ECE 432Radio Frequency Integrated Devices and Circuits
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Engineering
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 1 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
An introduction to the theory of Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) design. Physics and modelling for RF applications of integrated passive (R, L, and C), MOSFETs, and heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). Properties of integrated devices at RF (e.g., noise, fT/fMAX, quality factor) and RFIC performance metrics. Transistor-level design of circuits for RFICs, including low-noise amplifiers (LNA), voltage-controlled oscillators (VCO), and mixers.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Must have completed the following:
- Students must be in level 4A or higher
- Enrolled in H-Computer Engineering, or H-Electrical Engineering
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Reviewed on UW Flow
83% liked it0% easy75% useful
From 6 ratings and 3 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
I have no idea how useful this course will be in the long run, but I am glad to have learned LTSpice to the level necessary for this lab. This is possibly the most difficult course I took, and I do not regret it.
May 2022 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
I always knew this course wasn’t going to be easy, but online courses made it ultra hard and bad. 70% of my time was dedicated to this course and I still didn’t learn anything!
Sep 2020 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
Very interesting course. If taught by John Long, this course is NOT about device physics. It is an RFIC course which requires analog circuit background from 242, although it got put in Area-3 by department. Highly recommend to people who are interested in IC design. Tough content with mid-heavy course load. Now runs with a lab project instead of pure simulation in ADS. Past lab projects include FM-radio tx/rx, optical tx/rx, software-defined-radio, etc. Content complements to 473 and 474. Main circuit topics may include wideband amplifier, baseband filter, passives, frequency up/down converter, frequency multiplier/divider, LC-oscillator, and PLL.
Jul 2015 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
18 posts and comments in 10 threads mention ECE 432, April 2017 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Fall 2021
4th Year technical elective choices 3 points, 2 comments
“I'm a 3B Tron trying to figure out the best courses to take for my 4th year TEs, curios about anyone's thoughts on what the most interesting or easy classes they took were, good profs etc. …”
u/SouthernAd8931: “ECE 432 if you wanna die”
Winter 2021
ECE 432 3 points, 0 comments
u/AffectionateSun9217: “Anyone taken ECE 432 with John Long ? PM me if you have.”
Fall 2020
400 level no requirments 1 point, 9 comments
u/shaun_brad: “ECE 432”
u/TheRealHamdullahpur: “ECE 432”
u/tendstofortytwo: “ECE 432”
u/OneFee: “ECE 432”
u/ffrosteh: “ECE 432”
u/michaelscott158: “ECE 432”
u/Vast_Purpose: “Surprised no one has suggested ECE 432 yet.”
[deleted]: “ECE 432”
Spring 2020
ECE331 overlaps with other semiconductor courses? 3 points, 5 comments
u/prospectiveNTU: “… If I take: \- ECE340 (circuits 2), \- ECE209 (devices 1), \- ECE432 (integrated RF), \- ECE445 (integrated digital), \- ECE463 (power including power semiconductors), and \- ECE444 (integrated analog), all of which seem to talk about semiconductor physics to some degree, then is …”
Spring 2019
ECE 432 crying thread 6 points, 4 comments
u/ezemasterrace: “To the 9 of us that took 432: That was a 'Long' L. (only RF manz will get it )”
Unpopular Opinion: ECE 4A is 10x harder than ECE 2A ever was. 24 points, 11 comments
“fuck my life”
u/Oldshantster: “What courses did you take?”
u/ezemasterrace: “ECE 432, ECE 473, ECE 429, ENGL 108P, and of course fydp. Admittedly, these aren't easy courses, because I chose them out of interest rather than out of difficulty. …”
Spring 2018
Thoughts on ECE 432? 4 points, 1 comment
Winter 2018
Anyone took ECE 432? 0 points, 3 comments
u/Phn7am: “Is the course helpful in industry? What are the labs like? Only one review on uwflow saying it's hard.”
Spring 2017
Computer Engineering 3rd/4th year question 4 points, 8 comments
“Are there any other courses for CEs that need you to have your circuits lab kit or are they not needed anymore? Will just leave it home if Its not needed anymore”
u/ece_te: “Depending on your TE's you may need your circuit kit again. I remember some of my friends needed it for ECE 432? I'm not entirely sure myself. As for myself nope I never needed it again.”
u/bursilym: “u need it for ECE 432”
Winter 2017
Easiest ECE Technical Electives 10 points, 19 comments
“Hello. I have seen many upper year ECE guys post here. Can someone recommend me the easiest technical electives they have taken. I need to not fail out 4th year :(”
u/HersheyChocolate: “Don't take ECE 432 - Radio Frequency Integrated Devices and Circuits”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
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