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using NanoVNA in University classes

 

Here's an interesting article about how University of Alberta used NanoVNA-H4 VNAs in a RF engineering course in the context of COVID remote learning. They sent a package to each student containing breadboarding materials and the NanoVNA. The students built their own circuits using 3mm wide copper foil tape, etc. as well as using prebuilt boards.



A. K. Iyer, B. P. Smyth, M. Semple and C. Barker, "Going Remote: Teaching Microwave Engineering in the Age of the Global Pandemic and Beyond," in IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 22, no. 11, pp. 64-77, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2021.3102649.
Abstract: The widespread offering of online engineering classes has not been without its share of controversy [1]–[7]. There are those who question the pedagogic quality of courses made freely available through video-sharing platforms like YouTube, which feature largely crowdsourced and crowd-vetted content, despite such technologies figuring prominently in the evolving skill sets and preferences of engineering students. The same group typically considers the more traditional in-person format to be a critical element in learning engineering fundamentals, serving the secondary purpose of fostering much-needed discipline, patience, imagination, and visualization. Most established engineering institutions have recognized the value of both approaches (consider these popular examples: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [8] and NPTel [9]) and supplemented a majority of their in-person classes with a smattering of online offerings, though reservations may persist [10]–[12].
URL:

 

That’s actually very useful. It is difficult at times (at least for me) to keep up with the latest methods for learning new things, particularly complex subjects such as advances in microwave engineering. Thank you.

DaveD

On Oct 26, 2021, at 09:24, Jim Lux <jim@...> wrote:

?Here's an interesting article about how University of Alberta used NanoVNA-H4 VNAs in a RF engineering course in the context of COVID remote learning. They sent a package to each student containing breadboarding materials and the NanoVNA. The students built their own circuits using 3mm wide copper foil tape, etc. as well as using prebuilt boards.



A. K. Iyer, B. P. Smyth, M. Semple and C. Barker, "Going Remote: Teaching Microwave Engineering in the Age of the Global Pandemic and Beyond," in IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 22, no. 11, pp. 64-77, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2021.3102649.
Abstract: The widespread offering of online engineering classes has not been without its share of controversy [1]–[7]. There are those who question the pedagogic quality of courses made freely available through video-sharing platforms like YouTube, which feature largely crowdsourced and crowd-vetted content, despite such technologies figuring prominently in the evolving skill sets and preferences of engineering students. The same group typically considers the more traditional in-person format to be a critical element in learning engineering fundamentals, serving the secondary purpose of fostering much-needed discipline, patience, imagination, and visualization. Most established engineering institutions have recognized the value of both approaches (consider these popular examples: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [8] and NPTel [9]) and supplemented a majority of their in-person classes with a smattering of online offerings, though reservations may persist [10]–[12].
URL:




 

On 10/26/21 6:40 AM, Dave Daniel wrote:
That’s actually very useful. It is difficult at times (at least for me) to keep up with the latest methods for learning new things, particularly complex subjects such as advances in microwave engineering. Thank you.

DaveD
It is interesting.. the classes have always had the students using a VNA in the lab. But here they had a problem - how do you have remote learning and have a VNA - so they bought dozens of NanoVNAs, created some training videos and had live help from TAs.? The latter was important (and would be normally part of the class in an in person lab).

What I found interesting (in a sort of "get offa my lawn" sense) is that they don't have any soldering (probably for safety reasons), and while they supply an Xacto knife to cut the copper foil and trim stuff, they also supply safety goggles and cut resistant gloves.




On Oct 26, 2021, at 09:24, Jim Lux <jim@...> wrote:

?Here's an interesting article about how University of Alberta used NanoVNA-H4 VNAs in a RF engineering course in the context of COVID remote learning. They sent a package to each student containing breadboarding materials and the NanoVNA. The students built their own circuits using 3mm wide copper foil tape, etc. as well as using prebuilt boards.



