Keysight Technologies
Analysis and Design of RF and 
Digital Systems Using 
Keysight SystemVue
Primer
 
 
Analysis and Design 
of RF and Digital 
Systems Using 
Keysight SystemVue 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Primer 
 
 
Abstract                                                                                
 
Keysight Technologies, Inc. has developed a set of 
 
software products for both circuit and system-level 
analysis, and design of radio frequency (RF) systems. 
This primer introduces the basics of Keysight 
SystemVue simulators and how to use them to 
 
effectively empower RF and digital system design. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
           
 
Contents                                                     
General Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 8 
1.  SystemVue .................................................................................................................................. 8 
2.  Scope .......................................................................................................................................... 8 
3.  Objectives ................................................................................................................................... 8 
Chapter 1: SystemVue Integrated Simulators ...................................................................................... 9 
1.1.  Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 9 
1.2.  Traditional Simulation Techniques ............................................................................................ 9 
1.3.  Behavioral Modeling .................................................................................................................. 9 
1.3.1.  Data Flow Simulator ..................................................................................................... 10 
1.3.2. 
Spectrasys ................................................................................................................... 122 
1.3.3.  WhatIF Frequency Planner ......................................................................................... 155 
1.3.4. 
Parameter Sweep ......................................................................................................... 15 
1.3.5. 
Behavioral Optimization ............................................................................................. 177 
1.4.  Summary .................................................................................................................................. 18 
Chapter 2: RF System Design Basics .................................................................................................. 20 
2.1.  Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 20 
2.2.  Transceiver Design ................................................................................................................... 20 
2.3.  Receiver Architectures ............................................................................................................. 21 
2.3.1. 
Super-Heterodyne Receivers ..................................................................................... 222 
2.3.2. 
Low-IF Receivers ........................................................................................................ 222 
2.3.3.  Direct-Conversion Receivers ...................................................................................... 232 
2.3.4. 
Sub-Sampling Receivers ............................................................................................ 233 
2.3.5. 
Receiver Architecture Benchmark ............................................................................... 23 
2.4.  System-Level Considerations ................................................................................................ 244 
2.4.1. 
Figures-of-Merit ......................................................................................................... 244 
2.4.2. 
Range Equations ......................................................................................................... 254 
2.4.3. 
Link Budget ................................................................................................................. 255 
2.4.4. 
Sensitivity and Selectivity ............................................................................................. 26 
Analysis and Design of RF and Digital Systems Using Keysight SystemVue  
 
©2014 Keysight Technologies -- Page 2 
2.4.5. 
Image Rejection .......................................................................................................... 287 
2.4.6. 
Phase Noise ................................................................................................................ 288 
2.4.7.  DC Offset ..................................................................................................................... 299 
2.5.  Nonlinear Behavior of RF Systems ........................................................................................ 299 
2.5.1. 
Intermodulation Distortion ........................................................................................... 29 
2.5.2.  Noise Figure .................................................................................................................. 30 
2.5.3. 
In-Band and Out-of-Band Interferers and Blockers .................................................... 31 
2.5.4. 
Adjacent Channels ........................................................................................................ 31 
2.5.5.  Gain Compression ........................................................................................................ 32 
2.5.6.  Dynamic Range ........................................................................................................... 344 
2.6.  Transceiver Design Trade-Offs .............................................................................................. 355 
2.6.1. 
Signal-to-Noise Ratio ................................................................................................. 355 
2.6.2. 
Frequency Planning .................................................................................................... 355 
2.7.  Basic RF Transceiver Building Blocks .................................................................................... 366 
2.7.1. 
Antenna ....................................................................................................................... 377 
2.7.2. 
Amplifier (Power/Low-Noise) ..................................................................................... 377 
2.7.3. 
Filter ............................................................................................................................ 377 
2.7.4.  Duplexer ...................................................................................................................... 388 
2.7.5.  Mixer ............................................................................................................................ 388 
2.7.6. 
Local Oscillator ........................................................................................................... 399 
2.7.7.  Detector ...................................................................................................................... 399 
2.7.8. 
Analog-to-Digital Conversion .................................................................................... 399 
2.8.  Summary .................................................................................................................................. 40 
Chapter 3: Designing RF Systems Using SystemVue ........................................................................ 41 
Case Study: Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Front-End Design ........................................................... 41 
3.1.  Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 41 
3.2.  Highlights about Design Methodologies and Approaches ..................................................... 41 
3.2.1. 
Common Design Approaches ....................................................................................... 41 
3.2.2.  Overview of System-Level Modeling .......................................................................... 432 
3.3.  Case Study: LTE Tri-Band Receiver Design .......................................................................... 444 
3.3.1. 
LTE Overview ............................................................................................................... 454 
Analysis and Design of RF and Digital Systems Using Keysight SystemVue  
 
