Search

This paper investigates on the theorization, design, fabrication and measurement of original phase shifter (PS) operating with two-step stair phase behavior. The innovative stair PS is designed with unfamiliar stop-band (SB) negative group delay (NGD) passive circuit. The elementary unfamiliar SB-NGD topology constituted by resistive, inductive, and capacitive lumped network is described. Acting as an RF and microwave circuit, the S-matrix model is expressed in function the RLC-network parameters. Thus, the canonical form of unfamiliar SB-NGD transfer function (TF) represented by the transmission coefficient is established. The unfamiliar SB-NGD circuit equations in terms of the NGD parameters are formulated. The established theory is validated comparing the calculated, simulated, and measured S-parameters and group delays (GDs). Results with a very good agreement showing unfamiliar SB-NGD behavior are observed around the central frequency 2.45 GHz and bandwidth of 100 MHz. An innovative application of unfamiliar SB-NGD function for the communication system front-end is developed. The developed application concept of unfamiliar SB-NGD circuit is illustrated by designing a microwave device operating as a PS presenting a two-step stair response completely original behavior. The basic theory, design and implementation of the two-step stair PS concept are introduced. To validate the two-step stair PS principle, a proof of concept (PoC) is designed based distributed element based inductive and capacitive microstrip elements. The simulated and measured results of the PS PoC are in good agreement. The experimental results confirm the feasibility of two-step stair PS with phase jumping from −70°±4° (from 2 GHz to 2.3 GHz) to −104°±2° (from 2.6 GHz to 3.0 GHz). The investigated unfamiliar SB-NGD function-based stair PS is promising for future development 5G and 6G communication system.

This paper develops an original design method of high-pass (HP) negative group delay (NGD) integrated circuit (IC). The considered HP-NGD IC is based on a passive topology which is essentially composed of resistor-inductor (RL) network. The paper presents the first time that an unfamiliar HP-topology is designed in miniaturized circuit implemented in 130-nm CMOS technology. The theory of unfamiliar HP-NGD topology based on the voltage transfer function (VTF) analysis is elaborated. The design equations with synthesis formulas of the resistor and inductor are established. The HP-NGD IC CMOS design methodology is introduced. The feasibility of the miniature NGD IC implementation is approved by design rule check (DRC) and layout versus schematic (LVS) approaches. The HP-NGD passive IC is designed in 130-nm CMOS technology. The HP-NGD topology is constituted by RL-network based on CMOS high Ohmic unsalicided N + poly resistor and symmetrical high current spiral inductor. Then, the schematic and layout simulations are presented. The validity of the 130-nm CMOS HP-NGD design is verified by the investigation of 225 $\mu \text{m}\,\,\times215\,\,\mu \text{m}$ chip two different miniature circuit proofs-of-concept (POC). The HP-NGD behavior is validated by comparison between the calculated, and schematic and post-layout simulations of the HP-NGD POCs carried out by a commercial tool. As expected, the group delay and VTF magnitude diagrams are in very good correlation. HP-NGD optimal value, NGD cut-off frequency and attenuation, of about (−31 ps, 141 MHz, −3 dB) and (−47 ps, 204 MHz, −5 dB) are obtained from the miniature POCs.

Recent investigation reports that certain electronic circuits operate with the unfamiliar negative group delay (NGD) function. It is fundamentally stated that the NGD circuits can be classified in different types. For example, we have the simplest ones as LP and HP NGD circuit types. So far, all the NGD studies are focused on simple type function. In step up of the research about the NGD electronic circuit engineering, this paper develops an original theory of electronic circuit topology operating with double NGD-type behavior. The study consists in the theorization of three-port circuit simultaneously generating LP and HP NGD function types. The proposed three-port innovative circuit under study is innovatively composed of resistive-capacitive (RC) network of Tee-shaped topology. Moreover, the LP and HP double-NGD circuit is a first order cell which does not contain any inductive component. The LP and HP NGD analyses of the Tee-topology is based on the 3-D S-matrix modelling. Analytical investigation based on classical circuit theory is elaborated to determine the S-matrix model from the equivalent admittance matrix. The identification of the double-NGD function is established from the LP- and HP-NGD canonical forms. Hence, the specific double-NGD characteristics are defined in function of the R and C elements constituting the three-port topology. To validate the developed double-NGD theory, a proof-of-concept (PoC) of SMD lumped component-based three-port circuit is designed, simulated, fabricated and tested. The calculated, simulated and measured results from the three-port circuit PoC prototype in very good agreement confirm the double-NGD behavior. The proposed innovative NGD three-port circuit design is useful in the future for the synchronization of signals propagating through multi-way communication system.