A. K. Iyer, B. P. Smyth, M. Semple and C. Barker, "Going Remote: Teaching Microwave Engineering in the Age of the Global Pandemic and Beyond," in IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 22, no. 11, pp. 64-77, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2021.3102649.
Abstract: The widespread offering of online engineering classes has not been without its share of controversy [1]–[7]. There are those who question the pedagogic quality of courses made freely available through video-sharing platforms like YouTube, which feature largely crowdsourced and crowd-vetted content, despite such technologies figuring prominently in the evolving skill sets and preferences of engineering students. The same group typically considers the more traditional in-person format to be a critical element in learning engineering fundamentals, serving the secondary purpose of fostering much-needed discipline, patience, imagination, and visualization. Most established engineering institutions have recognized the value of both approaches (consider these popular examples: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [8] and NPTel [9]) and supplemented a majority of their in-person classes with a smattering of online offerings, though reservations may persist [10]–[12].
URL:

 

Unfortunately, it'll cost anyone who is not a member of the IEEE, $33 to read the article...

On Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 09:24:35 a.m. EDT, Jim Lux <jim@...> wrote:

Here's an interesting article about how University of Alberta used NanoVNA-H4 VNAs in a RF engineering course in the context of COVID remote learning.? They sent a package to each student containing breadboarding materials and the NanoVNA. The students built their own circuits using 3mm wide copper foil tape, etc. as well as using prebuilt boards.



A. K. Iyer, B. P. Smyth, M. Semple and C. Barker, "Going Remote: Teaching Microwave Engineering in the Age of the Global Pandemic and Beyond," in IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 22, no. 11, pp. 64-77, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2021.3102649.
Abstract: The widespread offering of online engineering classes has not been without its share of controversy [1]–[7]. There are those who question the pedagogic quality of courses made freely available through video-sharing platforms like YouTube, which feature largely crowdsourced and crowd-vetted content, despite such technologies figuring prominently in the evolving skill sets and preferences of engineering students. The same group typically considers the more traditional in-person format to be a critical element in learning engineering fundamentals, serving the secondary purpose of fostering much-needed discipline, patience, imagination, and visualization. Most established engineering institutions have recognized the value of both approaches (consider these popular examples: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [8] and NPTel [9]) and supplemented a majority of their in-person classes with a smattering of online offerings, though reservations may persist [10]–[12].
URL:

 

On 10/26/21 7:49 AM, Larry Rothman wrote:
Unfortunately, it'll cost anyone who is not a member of the IEEE, $33 to read the article...
Or if you find an alternate source.? I'd suggest an email to one of the authors or check Arxive or equivalent. There are often prepress versions available.





On Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 09:24:35 a.m. EDT, Jim Lux <jim@...> wrote:
Here's an interesting article about how University of Alberta used NanoVNA-H4 VNAs in a RF engineering course in the context of COVID remote learning.? They sent a package to each student containing breadboarding materials and the NanoVNA. The students built their own circuits using 3mm wide copper foil tape, etc. as well as using prebuilt boards.



A. K. Iyer, B. P. Smyth, M. Semple and C. Barker, "Going Remote: Teaching Microwave Engineering in the Age of the Global Pandemic and Beyond," in IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 22, no. 11, pp. 64-77, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2021.3102649.
Abstract: The widespread offering of online engineering classes has not been without its share of controversy [1]–[7]. There are those who question the pedagogic quality of courses made freely available through video-sharing platforms like YouTube, which feature largely crowdsourced and crowd-vetted content, despite such technologies figuring prominently in the evolving skill sets and preferences of engineering students. The same group typically considers the more traditional in-person format to be a critical element in learning engineering fundamentals, serving the secondary purpose of fostering much-needed discipline, patience, imagination, and visualization. Most established engineering institutions have recognized the value of both approaches (consider these popular examples: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [8] and NPTel [9]) and supplemented a majority of their in-person classes with a smattering of online offerings, though reservations may persist [10]–[12].
URL:









 

Larry,

You can try email to one of the authors, say the lead author and tell him about the group and he may send you a copy for placement. He will get permission from the IEEE to do so. The IEEE is usually pretty good about that process.
 

OK, thanks!

On Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 11:01:53 a.m. EDT, alan victor <avictor73@...> wrote:

Larry,

You can try email to one of the authors, say the lead author and tell him about the group and he may send you a copy for placement. He will get permission from the IEEE to do so. The IEEE is usually pretty good about that process.
 

