PCB Design for High Frequency RF Circuits

The development of the high-frequency communication systems, e.g., 5G sub-6GHz, IoT networks, radar, and satellite transceivers, has increased the necessity to have an efficient RF front-end module. RF mixers and RF oscillators are required components which facilitate the process of frequency translation and generation of constant signals. This paper focuses on PCB implementation of these two RF circuits at various degrees of completion. RF mixer implementation has been carried out to bare PCB manufacture with the RF oscillator implementation being finished to Gerber file output. The RF mixer layout was done as a systematic process that involves schematic capture, footprint layout, RF component placement, and impedance-controlled 4-layer FR-4 stack-up multilayer routing. Following successful DRC and DFM check, the design was produced in the form of bare PCB. Conversely, the RF oscillator was created with a 2-layer (top and bottom) stack -up on a Rogers substrate to improve the performance at high frequencies. This oscillator layout focused on controlled impedance, good grounding and minimization of parasitic, and went up to Gerber generation. This paper presents the significance of a PCB layout approach and experience in selecting materials to ensure the reliability of RF circuit performance.