Over the emerging industry 4.0 era, the building control system performance depends on the development of smart sensor technology. Nowadays, the building control engineers challenge on the design of high-capacity smart sensor susceptible to operate with high speed of data processing. In this context, this paper introduces a pioneer research work on the negative group delay (NGD) circuit original application for room temperature anticipation useful for smart-building control. The real-time anticipation of sensor data by using a low-pass (LP) NGD digital circuit is studied. This approach enables minimizing the latency time for optimizing control action. The unfamiliar LP-NGD digital circuit design method and theoretical formulation are described for anticipating thermal wave experimentation in real-time. The digital circuit equation coefficients are computed regarding the time-advance of anticipated thermal completely arbitrary waveform signal. The main interest of using the NGD method-based for thermal wave anticipation regarding temperature variation from heater and freezer control is demonstrated. The anticipation feasibility is illustrated from the minute scale time-advance LP-NGD digital circuit implemented on the STM32® microcontroller unit. The NGD characterization is performed from frequency domain analysis and cosine waveform pulse transient test. Then, the -30 seconds to -10 seconds real-time-advance of temperature variation is verified by calculation and experimentation. The present study result opens a promising NGD method application for the advanced fault control of a future industrial system by anticipating system failures.

The miniaturization and application development are the expected challenges on the today engineering design research on bandpass (BP) type negative group delay (NGD) circuit. To overcome this technical limit, an innovative contribution on integrated circuit (IC) design method of BP-NGD application to design constant phase shifter (PS) in 130-nm BiCMOS technology is developed in the present paper. The BP-NGD PS microwave passive IC is topologically consisted of cascade of CLC- and RLC-resonant networks. After the S-matrix modelling, the synthesis design equations enabling to calculate each lumped component values constituting the BP-NGD PS BiCMOS are established. The design equations are expressed knowing the targeted specifications as phase shift and operating frequency. The BiCMOS design methodology including the key steps as design rule checking (DRC), layout versus schematic (LVS) and post-layout simulation (PLS) is described. The miniaturized BP-NGD PS design feasibility is verified with schematic and layout simulations with IC CMOS standard commercial software tool. A proof-of-concept (POC) of 130-nm BiCMOS BP-NGD PS operating at the center frequency $f_{0}=1.9$ GHz and bandwidth $\Delta f=0.1$ GHz is designed and simulated. After DRC, the chip layout of miniaturized BP-NGD PS POC presents 0.407 mm2 size. The BP-NGD PS POC exhibits constant phase shift notable value of about $\varphi _{0}= - 90^{\circ }+$ /−0.4° under $S_{21}(f_{0})= -6$ +/−1 dB transmission coefficient with good flatness and reflection coefficients ( $S_{21}(f_{0})$ and $S_{21}(f_{0})$ ) widely better than −10 dB. The design robustness is confirmed by 1000-trial Monte Carlo uncertainty analyses with PLS results. Because of the potential integration in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), the BP-NGD PS under study is a promising candidate for the improvement of the future 5G and 6G transceiver design.

A particularly original negative group delay (NGD) theory of $\Delta $ -topology is developed in the present paper. The NGD three-port topology is a passive circuit purely constituted by capacitors network. The model of the proposed $\Delta $ -topology impedance 3-D matrix is analytically established in function of the capacitor elements. Then, the S-matrix model is derived by using the Y-to-S transform. By considering the S-matrix frequency responses, a bandpass (BP) NGD analysis of the capacitive $\Delta $ -topology is originally elaborated. It is theoretically demonstrated that the passive $\Delta $ -topology is susceptible to behave as a BP NGD circuit under an analytical condition between the constituting capacitor values. The design feasibility of the BP NGD function is experimentally verified with lumped capacitor components-based $\Delta $ -circuit proof of concept. An electronic circuit board constituted by purely capacitive-network $\Delta $ -circuit is fabricated as an original $\Delta $ -circuit prototype. The tested board is constituted by arbitrary chosen capacitors, 100 nF, 10 nF and 0.1 nF. As expected, the calculation, simulation and measurement results, which are in very good agreement, confirm the BP NGD behavior. It is observed from measurement that it generates NGD of about −18.1 ns at a frequency of about 0.55 MHz and, lower and upper cut-off frequencies of about 0.33 MHz and 1.71 MHz. It is noteworthy that the transmission and reflection coefficients at very low frequency are independent of the capacitor values and analytically equal to 2/3 and 1/3, respectively.