I’ve viewed a bunch of online classes from MIT, Stanford and Cambridge for work, mostly courses about information theory and abstract algebra (for data coding). Keeping up with the methods to learn remotely is important to me. Just because I’m retired doesn’t mean that I don’t need to continue studying.

Using safety goggles is probaby a good idea; since having my eyesight changed from nearsightedness to farsightedness last year, I have had to constantly remind myself to wear safety glasses in the shop and lab.

I’m not so sure about cut resistent gloves; IMO, most injuries caused by edged tools occur on places on the body other than the hands and are largely due to people cutting towards themselves. Of course, holding one’s hand in front of a knife or chisel will result in a nasty cut if one slips; it’s all about knowing how to use the tools, which I suppose most university students might not know. But cut-resistant gloves only solve a small part of that problem.

I can’t imagine graduating from an electrical engineering curriculum without knowing how to solder and, in fact, having had to build some things that require soldering (“ugly” construction, anyone?).

DaveD

On Oct 26, 2021, at 10:09, Jim Lux <jim@...> wrote:

?On 10/26/21 6:40 AM, Dave Daniel wrote:
That’s actually very useful. It is difficult at times (at least for me) to keep up with the latest methods for learning new things, particularly complex subjects such as advances in microwave engineering. Thank you.

DaveD
It is interesting.. the classes have always had the students using a VNA in the lab. But here they had a problem - how do you have remote learning and have a VNA - so they bought dozens of NanoVNAs, created some training videos and had live help from TAs. The latter was important (and would be normally part of the class in an in person lab).

What I found interesting (in a sort of "get offa my lawn" sense) is that they don't have any soldering (probably for safety reasons), and while they supply an Xacto knife to cut the copper foil and trim stuff, they also supply safety goggles and cut resistant gloves.




On Oct 26, 2021, at 09:24, Jim Lux <jim@...> wrote:
?Here's an interesting article about how University of Alberta used NanoVNA-H4 VNAs in a RF engineering course in the context of COVID remote learning. They sent a package to each student containing breadboarding materials and the NanoVNA. The students built their own circuits using 3mm wide copper foil tape, etc. as well as using prebuilt boards.



A. K. Iyer, B. P. Smyth, M. Semple and C. Barker, "Going Remote: Teaching Microwave Engineering in the Age of the Global Pandemic and Beyond," in IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 22, no. 11, pp. 64-77, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2021.3102649.
Abstract: The widespread offering of online engineering classes has not been without its share of controversy [1]–[7]. There are those who question the pedagogic quality of courses made freely available through video-sharing platforms like YouTube, which feature largely crowdsourced and crowd-vetted content, despite such technologies figuring prominently in the evolving skill sets and preferences of engineering students. The same group typically considers the more traditional in-person format to be a critical element in learning engineering fundamentals, serving the secondary purpose of fostering much-needed discipline, patience, imagination, and visualization. Most established engineering institutions have recognized the value of both approaches (consider these popular examples: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [8] and NPTel [9]) and supplemented a majority of their in-person classes with a smattering of online offerings, though reservations may persist [10]–[12].
URL:






 

On 10/26/21 9:27 AM, Dave Daniel wrote:
I’ve viewed a bunch of online classes from MIT, Stanford and Cambridge for work, mostly courses about information theory and abstract algebra (for data coding). Keeping up with the methods to learn remotely is important to me. Just because I’m retired doesn’t mean that I don’t need to continue studying.

Using safety goggles is probaby a good idea; since having my eyesight changed from nearsightedness to farsightedness last year, I have had to constantly remind myself to wear safety glasses in the shop and lab.

I’m not so sure about cut resistent gloves; IMO, most injuries caused by edged tools occur on places on the body other than the hands and are largely due to people cutting towards themselves. Of course, holding one’s hand in front of a knife or chisel will result in a nasty cut if one slips; it’s all about knowing how to use the tools, which I suppose most university students might not know. But cut-resistant gloves only solve a small part of that problem.

