Future wireless communication systems will have higher data transmission rates and energy efficiencies than those used today. This fact raises serious challenges to the design of conventional transceiver architectures. This doctoral research develops energy-efficient RF transmitters and receivers for next-generation wireless communications. It begins with a theoretical analysis of the injection locking of oscillators and a modified Class-E power amplifier (PA) for use in developing the proposed transmitter and receiver. Based on the presented theory, a novel envelope elimination and restoration (EER)/polar transmitter using injection-locked oscillators (ILOs) and a novel cognitive polar receiver using two ILO stages are proposed. The EER/polar transmitter combines the approaches of EER/polar modulation and injection locking to achieve linear amplification with a high gain and high efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate its effectiveness for delivering WCDMA and EDGE signals. Additionally, the cognitive polar receiver utilizes two ILO stages to extract the modulation envelope and phase components of a received nonconstant envelope modulation signal without using a phase-locked loop (PLL)-based carrier recovery circuit. Experiments are conducted to verify the feasibility of the novel architecture by performing £k/4 DQPSK and QPSK demodulation. Rigorous theoretical analysis and experimental verification prove that both the proposed transmitter and the receiver are effective for energy-efficient wireless communications.

Addressing the high cost of RF instrumentation has motivated significant research activity, where researchers have proposed various non-standard and alternative test methods of RF circuits to mitigate high test cost. This dissertation describes a test methodology for RF receivers, whereby simple digital circuits comprise the core of the otherwise complex and costly broadband RF/analog signal generation. The proposed test methodology relies on a digital clock, commonly available to RF ICs for the purpose of digital communication, to generate the broadband RF stimulus needed for the receiver analog tests. The test method also utilizes commonly available baseband signal digitization (on-chip or off-chip) to acquire the baseband signal. It then relies on sophisticated, but inexpensive, signal processing to extract and compute standard RF performance parameters, like gain, noise figure (NF), and input-referred third-order intercept point (IIP3). In addition, the test method can extract important baseband (BB) parameters like the BB filter 3 dB bandwidth (BW), filter rejection at specific BB frequencies, or the BB filter profile. The motivation behind the proposed test methodology can be categorized as both architectural and cost reduction-oriented. Architecturally, the proposed test method aims at shifting the complexity involved in the test of RF receivers from the hardware (input) RF signal generation side to the signal processing done on the (output) baseband side. The process of shifting the complexity from the hardware design side to the signal processing side involves significant complex and sophisticated analysis, which is part of this dissertation. Cost-wise, the proposed test methodology enables the use of digital automatic test equipment (ATE) with limited baseband capability, instead of the full standard RF testers. Such a step reduces the initial tester cost and impacts the cost/sec figure spent on test for the life of the ATE tester, thus leading to test cost reduction. / text

Les communications numériques ont évolué pour répondre à la demande des consommateurs pour accroître l'accès à la navigation Internet, TV, vidéo à la demande, jeux interactifs et de réseaux sociaux. Cette augmentation de débit est obtenue en utilisant des techniques avancées de traitement du signal, des modulations complexes, et des bandes passantes larges. Par conséquent, des récepteurs hautes performances, capables de traiter des signaux large bande, sont nécessaires pour les équipements d'infrastructure et de communication grand-public hauts de gamme. Les récepteurs à numérisation directe RF sont attrayants pour ces applications à large bande, mais plusieurs aspects doivent être étudiés afin de fournir des solutions performantes intégrées. Les principales contributions de cette thèse sont les suivantes: - l’analyse et la conception au niveau système des récepteurs à échantillonnage et numérisation directs RF : - l'analyse théorique de la distorsion non-linéaire large-bande, pour les stratégies d'échantillonnage passe-bas et passe-bande - l'analyse théorique des défauts des convertisseurs analogique-numérique haute-vitesse dans un contexte de réception large bande - la conception d'un conditionneur de signal RF optimisé pour une application câble, incluant: - un égaliseur RF programmable multi-pente, utilisant une seule inductance, avec son algorithme de contrôle - une boucle de contrôle de gain mixte combinant un détecteur RMS et un détecteur crête - contribution à la réalisation d'un produit récepteur RF multi-canaux, à numérisation directe, compétitif en consommation d'énergie, coût, et performances RF / The Holy Grail radio receiver architecture for Software Radio makes uses of direct RF digitization. The early RF signal digitization theoretically provides maximum re-configurability of the radio front-end to multiple bands and standards, as opposed to analog-extensive front-ends. In addition, in applications for which a large portion of the RF input signal spectrum is required to be received simultaneously, the RF direct digitization architecture could provide the most power-and-cost-effective front-end solution. This is typically the case in centralized architectures, for which a single receiver is used in a multi-user environment (data and video gateways) or in re-multiplexing systems. In these situations, this highly-digitized architecture could dramatically simplify the radio front-end, as it has the potential to replace most of the analog processing. In this Ph.D thesis, we study the trade-offs, from RF to DSP domains, which are being involved in direct RF digitization receivers. The developed system-level framework is applied to the design of a cable multi-channel RF direct digitization receiver. Special focus is provided on the design of an optimum RF signal conditioning, on the specification of time-interleaved analog-to-digital converter impairments, including clock quality, and on some algorithmic aspects (automatic gain control loop, RF front-end amplitude equalization control loop). The two-chip implementation is presented, using BiCMOS and 65nm CMOS processes, together with the block and system-level measurement results. The solution is highly competitive, both in terms of area and RF performance, while it drastically reduces power consumption.

