is achieved not only by collecting information on the edges of the objects, but also by reconstructing their transversal profile of luminosity. The main features of the new approach are related to its vector space formulation and the associated capability of exploiting all the vector information of the luminosity gradien

Physics-based large-signal sensitivity analysis of microwave circuits using technological parametric sensitivity from multidimensional semiconductor device models

The authors present an efficient approach to evaluate the large-signal (LS) parametric sensitivity of active semiconductor devices under quasi-periodic operation through accurate, multidimensional physics-based models. The proposed technique exploits efficient intermediate mathematical models to perform the link between physics-based analysis and circuit-oriented simulations, and only requires the evaluation of dc and ac small-signal (dc charge) sensitivities under general quasi-static conditions. To illustrate the technique, the authors discuss examples of sensitivity evaluation, statistical analysis, and doping profile optimization of an implanted MESFET to minimize intermodulation which makes use of LS parametric sensitivities under two-tone excitatio

A simplified thermal analysis approach for power transistor rating in PWM-controlled DC/AC converters

A simplified dynamic thermal analysis approach is proposed for the estimation of the peak junction temperature in power IGBT transistors operating in pulse-width modulation (PWM) controlled DC/AC converters. This approach can be used for the rating of electron devices or heatsink systems in power circuit design, as it provides a direct analytical link, in terms of electrical and thermal device parameters and converter operating conditions between the case and the peak junction temperatures. In this way, by imposing a given upper limit on the junction temperature, indirect constraints on device size or load current or heatsink efficiency can easily be obtained. The approach is based on mild, pessimistic approximations on both the spectrum of dissipated power and on the dynamic thermal behavior of the device. The validity of such approximations has been verified by comparison with the results of accurate numerical simulations carried out by using measurement-based loss models. Possible ways of using this approach in a converter rating context are outlined in the paper, by considering different design scenario

Simulation and design of microwave class-C amplifiers through harmonic analysis

A method for analyzing microwave class-C amplifiers is proposed which satisfies the requirements of a wide application field, and, at the same time, operates with a fast runing time and without convergence problems. It is based on the partitioning of the circuit into linear and nonlinear subnetworks for which, respectively, frequency-domain and time-domain equations are written. Then, taking into account that the time-domain and frequency-domain representations are related by the Fourier series, the circuit behavior is described by means of a system of nonlinear equations whose unknowns are the harmonic components of the incident waves at all the connections. To overcome the numerical problems arising in the search for the solution of this system when strong nonlinearities are involved, a special step-by-step procedure is adopted. The problem is transformed into the search for the solution of a sequence of well-conditioned systems of equations corresponding to a sequence of well-chosen circuits obtained from the original one through progressive changes of the input signal starting from 0 up to the nominal value. The program which implements the method is also described and the results of the analysis relative to a class-C amplifier are compared with measured value

Tool for efficient intermodulation analysis using conventional HB packages

A simple and efficient approach is proposed for the intermodulation analysis of nonlinear microwave circuits. The algorithm, which is based on a very mild assumption about the frequency response of the linear part of the circuit, allows for a reduction in computing time and memory requirement. Moreover. It can be easily implemented using any conventional tool for harmonic-balance circuit analysi

A nonlinear integral model of electron devices for HB circuit analysis

A technology-independent large-signal model of electron devices, the nonlinear integral model (NIM), is proposed. It is rigorously derived from the Volterra series under basic assumptions valid for most types of electron devices and is suitable for harmonic-balance circuit analysis. Unlike other Volterra-based approaches, the validity of the NIM is not limited to weakly nonlinear operation. In particular, the proposed model allows the large-signal dynamic response of an electron device to be directly computed on the basis of data obtained either by conventional measurements or by physics-based numerical simulations. In this perspective, it provides a valuable tool for linking accurate device simulations based on carrier transport physics and harmonic-balance circuit analysis algorithms. Simulations and experimental results, which confirm the validity of the NIM, are also presente

Modeling and control strategies for a variable reluctance direct-drive motor

A high-performance ripple-free dynamic torque controller for a variable-reluctance (VR) motor intended for trajectory tracking in robotic applications is designed. A modeling approach that simplifies the design of the controller is investigated. Model structure and parameter estimation techniques are presented. Different approaches to the overall torque controller design problem are discussed, and the solution adopted is illustrated. A cascade controller structure consisting of a feedforward nonlinear torque compensator, cascaded to a nonlinear flux or current closed-loop controller is considered, and optimization techniques are used for its design. Although developed for a specific commercial motor, the proposed modeling and optimization strategies can be used for other VR motors with magnetically decoupled phases, both rotating and linear. Laboratory experiments for model validation and preliminary simulation results of the overall torque control system are presente