Honolulu, Hawaii
June 24, 2007
June 24, 2007
June 27, 2007
2153-5965
Electrical and Computer
8
12.1248.1 - 12.1248.8
10.18260/1-2--2850
https://peer.asee.org/2850
618
RF and Microwave Engineering Elective Course with a Co-Requisite in the Electromagnetics Course
Abstract
The requirement of a completed engineering electromagnetics course in order to register for an undergraduate RF and microwave engineering course has been eliminated for the last two years in our Electrical Engineering Program at the University of _____________. Instead, the requirement to register for the RF and microwave engineering elective has been change to concurrent registration in engineering electromagnetics.
The completion of an electromagnetics course is, at first glance, seemingly desirable for students wishing to study RF and microwave engineering. However, it has become evident that when students are concurrently registered in both courses, there is a bridging of concepts between the two courses. Fundamental concepts are emphasized in the electromagnetics course. In the RF and microwave engineering, emphasis has been placed on design using the concepts introduced in the electromagnetics course. Extensive use of electronic design tools and laboratory experiences in the RF and microwave engineering course creates a synergistic relationship between the two courses and allows solidification of concepts introduced in each course.
Curricular design of both courses as well as assessments of concurrent registration in the courses is presented. Specific laboratory design, fabrication, and measurement experiments conducted in the RF and microwave engineering course that helps emphasize concepts introduced in the engineering electromagnetics course are outlined.
Introduction
Radio frequency (RF) and microwave engineering courses are commonly taught as an electrical engineering elective in the senior or graduate years of study.1 Concepts introduced in RF and microwave courses benefit from a solid understanding of passive and active circuits, and time- varying electromagnetic field theory.2 With regard to electromagnetic fields, wave propagation concepts are fundamental in many of the RF and microwave engineering applications.
At the University of ________________, the institution’s liberal arts tradition places heavy non- engineering graduation course requirements of the program conferring a dual B.S./B.A. with the B.A. degree awarded in recognition of the large number of required liberal arts courses taken by our graduates. These undergraduate graduation requirements demand an efficient application of material in the engineering offerings. Therefore, electrical engineering students are offered one required electromagnetics course. The required electromagnetics course content is focused on time-varying electromagnetic fields. It is assumed that static electromagnetic field theory is adequately covered in a sophomore level physics course.
A laboratory content with a required electromagnetics course in an electrical engineering program has the advantage of allowing students to solidify their understanding of the theoretical
Kim, E. (2007, June), Rf And Microwave Engineering Elective Course With A Co Requisite In The Electromagnetics Course Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--2850
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