I can’t imagine graduating from an electrical engineering curriculum without knowing how to solder and, in fact, having had to build some things that require soldering (“ugly” construction, anyone?).

DaveD
I have no idea what the gloves were for, or why they included them. Having cut myself on the knife like edge of copper foil tape, maybe it's that.

At JPL we talk about EE graduates who don't know which end of the soldering iron gets hot. These days, that's very possible (especially with EE/CS, where you're typically working with FPGA designs and the like on eval boards).? It's sort of like "rotating machines" classes and the "motor lab" - they don't exist in most places any more.
 

I couldn’t find it on Arxive, but I may not have spent enough time looking.

DaveD

On Oct 26, 2021, at 10:55, Jim Lux <jim@...> wrote:

?On 10/26/21 7:49 AM, Larry Rothman wrote:
Unfortunately, it'll cost anyone who is not a member of the IEEE, $33 to read the article...
Or if you find an alternate source. I'd suggest an email to one of the authors or check Arxive or equivalent. There are often prepress versions available.





On Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 09:24:35 a.m. EDT, Jim Lux <jim@...> wrote:
Here's an interesting article about how University of Alberta used NanoVNA-H4 VNAs in a RF engineering course in the context of COVID remote learning. They sent a package to each student containing breadboarding materials and the NanoVNA. The students built their own circuits using 3mm wide copper foil tape, etc. as well as using prebuilt boards.



A. K. Iyer, B. P. Smyth, M. Semple and C. Barker, "Going Remote: Teaching Microwave Engineering in the Age of the Global Pandemic and Beyond," in IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 22, no. 11, pp. 64-77, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2021.3102649.
Abstract: The widespread offering of online engineering classes has not been without its share of controversy [1]–[7]. There are those who question the pedagogic quality of courses made freely available through video-sharing platforms like YouTube, which feature largely crowdsourced and crowd-vetted content, despite such technologies figuring prominently in the evolving skill sets and preferences of engineering students. The same group typically considers the more traditional in-person format to be a critical element in learning engineering fundamentals, serving the secondary purpose of fostering much-needed discipline, patience, imagination, and visualization. Most established engineering institutions have recognized the value of both approaches (consider these popular examples: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [8] and NPTel [9]) and supplemented a majority of their in-person classes with a smattering of online offerings, though reservations may persist [10]–[12].
URL:













 

Hi Larry,

Nice paper and a fun read. If you need authors addresses, let me know. It would be an informative addition to the files.

CalTech some time ago had provided PUFF CAD which sort of behaved as a virtual VNA. A fun program to use and also very well done and educational to boot. I think.... you might be able to still get PUFF and support on current Windows.

Alan
 

Nothing on Arxive or SciHub - article might be too new, though.

On Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 12:43:30 p.m. EDT, Dave Daniel <kc0wjn@...> wrote:

I couldn’t find it on Arxive, but I may not have spent enough time looking.

DaveD

On Oct 26, 2021, at 10:55, Jim Lux <jim@...> wrote:

?On 10/26/21 7:49 AM, Larry Rothman wrote:
? Unfortunately, it'll cost anyone who is not a member of the IEEE, $33 to read the article...
Or if you find an alternate source.? I'd suggest an email to one of the authors or check Arxive or equivalent. There are often prepress versions available.





? ? On Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 09:24:35 a.m. EDT, Jim Lux <jim@...> wrote:
? ? Here's an interesting article about how University of Alberta used NanoVNA-H4 VNAs in a RF engineering course in the context of COVID remote learning.? They sent a package to each student containing breadboarding materials and the NanoVNA. The students built their own circuits using 3mm wide copper foil tape, etc. as well as using prebuilt boards.



