Computer-aided design, analysis and optimization of SOP-HMIC transceiver with integrated T/R switch

The demand for higher performance systems that are smaller and have the potential to be more cost effective has lead the hardware designers to adopt integration of many components and modules in a package (SOP) or on a chip (SOC). Two compact SOP (single-substrate) SO-HMIC transceivers with integrated T/R switch modules for high-resolution sensor application have been demonstrated. These modules contain singly-balanced diode mixer; using either rate-race or Lange coupler; lowpass filter, 7-dB power splitter using branch coupler and T/R switch. A new and efficient methodology is investigated for the design of microstrip T/R switch. The components of the modules are designed using the full-scale computer simulation program performed with the authors, while they are analyzed and optimized using the Aplac V7.61 software. The analysis of the designed transceiver modules is introduced which reflects a good performance and achieves a higher efficiency.