©2014 Keysight Technologies -- Page 3 
3.3.2. 
Receiver Specifications and Design ........................................................................... 455 
3.4.  Summary .................................................................................................................................. 62 
Chapter 4: Introduction to Digital Communications .......................................................................... 64 
4.1.  Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 64 
4.2.  Transmitter ............................................................................................................................... 65 
4.3.  Receiver .................................................................................................................................... 65 
4.4.  Channel .................................................................................................................................... 65 
4.5.  Other Considerations ............................................................................................................... 65 
Chapter 5: Transmitter Design ............................................................................................................ 67 
5.1.  Transmitter Basics .................................................................................................................... 67 
5.2.  Input Data ................................................................................................................................. 69 
5.3.  Encoding ................................................................................................................................... 70 
5.4.  Mapping .................................................................................................................................... 71 
5.5.  Pulse Shape Filtering ............................................................................................................... 72 
5.6.  I/Q Modulation ......................................................................................................................... 96 
5.7.  Analyzing the Results ............................................................................................................... 98 
Chapter 6: Receiver Design ................................................................................................................. 82 
6.1.  Receiver Basics ........................................................................................................................ 82 
6.2.  Receiver Subnetwork Overview ............................................................................................... 85 
6.3.  Demodulator ............................................................................................................................ 87 
6.4.  Matched Filtering ..................................................................................................................... 88 
6.5.  Synchronization ........................................................................................................................ 88 
6.6.  Phase and Timing Error Correction ......................................................................................... 91 
6.7.  Frequency Error Correction ..................................................................................................... 93 
6.8.  Channel Estimation .................................................................................................................. 97 
6.9.  Demapping ............................................................................................................................... 97 
6.10. Code Correction ...................................................................................................................... 98 
Chapter 7: System Level Modeling ..................................................................................................... 99 
7.1.  BER ........................................................................................................................................... 99 
7.2.  Cross Domain Simulation ...................................................................................................... 102 
7.3.  HDL Generation...................................................................................................................... 104 
Analysis and Design of RF and Digital Systems Using Keysight SystemVue  
 
©2014 Keysight Technologies -- Page 4 
Chapter 8: OFDM Transmitter ........................................................................................................... 108 
8.1.  Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 108 
8.2.  OFDM Frame Structure .......................................................................................................... 111 
8.3.  OFDM Payload........................................................................................................................ 112 
8.4.  Pilot Signals ............................................................................................................................ 113 
8.5.  Frequency-to-Time Domain .................................................................................................. 114 
Chapter 9: Spread Spectrum CDMA Tutorial ................................................................................... 118 
9.1.  Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 118 
9.2.  Lab 1: Bit Generation Pattern ................................................................................................ 118 
9.3.  Lab 2: Mapping ...................................................................................................................... 125 
9.4.  Lab 3: Walsh Code ................................................................................................................. 128 
9.5.  Lab 4: Filter Design ................................................................................................................ 131 
9.6.  Lab 5: Modulation .................................................................................................................. 133 
9.7.  Lab 6: RF Link ......................................................................................................................... 135 
9.8.  Lab 7: Step 7 Demodulation .................................................................................................. 139 
9.9.  Lab 8: Completed System ...................................................................................................... 144 
9.10. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 152 
9.11  Appendix ................................................................................................................................ 153 
References ......................................................................................................................................... 154 
 
 
Analysis and Design of RF and Digital Systems Using Keysight SystemVue  
 
©2014 Keysight Technologies -- Page 5 
Acronyms and Abbreviations 
3G  Third-Generation 
3GPP  Third-Generation Partnership Project 
ACPR  Adjacent Channel Power Ratio 
ADS  Advanced Design System 
AWGN  Additive White Gaussian Noise 
BER  Bit Error Rate 
CMOS  Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor 
CNR  Carrier-to-Noise Ratio 
CPU  Central Processing Unit 
CW  Continuous Wave 
DC  Direct Current 
DR  Dynamic Range 
DSP  Digital Signal Processing 
E-UTRA  Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access 
EVM  Error Vector Magnitude 
FDD  Frequency Division Duplex 
FSPL  Free-Space Path Loss 
G  Gain 
HB  Harmonic Balance 
HDL  Hardware Description Language 
Intermediate Frequency 
Intermodulation Distortion 
Intellectual Property 
IF 
IMD 
IP 
LO  Local Oscillator 
LOS  Line-of-Sight 
LTE  Long Term Evolution 
MDS  Minimum Discernible Signal 
MIMO  Multiple Input Multiple Output 
NF  Noise Figure 
OFDM  Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing 
OFDMA  Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access 
P1dB  1-dB Compression Point 
PLL  Phase-Locked Loop 
PRB  Physical Resource Blocks 
QPSK  Quadrature Phase-Shift Keying 
RF  Radio-Frequency 
SAE  System Architecture Evolution 
SC-FDMA  Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access 
SDF  Synchronous Data Flow 
SINAD  Signal-to-Noise and Distortion Ratio 
SISO  Simple Input Simple Output 
SNR  Signal-to-Noise Ratio (also S/N) 
SP  Scattering Parameters 
SPARCA  Spectral Propagation and Root Cause Analysis 
TA  Transient Analysis 
TDD  Time Division Duplex 
THD  Total Harmonic Distortion 
TOI  Third-Order Intercept Point (also IP3) 
UMTS  Universal Mobile Telecommunication System 
VCO  Voltage-Controlled Oscillator 
Analysis and Design of RF and Digital Systems Using Keysight SystemVue  
 
©2014 Keysight Technologies -- Page 6 
VSWR  Voltage Standing Wave Ratio 
XP  X-Parameters* 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Analysis and Design of RF and Digital Systems Using Keysight SystemVue  
 
©2014 Keysight Technologies -- Page 7