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The objective of this research is to design and implement low-noise wideband RFIC components with CMOS technology for the direct-conversion architecture. This research proposes noise reduction techniques to improve the thermal noise and flicker noise contribution of a low noise amplifier (LNA) and a mixer. Of these techniques, the LNA is found to reduce noise, boost gain, and consume a relatively low amount of power without sacrificing the wideband and linearity advantages of a conventional common gate (CG) topology. The research concludes by investigating the proposed mixer topology, which senses and compensates local oscillator (LO) phase mismatches, the dominant cause of flicker noise.

The thesis deal with possibility of localization of avalanche victims. Main focus is for RF avalanche beacons. The major objects of this thesis are design and construction of this device. A large part of thesis describes design of avalanche beacon and particular steps of realization. The design take into account the compatibility with commercial beacons. The paramters of designed device are verified by testing and measurement.

This thesis presents technical and methodological developments aiming tooffer a viable alternative for the treatment of digestive cancers (rectum and esophagus). Compared to the standard methods of therapy, the high intensity contact ultrasound guided by MRI is a less invasive approach. MRI offers 2 advantages: good spatial resolution, and real-time temperature control. This treatment method requires efficacy and safety. Three prototypes of RF coil integrated with ultrasound transducers were built in order to increase the spatial and temporal resolution ofthe MR images, and the accuracy of the temperature measurement. The integrated coils showed a better sensitivity compared to a standard extracorporeal coil. Anatomical (voxel 0.4x0.4x5 mm3)and thermometry (voxel 0.75x0.75x8 mm3, 2s/image) high resolution MR images were acquired in-vivo. The temperature was measured, within a radius of 20 mm from the balloon, with a standard deviation <1°C. The flow artifacts caused by the water circulating inside the cooling balloon could be shifted out of the region of interest. The temperature evolution was controlled automatically, at different depths, with one control point per beam. The controller showed a good accuracy during in-vivo experiments (standard deviation less than 5%). The phased-arrayultra sound transducer permits the successive activation of multiple beams during the same dynamic of sonication. Simulations were conducted in order to offer an optimal treatment planning for a defined tumor. A new design of ultrasound transducer with 256 elements with revolution symmetry, based on a natural geometrical focalization, was proposed.

Les implants cochléaires permettent aux personnes atteintes de surdité profonde de percevoir des sons. La modélisation comportementale de la partie externe de l’implant a été réalisée avec le logiciel Matlab. L’étude du canal de transmission et sa modélisation utilisant des modèles électriques de tissus biologiques a été ensuite effectuée ainsi que l’étude du niveau de bruit introduit par le canal. Deux types de modulations différentes sont réalisés à l’émission chacune nécessitant un oscillateur. L’étude théorique et la création d’un nouveau modèle afin d’évaluer le bruit de phase ont été proposés. L’extraction du jitter à partir du bruit de phase et son impact sur la chaine de réception complète a été estimée. La compréhension précise et la modélisation des différentes parties de l’oreille humaine qui conduisent à la stimulation des terminaisons nerveuses sont décrites. Par la suite nous avons développé un nouveau modèle mécanique de l’organe de Corti et du déplacement des stéréociles, que nous avons validé à l’aide de données provenant d’expériences physiques. La modélisation mathématique de la synapse entre les cellules ciliées et les fibres nerveuses a été réalisée, afin d’obtenir le stimulus électrique relatif à un son perçu quelconque. De plus un nouveau modèle analogique décrivant la propagation de l’information nerveuse a été développé. En se basant sur la spectroscopie d’impédance électrochimique des tissus biologiques, nous avons créé un modèle électrique du fil d’électrodes inséré dans la cochlée. / Cochlear implants are used by severely deaf people for partial hearing sensation. Behavioral modeling of the external part of the cochlear implant was first performed using the software Matlab. Then the propagation channel was modeled using electrical analogy of the biological tissues. Noise extraction of the propagation channel was performed in order to obtain the specifications for the RF receiver. Two types of diverse modulations are performed in the transmitter each one requiring an oscillator. The theoretical study and the creation of a new model allowing phase noise estimation is also proposed in this document. Jitter estimation from phase noise was performed and significantly impacted the overall chain transmission, suggesting oscillators blocks optimization. The accurate heterogeneous modeling of the various part of the internal ear leading to auditory nerve excitation was developed. Then a new mechanical equivalent of the organ of Corti and stereocilia displacement was developed and confirmed by physical experiments. The synapse between the hair cells and nerve fibers was mathematically modeled, in order to obtain the electrical stimulus of the auditory nerve associated with a random sound stimulus. Furthermore a new analog model of the nerve fiber information propagation was realized in order to obtain a realistic electrical analogy with nerve fiber depolarization propagation. Based on impedance spectroscopy biological tissue characterization, we proposed a new electrical analogy of the system composed of the electrodes inserted inside the cochlea.

