Because of its counterintuitive nature, the Negative Group Delay (NGD) remains as an uncommon and unfamiliar electronic function. For this reason, the design and analysis of NGD circuits is not well-known for most of electronic designers. This paper initiates a basic and easy to understand theory, in addition to a design methodology for the low-pass NGD function. The circuit theory on the low-pass NGD function is described using a NGD passive topology which is constituted by a RCparallel network with a resistive load. The NGD analysis and synthesis equations in function of NGD specifications are provided and a proof-of-concept of 6dB low-pass NGD circuits has been designed, simulated, fabricated and tested. Frequency and time domain analyses have been performed to validate the low-pass NGD function. Theoretical and simulated results are in very good agreement and a NGD has been obtained in measurement for the proposed structure.

This paper develops a new reconstruction technique of undesirable signal distortion generated by sensor electronic circuits. The introduced reconstruction technique is originally realized with unfamiliar low-pass negative group delay (NGD) function. The feasibility condition of the proposed reconstruction technique in function of the sensor signal spectrum bandwidth under consideration is elaborated. The reconstruction technique principle is theoretically introduced by means of identification of low-pass NGD function parameters and the appropriated circuit topology. The unfamiliar low-pass NGD function analysis and synthesis equations are established. As an example, for the feasibility study, an RC-network based low-pass active cell is considered to implement the low-pass NGD function. A design method of NGD circuit in function of the sensor distortion transfer function is described in different successive steps. The developed NGD reconstruction technique is validated by different proofs of concept. First, transient simulations are carried out with Gaussian and sinc analytical signals. Then, experimental feasibility study is also performed with arbitrary waveform signal. As expected, the NGD reconstruction technique efficiency is confirmed with improvement of distorted signal integrity parameters and cross correlation better than 97%.

This paper introduces an original study of low-pass (LP) negative group delay (NGD) circuit. The family of the proposed passive network cross-topology was rarely investigated in the literature. It acts as a tri-port passive circuit presenting a cross-shaped topology. The present study of tri-port passive circuit is originally based on S-matrix modelling. The identification method of LP-NGD function type is established. The considered passive tri-port topology is innovatively constituted by a resistorless LC-passive network. Thanks to the impedance 3-D matrix modelling, the cross-circuit S-parameters are analytically expressed. Then, the NGD analysis at very low-frequencies is presented. The LP-NGD behavior existence condition of the cross-circuit in function of the L and C components is established. The relevance of the tri-port NGD circuit theory is verified by a proof-of-concept of resistorless cross-circuit. Analytical modelling, simulation, and experimentation confirmed the LP-NGD design feasibility with NGD value of about −2 ns and 6.67 MHz cut-off frequency.

This paper investigates an innovative negative group delay (NGD) theory of ''li'' geometrical shape topology. The li-topology is an outstandingly simple and fully distributed circuit comprised of a coupled line (CL). The li S-parameter model taking into account the CL coupling coefficient, delay and attenuation is established. The NGD analysis showing the possibility to generate NGD condition with respect to the li topology parameters is developed. The NGD characteristics as NGD value, center frequency, bandwidth, transmission and reflection coefficient are expressed. The li-NGD theory is validated with two proofs-of-concept implemented in microstrip technology. Calculated models, simulations and measurements are in good correlation. As expected, bandpass NGD presenting center frequency at approximately 2.56 GHz and 0.92 GHz with NGD level of approximately −0.9 ns and −3.7 ns were realized with the small and large li prototypes. Outstanding time-domain analyses explaining the bandpass NGD meaning, with innovatively low attenuation output, were also presented. The time-domain results highlight li-output pulse signal envelopes in time advance without violating the causality. INDEX TERMS Distributed circuit, li-topology, microwave theory, negative group delay (NGD), S-matrix modelling.

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