This paper focuses on the time-domain analysis of bandpass (BP) negative group delay (NGD) function. The innovative NGD investigation is based on the time-domain experimentation of an innovative topology of “lill”-shape passive microstrip circuit. The design principle of the proof of concept (POC) constituted by particular microstrip shapes is described. The NGD circuit is inspired from a recent fully distributed “li”-topology. Before the time-domain investigation, the BP NGD specifications of the circuit under study are academically defined. As practical application of the basic definition, a frequency domain validation of “lill”-circuit is presented in the first section of the paper. The POC circuit is specified by a -8 ns NGD value at 2.31 GHz NGD center frequency and a 27 MHz NGD bandwidth. The “lill”-circuit exhibits an attenuation loss of about -6.2 dB at the NGD center frequency. Then, the two-port black box model of “lill”-NGD-circuit represented by touchstone data of the measured S-parameters is exploited for the transient simulation. The measured group delay (GD) illustrates that the tested “lill”-circuit operates as a BP function regarding the NGD with NGD equal to -8.1 ns at the NGD center frequency. The time-domain demonstration of the BP NGD function was performed using a gaussian pulse modulating sine carrier. The innovative experimental setup with the possibility to plot simultaneously well synchronized input and output signals is explained. The BP NGD time-domain response is understood from commercial tool simulation using the touchstone S-parameters of the measured “lill”-circuit by using a Gaussian up-converted pulse having a 27 MHz frequency bandwidth. It was observed that the output signals are delayed when the sine carrier is out of NGD-band. However, the output signal envelope is in advanced of about -8 ns when the carrier is tuned to be approximately equal to the 2.31 GHz NGD center frequency. To confirm the time-domain typical behavior of BP NGD response, an input pulse signal having Gaussian waveform were considered during the test. However, the input signal spectrum must be determined in function of the NGD bandwidth. After tests, measured output signal envelopes presenting leading edge, trailing edge and peak in time-advance compared to the input ones are observed experimentally. The results of the present feasibility study open a potential microwave communication application of BP NGD function notably for systems operating with ISM and IEEE 802.11 standards.

A transient study of bandpass (BP) negative group delay (NGD) function is devoted in this paper. The transient analysis is applied to an original topology of NGD barcode-shape microstrip circuit. The performed investigation explains how to realize the transient analysis of tri-band NGD circuit. The time-domain (TD) parametrization of the test is established from the BP-NGD specifications of the circuit under test (CUT) based on the S-parameter model. The input signal is a Gaussian pulse characterized in function of the NGD bandwidth (BW) and center frequency. The feasibility of the BP-NGD transient study is illustrated with experimentation based on ultra-wide band (UWB) pulse generator. As proof-of-concept, barcode NGD circuit exhibiting tri-band NGD value-center frequency-bandwidth, (−5.9 ns, 2.128 GHz, 20 MHz), (−7.4 ns, 2.3 GHz, 14 MHz) and (−4.8 ns, 2.42 GHz, 14 MHz) has been fabricated and tested. The transient simulations and experiences confirm that the output signal envelopes of the barcode NGD prototype present leading and tailing edges in time-advance of input ones when the carrier frequency is set equal to the NGD center frequency.

