Basics of RF Electronics

The focus of this educational text is selected examples of high-frequency electronic circuits and their components employed for the accurate phasing and synchronisation of accelerator cavities. Examples have been chosen to describe the basics of RF electronics. The starting point is transmission lines, connectors, discontinuities, and the handling of reflection. The application of simple surface mount components is discussed. The use of the Kuroda identities for converting lumped circuit designs to printed circuit designs is demonstrated. The accelerator example used to demonstrate the use of components is a circuit designed for the synchronisation of the CLIC crab cavities. This example employs co-planar waveguide, SMA connectors, Wilkinson splitters, and surface-mount double-balanced mixers. For the control of cavity phase and amplitude, the benefit of I&Q controllers will be explained. The text will then discuss the operation and use of I&Q modulators and VCOs.