Development of a microwave design program for undergraduate engineering

The author describes an approach to the problem of educating microwave engineers which relies on computer-aided engineering (CAE). A two-course sequence is described, and illustrated with design examples. The two courses comprising the microwave program are senior design electives. They have as their foundation courses in circuit theory, electromagnetic fields, and transmission lines. In broad terms, the circuit design course covers basic RF and microwave components which are simulated on a computer using professional quality CAE software (TOUCHSTONE). One design from this course is then selected for completion in the second course. Computer-aided drafting software (MiCAD) is used to make the physical layout for the fabrication of a microstrip circuit. The completed component is evaluated in a test laboratory using a vector network analyzer. A special effort has been made to introduce students to modern design methods and test equipment that are standard in the industry