Master of Engineering (MEng)

MEng Mechatronic Engineering

*This course is now closed for applications for 2025 entry.

  • Duration: 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: HHH6 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Scholarships available
  • Accredited course

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £34,000 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

The University of Manchester is committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.

For information about scholarships and bursaries please visit our undergraduate student finance pages and our Department funding pages .

Course unit details:
Microwave Circuit Principles and Design

Course unit fact file
Unit code EEEN40171
Credit rating 15
Unit level Level 4
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

Brief description of the unit:

  • Review of transmission line theory and brief introduction to practical transmission lines, including stripline, microstripline and coplanar waveguide;
  • Microwave resonators;
  • RF and microwave filters, dividers and couplers;
  • Introduction to RF and microwave active components and their models;
  • Noise and nonlinearity in RF and microwave active components;
  • Amplifier operating principles and design;
  • Mixer operating principles and design;
  • Oscillator operating principles and design;
  • Brief introduction to switches and frequency multipliers;
  • Brief introduction to ferrite components, isolators, phase shifters and circulators;
  • Brief introduction to Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs);
  • Brief introduction of modern microwave systems.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Antennas and RF Systems EEEN40121 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Transmissions Lines & Optical Fibres EEEN30212 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
To select Unit EEEN40171, you need to have taken EEEN40121 (Antennas and RF Systems) this year.

You need to select either EEEN30212 (Transmission Lines and Optical Fibres) or EEEN40121/60121 (Antennas and RF Systems).

Aims

The course unit aims to:

  • To build upon earlier topics in RF and microwave circuit analysis and apply them to yield the rudiments of high frequency circuit design;  
  • To cover the design of key components such as amplifiers, mixers and oscillators;
  • To develop an understanding of noise and nonlinearity in active devices and how thiswill lead to the differing design approaches towards low noise and power amplifiers;
  • To give an introduction to the applications of passive components and modern Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs);
  • To give students the opportunity to undertake aseries of CAD exercises to engender an understanding of microwave component performance.

Learning outcomes

On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

ILO 1 - Analyse and design transmission line resonators, power dividers/combiners and couplers. [Developed] [Assessed]

ILO 2 - Synthesise and design low-, high-, band-pass and band-stop RF filters and low-pass microwave filters. [Developed] [Assessed]

ILO 3 - Explain amplifier fundamentals (including origins and effects of noise) and design amplifiers with required gain and noise figure. [Developed] [Assessed]

ILO 4 - Analyse system stability (stable and unstable) using S-parameters and its variation with frequency. [Developed] [Assessed]

ILO 5 - Explain non-linear circuit fundamentals and design nonlinear circuits such as detectors, mixers, multipliers, phase shifters, switches and oscillators. [Developed] [Assessed]

ILO 6 - Apply ADS for microwave circuit designs. [Developed] [Assessed]

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Other 30%
Written exam 70%

Coursework: (Two reports based on laboratory work)

Feedback methods

.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 24
Practical classes & workshops 21
Independent study hours
Independent study 105

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Zhirun Hu Unit coordinator

Return to course details