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Microwave and Electromagnetics

Microwave and Electromagnetics Laboratory

Graduate students and faculty work on collaborate projects

Led by Dr. Robert H. Caverly, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering at Villanova University, the Microwave and Electromagnetics Laboratory is the focal point for education and research in the radio frequency (RF) range up through Ku-band in the microwave regime (1-18,000 MHz). The lab is located in Drosdick Hall 214.

Research activities span the realm of low power and high power design for receivers and transmitters in this frequency range, with discrete, hybrid and fully integrated RF and microwave solutions available for solving current problems. Dr. Caverly's current projects focus on modeling and simulation of semiconductor control devices for RF and microwave communication systems, as well as medical systems such as those used in magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI).

The educational goal of the laboratory is to provide students with the opportunity to experience the full range of RF and microwave design flow, from idea to simulation to fabrication and finally test. This is achieved through introductory work using traditional, manual analog microwave measurement techniques, to fully automated measurements using more contemporary equipment.

The group consists of PhD, graduate and undergraduate-level researchers and research assistants performing basic and applied research.

Graduate and undergraduate students work in the laboratory

Facilities/Equipment

The following equipment are major components of the Microwave and Electromagnetics Laboratory. In addition to the major equipment listed below, there are a variety of coaxial adapters and other ancillary hardware for microstrip, coaxial and waveguide measurements up to Ku band.

  • HP 8510B - 0.5-18 GHz network analyzer with HP 8514A S-parameter test set
  • HP 8350D - 20 GHz sweep oscillator (4 units)
  • HP 5350B - microwave frequency counter (2 units)
  • HP 437B - microwave power meter (6 units)
  • HP 83630A - 26 GHz sweep oscillator
  • HP 83620A - 20 GHz oscillator
  • HP 8620C - sweep oscillator (one 12-18 GHz, one 8-18 GHz)
  • HP 8970A - noise figure meter
  • HP 6653A - 0-35V/0-15A DC power supply
  • HP 6675A - 0-120V/0-18A DC power supply
  • HP 4142B - DC source and monitor
  • HP 4280A - 1 MHz capacitance-voltage meter
  • HP 4284A - LCR meter
  • HP-4291B - 1-1800 MHz automated impedance analyzer
  • AR 5S1G4 – 5 Watt 0.8 – 4.2 GHz wideband power amplifier
  • Tektronix 492 - 0.01-18 GHz spectrum analyzer
  • LPKF S62 - automated PC board milling machine
  • Cascade Microtech RF probe station with 3 RF probes, 2 DC probes, RF calibration substrates
  • PC version of Ansoft Designer, HP-VEE, HFSS, CST Microwave Studio, SPICE (includes Tanner, LT, and P-Spice versions)
  • Sun workstation with ASITIC and CAD layout (includes Mentor Graphics, LASI, Magic, and Electric) installed