Cette thèse présente des développements techniques et méthodologiques visant une alternative viable pour le traitement des cancers digestifs (rectum, œsophage). Par rapport aux méthodes standards de thérapie, les ultrasons de contact de haute intensité sous guidage IRM sont une approche moins invasive. L’IRM offre 2 avantages: bonne résolution spatiale et contrôle en temps réel de la température. Cette méthode de traitement demande efficacité et sécurité. Trois prototypes d’antenne RF intégrées à des transducteurs ultrasonores ont été réalisés afin d’améliorer la résolution spatiale et temporelle des images IRM et la précision de la mesure de température. Les antennes intégrées ont montré une meilleure sensibilité par rapport à une antenne extra corporelle standard. Des images IRM haute résolution, anatomiques (voxel0.4x0.4x5 mm3) et de thermométrie (voxel 0.75x0.75x8 mm3, 2s/image) ont été acquises in-vivo.La température a été mesurée, dans un rayon de 20 mm au-delà du ballon, avec un écart type<1°C. Les artéfacts de flux causés par l’eau circulante à l’intérieur du ballon de refroidissement ont pu être projetés hors de la région d’intérêt. L’évolution de la température a été contrôlée automatiquement, à des profondeurs variables, avec un point de contrôle par faisceau. Le contrôleur a montré une grande précision in-vivo (écart type <5%). Le transducteur ultrasonore matriciel permet d’activer successivement plusieurs faisceaux pendant la même dynamique de tir.Des simulations ont été conduites afin de proposer une planification du traitement optimale pour une tumeur désignée. Un nouveau concept de sonde ultrasonore à 256 éléments avec focalisation géométrique naturelle a été proposé. / This thesis presents technical and methodological developments aiming tooffer a viable alternative for the treatment of digestive cancers (rectum and esophagus). Compared to the standard methods of therapy, the high intensity contact ultrasound guided by MRI is a less invasive approach. MRI offers 2 advantages: good spatial resolution, and real-time temperature control. This treatment method requires efficacy and safety. Three prototypes of RF coil integrated with ultrasound transducers were built in order to increase the spatial and temporal resolution ofthe MR images, and the accuracy of the temperature measurement. The integrated coils showed a better sensitivity compared to a standard extracorporeal coil. Anatomical (voxel 0.4x0.4x5 mm3)and thermometry (voxel 0.75x0.75x8 mm3, 2s/image) high resolution MR images were acquired in-vivo. The temperature was measured, within a radius of 20 mm from the balloon, with a standard deviation <1°C. The flow artifacts caused by the water circulating inside the cooling balloon could be shifted out of the region of interest. The temperature evolution was controlled automatically, at different depths, with one control point per beam. The controller showed a good accuracy during in-vivo experiments (standard deviation less than 5%). The phased-arrayultra sound transducer permits the successive activation of multiple beams during the same dynamic of sonication. Simulations were conducted in order to offer an optimal treatment planning for a defined tumor. A new design of ultrasound transducer with 256 elements with revolution symmetry, based on a natural geometrical focalization, was proposed.

This dissertation focuses on design and implementation of a highly linear and low flicker-noise receiver front-end based on the direct conversion architecture for multiband applications in a CMOS technology. The dissertation consists of two parts: One, implementation of a highly linear RF receiver front-end and, two, implementation of a low flicker-noise RF receiver front-end based for direct conversion architecture. For multiband applications, key active components, highly linear LNAs and mixers, in the RF front-end receiver have been implemented in a 0.18um CMOS process. Theoretical approaches are analyzed from the perspective of implementation issues for highly linear receiver system and are also compared with measured results. Highly linear LNAs and mixers have been analyzed in terms of noise, linearity and power consumption, etc. For a low flicker-noise receiver front-end based on direct conversion architecture, the design of differential LNA and various low flicker-noise mixers are investigated in a standard 0.18um CMOS process. A differential LNA which shows high linearity was fabricated with a low flicker-noise mixer. Three low flicker-noise mixers were designed, measured and compared to the-state-of-the-arts published by other research institutes and companies.