This paper develops an original circuit theory of unfamiliar stop-band (SB) negative group delay (NGD) topology. The proposed NGD topology is implemented without inductor component. The developed theory is established with passive cell constituted by RC-network based high-pass (HP) and low-pass (LP) NGD composite circuits. The analytical investigation of the SB-NGD circuit is introduced from the elaboration of voltage transfer function (VTF). The canonical form enabling to identify SB-NGD circuit is analytically expressed. The different SB-NGD characteristics as GD value, and, center and cut-off frequencies are innovatively formulated in function of the circuit resistor and capacitor components. The existence condition of SB-NGD function is also established. The inductorless SB-NGD topology is validated by a proof-of-concept (POC) circuit implemented by surface-mounted-device (SMD) component based printed circuit board (PCB). The measured VTF magnitude and group delay (GD) are extracted from the experimented S-parameters. A good agreement between the calculated, simulated and measured results is obtained. The SB-NGD behavior has measured center frequency of about 32 MHz. The lower- and upper-NGD cut-off frequencies are about 9.15 MHz and 98.3 MHz. The optimal NGD values at low and higher frequencies are −3.25 ns and −56 ps.

This paper introduces an innovative passive topology of bandpass (BP) negative group delay (NGD) electrical circuit implemented with symmetric H-tree network. The multi-port topology of BP NGD circuit is originally represented by a resistorless H-tree constituted by lumped LC-passive network. Until now, the NGD electronic circuits available in the literature are implemented by two-port circuits which are using either resistive elements or distributed microstrip topologies. In the present investigation, the feasibility of the modelling, design, fabrication and test of unfamiliar BP NGD original H-tree circuits. The main objective of the study is to identify analytically the existence of the BP NGD function with the resistorless H-tree circuit. Because of its simplicity and the analytical equation compactness, the uncommon approach of tensorial analysis of networks (TAN) is used in the paper. After the branch and mesh analyses, the impedance matrix of the resistorless H-tree is elaborated. Hence, the resistorless H-tree equivalent S-matrix is established by means of impedance to scattering matrix transform. The BP NGD analysis in function of the inductance and capacitance parameters constituting the H-tree circuit is presented. Then, the main steps of the BP NGD investigation are described. The existence of BP NGD behavior in function of the adequate transmission parameters is identified by the consideration of the canonical form. To validate the BP NGD behavior, a proof of concept (POC) of LC-network based resistorless and symmetrical tree prototype is designed, fabricated and measured. Comparison results between well-correlated TAN calculation, simulation and experimentation are discussed.

The via ground (GND) structure constitutes one of the most useful elements for designing high performance printed circuit boards (PCBs). The electrical interconnections with vias become key regular solutions for the implementation of various electronic functions. However, so far, the vias are never being used for designing negative group delay (NGD) circuit. To answer this curious question, an original study on the design feasibility of low-pass NGD function with via ground is introduced in the present paper. After the topological description, the NGD analysis in function of the via parameters is established. The design equations allowing to synthesize the via in function of NGD function specifications are formulated. The developed NGD theory is verified with comparisons between calculations and simulations with a commercial tool. As expected, NGD value in order of hundred-picoseconds over hundred-megahertz cut-off frequencies is obtained with good agreement between the theoretical model and simulation. Furthermore, time domain analyses confirm that the via NGD structure enables to generate output signals in time-advance of arbitrary waveform input signals presenting limited bandwidth.

This paper investigates an innovative negative group delay (NGD) theory of “li” geometrical shape topology. The li-topology is an outstandingly simple and fully distributed circuit comprised of a coupled line (CL). The li S-parameter model taking into account the CL coupling coefficient, delay and attenuation is established. The NGD analysis showing the possibility to generate NGD condition with respect to the li topology parameters is developed. The NGD characteristics as NGD value, center frequency, bandwidth, transmission and reflection coefficient are expressed. The li-NGD theory is validated with two proofs-of-concept implemented in microstrip technology. Calculated models, simulations and measurements are in good correlation. As expected, bandpass NGD presenting center frequency at approximately 2.56 GHz and 0.92 GHz with NGD level of approximately -0.9 ns and -3.7 ns were realized with the small and large li prototypes. Outstanding time-domain analyses explaining the bandpass NGD meaning, with innovatively low attenuation output, were also presented. The time-domain results highlight li-output pulse signal envelopes in time advance without violating the causality.

