EE - RF System Design and Prototyping
If you have an itch to apply what you are learning in the classroom or through student clubs like IrishSat and Notre Dame Amateur Radio Society to the design of a complete radio frequency (RF) system, this may be the STRAND project for you!
Join of lab of tinkerers and experimenters. We not only conceive of new wireless applications and architectures, but we also build prototypes, demonstrate them, collect archival datasets, and develop AI solutions around them.
For this project, you will summarize the block diagram of the system you want to build and receive input from faculty, graduate students, and staff. You will then develop a timeline for the design, testing, and documentation of the system throughout the rest of the term. A given project may require multiple semesters, so it will be important to plan a specific milestone by the end of the present term. For example, within a broader RF system, you might be able to focus on a major sub-system such as: the antenna and amplifier sub-system, the intermediate frequency (IF) sub-system, the data conversion sub-system, or certain aspects of signal processing or application software.
In many cases, you can receive evaluation boards from the manufacturers for free, or reduced prices, to complete your project. Our team can provide you with invaluable input on part selection, block diagram design, schematic capture, printed circuit board (PCB) layout, and RF calibration and testing to accelerate your progress. You will have access to all of our design tools and lab test and measurement equipment, with appropriate training.
Wireless systems are ubiquitous in the world and understanding the technology behind them is indispensable. The Wireless Institute and Laneman Research Group provide an environment for interested students to engage with modern wireless systems and research. As an institute, we cover a wide range of fields from biomedical devices to high frequency circuits. Particularly in Prof. Laneman’s Group, we focus on wireless communication and sensing. We also enjoy an expanding number of industry and government partnerships that help shape our research agenda and provide internship and permanent job opportunities for our students.