IMS2009 Student Paper Competition
The Student Paper Competition has become one of the largest events at IMS. The purpose of the competition is to determine and acknowledge the best student work of the year in the MTT-S. Each student paper is subject to the regular review process by the Technical Program Committee. Based on the review scores only the best student papers are accepted as finalists. The finalists will be given complimentary registration for IMS2009, complimentary tickets to the MTT-S Awards Banquet, and travel subsidies. The student finalists will present their papers at the appropriate regular sessions and make special presentations at the Interactive Forum on Tuesday where they will be evaluated by a group of judges. Six top papers and four honorable mentions will be selected to receive cash awards, certificates, and gifts. These will be announced and presented at the Student Awards Luncheon on Thursday.
IMS2009 Student Design Competitions
The Technical Coordinating Committees of MTT-S are sponsoring three Student Design Competitions. This year the student competition topics are high efficiency power amplifier, low noise amplifier, and packaged ultra-wide-band filter. These topics are geared toward the practical applications that working engineers face everyday and therefore represent an excellent opportunity for students to show off how well prepared they are for a professional career.
High Efficiency Power Amplifier Design Competition
This year’s contest is the fifth Student High Efficiency Power Amplifier Design Competition sponsored by MTT-5 which will take place at the Interactive Forum on Tuesday. The amplifiers will be tested to verify their performance and will be on display during the competition. The contest is open to all students and graduate students registered at an educational establishment. The competitors are required to design, construct, and measure a high efficiency power amplifier, at a frequency of their choice above 1 GHz but less than 20 GHz, and having an output power level of at least 5 Watts, but less than 100 Watts into a 50 ohm load.
The power amplifier (PA) design may use any type of technology, but must be the result of student effort both in the amplifier design and fabrication. All amplifiers should require less than 25 dBm of input power to reach the output level required for maximum efficiency. Amplifier entries should be submitted with measured data, including dc supply requirements, frequency, RF drive and output power, and PAE. PAE will be defined as (RFout - RFin)/dc. Measurements will be under CW operation at room ambient conditions into a 50 ohm load. Only the power at the fundamental CW frequency will be included in the measurement of output power. The PA mechanical design should allow for internal inspection of all relevant components and circuit elements. The RF ports should be standard coaxial connectors, SMA preferred. Bias connections should be banana plugs.
The winner will be judged on the design which demonstrates the highest Power Added Efficiency (PAE) weighted for frequency according to the formula (PAE * (f GHz )^¼). All participants will receive recognition and are invited to the Student Awards Luncheon on Thursday. The winner will receive a prize of $1000 and will be invited to submit a paper describing the design to the IEEE MTT-S Microwaves Magazine.
Contestants must notify the MTT-S Technical Coordinating Committee by emailing Kiki Ikossi ikossi@ieee.org of their intention to compete in the contest before April 1, 2009. This notification should include information on student name, email, and mailing address, university or educational affiliation of the entry, faculty advisor with email, the approximate PA output power level, DC voltage requirements, frequency and class of operation, and device technology. Questions about the competition can also be addressed.
Low Noise Amplifier Design Competition
The Low Noise Amplifier Design Competition is also open to all students registered at an educational institution. Competitors are required to design, construct, measure, and demonstrate a low noise amplifier at 2.45 GHz. The LNA may use any technology, but must be the result of student effort. Use of commercial amplifier subsystems and passive components is allowed.
This project is intended to introduce students to low noise wireless technology. The winner will be judged on the lowest noise figure with a gain of at least 15 dB of small-signal gain operating with 50 ohm source and load impedances. A schematic of the LNA is required. In the situation of contestants with the same lowest noise figure, the one with the lowest power consumption will be selected.
The maximum small signal gain shall not exceed 30 dB in a 50 ohm measurement system. The performance of the LNA is based on the noise figure at 2.45 GHz measured with a Rohde & Schwarz (model FSQ26, FSU26, or equivalent) signal analyzer using a noise diode source. Testing and judging of the LNAs will be performed at IMS2009. A member of the design group must be present at the testing to assist with the evaluation and the LNA must be operated at room temperature.
The LNA is required to utilize 3.5mm or SMA connectors on both the input and output. The prime power shall use two wires with banana plugs at least 0.5 meter in length. The prime DC power shall be totally derived from a single supply with a polarity of +12 Volts DC or less or –12 Volts DC or less employing two wires. The metered power supply will be provided by the organizers.
The winner will receive a prize of $1000 and will be invited to submit a paper describing his/her project to the IEEE Microwave Magazine. Participants will be recognized at the Student Awards Luncheon at IMS2009. Professors are encouraged to introduce this as a project for their students in order to acquaint them with system and circuit level design.
This competition is sponsored by the Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Integrated Circuits (MTT-6), Microwave Low Noise Techniques (MTT-14), Microwave Systems (MTT-16), and Wireless Communications (MTT-20) Technical Committees. Please remember to e-mail Roger Kaul of your intention to participate. We look forward to receiving your entries and evaluating your design at IMS2009.
Packaged Ultra-Wide-Band Filter Design Competition
IEEE MTT-S Technical Committees MTT-12 (Interconnects, Packaging, and Manufacturing) and MTT-8 (Microwave Filters, Multiplexers, and Passive Components) are co-sponsoring a Student Packaged Ultra-Wide-Band (UWB) Filter Design Competition at the IEEE International Microwave Symposium IMS2009 to be held at Boston, MA. The contest will be similar to the successful contest at IMS2008 in Atlanta, GA.
This competition is open to all IEEE MTT-S members who are enrolled as students at a university. The objective of the competition is to demonstrate new and effective packaging and interconnect techniques for a stringent microwave UWB filter application. After the submission of a proposal describing the proposed solution, all contestants will be provided a pre-defined package provided by Stratedge. Teams of up to four (4) student members are allowed, provided each team member has a direct contribution to the solution.
Contestants are required to demonstrate their design and package at IMS2009. Characterization of the filters will be performed by an Agilent team. The designs will be judged by members of MTT-12 and MTT-8 using pre-defined criteria that include filter performance, robustness and weight. Three winners will be selected with a first prize of $600, second prize of $300, and a third prize of $100. The prizes shall be equally divided between all members of a winning team. In addition, the winners are requested to submit an article to the IEEE Microwave magazine. To participate email a proposal describing the intended solution to Prof. Robert W. Jackson at jackson@ecs.umass.edu, along with documents verifying IEEE MTT student membership and enrollment at a university as a student or PhD student. Deadline is March 15, 2009. If all requirements are met you will receive a confirmation of participation and the package will be shipped to you.