An original thermal model of a single room structure is developed by using the tensorial network-based Kron's method. The modelling principle is using the equivalent RC-network of wall, door and air constituting the house. For a better understanding, the temperature propagation was assumed only in a 1-D horizontal direction. The problem geometrization is defined in function of rectangular approximation meshing. After the determination of the equivalent thermal resistor and thermal capacitor, the innovative thermal circuit representing the room is elaborated. The methodology of the Kron's formalism, implicitly described with the different action steps is introduced. The thermal room Kron's method is implemented from the branch to mesh spaces before the expression of the problem metric. The thermal transfer functions (TTFs) at three cases of indoor points, situated near, middle and far of the door are established from the Kron's problem metric. The feasibility of the room thermal Kron's TTF model is validated with SPICE TTF simulations in both frequency and time domains. The thermal cut-off frequencies are verified with very good correlation between the established TTF model and simulation. An excellent prediction of transient responses with unit-step and arbitrary waveform temperature signals with a minimal and maximal amplitude of about 20°C and 40°C is proposed.

This paper aims to develop an original circuit theory of inductorless NGD topology. The considered passive cell comprised of resistor and capacitor elements without inductor operates as a bandpass (BP) NGD function. The specifications of NGD functions are defined. Generally, the BP NGD fully lumped circuits available in the literature operate with resonant RLC-network. In the introduced research work, a lumped circuit was first time identified to exhibit the BP behavior without the presence of inductive component. The inductorless BP NGD topology is inspired from the combination of low-pass (LP) and high-pass (HP) NGD passive cells. Therefore, an original LP-HP NGD composite topology is obtained. The identified BP NGD topology is constituted only by passive RC-networks. Then, theoretical development of BP NGD analysis is explored. The inductorless circuit theory starts with the identification of BP NGD canonical form. Then, the expressions of NGD value, center frequency and attenuation in function of RC-network parameters are established. The synthesis equations allowing to determine the resistor and capacitor elements are derived. Proofs-of-concept are designed and prototypes are fabricated to verify the effectiveness of the developed LP-HP NGD composite theory. To validate the developed original circuit theory, two prototypes of RC-network based LP-HP NGD composite were designed, fabricated, simulated and tested. The two prototypes were synthesized with respect to two different NGD center frequencies 13.5 MHz and 22 MHz. As expected, the calculated, simulated and measurement results are in very good agreement with NGD value of about some negative nanoseconds. In the future, the characterized inductorless topology enable to overcome the traditional limitations of RLC-network based BP NGD circuits because of inductance self-effect limitation.

This paper develops a new reconstruction technique of undesirable signal distortion generated by sensor electronic circuits. The introduced reconstruction technique is originally realized with unfamiliar low-pass negative group delay (NGD) function. The feasibility condition of the proposed reconstruction technique in function of the sensor signal spectrum bandwidth under consideration is elaborated. The reconstruction technique principle is theoretically introduced by means of identification of low-pass NGD function parameters and the appropriated circuit topology. The unfamiliar low-pass NGD function analysis and synthesis equations are established. As an example, for the feasibility study, an RC-network based low-pass active cell is considered to implement the low-pass NGD function. A design method of NGD circuit in function of the sensor distortion transfer function is described in different successive steps. The developed NGD reconstruction technique is validated by different proofs of concept. First, transient simulations are carried out with Gaussian and sinc analytical signals. Then, experimental feasibility study is also performed with arbitrary waveform signal. As expected, the NGD reconstruction technique efficiency is confirmed with improvement of distorted signal integrity parameters and cross correlation better than 97%.

This paper elaborates a negative group delay (NGD) analysis of 0IO-shape printed circuit board (PCB) traces. This circuit topology is originally implemented with a tri-coupled line (3CL) six-port element with the lateral side connected through lossy transmission lines (TLs). After description of the electrical equivalent diagram, the S-matrix model is established. The group delay (GD) is formulated from the transmission coefficient as a function of the 0IO topological parameters. The effectiveness of the GD modelling is verified with a microstrip circuit proof-of-concept (POC). Simulations and measurements, which are in good agreement, confirm the dual-band bandpass NGD behavior of the 0IO POC. The fabricated prototype generates NGD levels better than -1 ns at NGD center frequencies of about 2.2 GHz and 3 GHz. In addition, to this good NGD performance, the 0IO POC operates with a low insertion loss better than 2.5 dB and reflection losses better than 12 dB in the NGD bandwidths.