A. K. Iyer, B. P. Smyth, M. Semple and C. Barker, "Going Remote: Teaching Microwave Engineering in the Age of the Global Pandemic and Beyond," in IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 22, no. 11, pp. 64-77, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2021.3102649.
Abstract: The widespread offering of online engineering classes has not been without its share of controversy [1]–[7]. There are those who question the pedagogic quality of courses made freely available through video-sharing platforms like YouTube, which feature largely crowdsourced and crowd-vetted content, despite such technologies figuring prominently in the evolving skill sets and preferences of engineering students. The same group typically considers the more traditional in-person format to be a critical element in learning engineering fundamentals, serving the secondary purpose of fostering much-needed discipline, patience, imagination, and visualization. Most established engineering institutions have recognized the value of both approaches (consider these popular examples: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [8] and NPTel [9]) and supplemented a majority of their in-person classes with a smattering of online offerings, though reservations may persist [10]–[12].
URL:





?







 

from Microwaves101.com



Dave Rutledge is still a professor, but whether he's supporting it, I don't know.
Puff

Puff was a program developed at CalTech, back in the days when IBM was marketing the original PCs (mid 1980s). Here is a historical document that describes its use:

R. C. Compton; W. L. Williams; D. B. Rutledge, "Puff, an Interactive Microwave Computer Aided Design Program for Personal Computers" 1987 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, pp 707 - 708.

You might be able to find a copy of a second article on Puff here:



Around 2000, someone converted Puff from DOS to Windows. Around 2010, it was offered in version 2.1 for Windows 7. It does not appear that it has since been updated, and we can no longer find a free copy of it for you to download. There are two sites that will sell you a Puff for Windows DVD (CD?) for maybe $40 (depends on exchange rates). Use their search tools to look for Puff.

(you might want to translate from German...P



At this point, maybe the world should give up on Puff, and work on developing some modern, free apps. Be careful what you wish for, modern and free mean tons of ads and possibly spyware...
 

See attached.

Going_Remote_Teaching_Microwave_Engineering_in_the_Age_of_the_Global_Pandemic_and_Beyond.pdf
Going_Remote_Teaching_Microwave_Engineering_in_the_Age_of_the_Global_Pandemic_and_Beyond.pdf

 

On 10/26/21 9:32 AM, Jim Lux wrote:
On 10/26/21 9:27 AM, Dave Daniel wrote:
I’ve viewed a bunch of online classes from MIT, Stanford and Cambridge for work, mostly courses about information theory and abstract algebra (for data coding). Keeping up with the methods to learn remotely is important to me. Just because I’m retired doesn’t mean that I don’t need to continue studying.

Using safety goggles is probaby a good idea; since having my eyesight changed from nearsightedness to farsightedness last year, I have had to constantly remind myself to wear safety glasses in the shop and lab.

I’m not so sure about cut resistent gloves; IMO, most injuries caused by edged tools occur on places on the body other than the hands and are largely due to people cutting towards themselves. Of course, holding one’s hand in front of a knife or chisel will result in a nasty cut if one slips; it’s all about knowing how to use the tools, which I suppose most university students might not know. But cut-resistant gloves only solve a small part of that problem.

I can’t imagine graduating from an electrical engineering curriculum without knowing how to solder and, in fact, having had to build some things that require soldering (“ugly” construction, anyone?).

DaveD
I have no idea what the gloves were for, or why they included them. Having cut myself on the knife like edge of copper foil tape, maybe it's that.

At JPL we talk about EE graduates who don't know which end of the soldering iron gets hot. These days, that's very possible (especially with EE/CS, where you're typically working with FPGA designs and the like on eval boards).? It's sort of like "rotating machines" classes and the "motor lab" - they don't exist in most places any more.
I like to think that I know which end is which, but I have to confess to concentrating so hard on a circuit that I reached for, and grabbed, the soldering iron by the wrong end.? For burns, I'm worse off in the kitchen.

73,

Maynard
W6PAP
 

Re: Soldering. When I worked at RCA Astro we had a postgrad intern with a BSEE from a very prestigious New England engineering, needing to joins two wires, ask mw whether I had any of that "shiny silver stuff you melt onto the wires, or should I just melt the wires together?"
73, Don N2VGU
 

Donald S Brant Jr wrote on 10/26/2021 8:06 PM:

Re: Soldering. When I worked at RCA Astro we had a postgrad intern with a BSEE from a very prestigious New England engineering, needing to joins two wires, ask mw whether I had any of that "shiny silver stuff you melt onto the wires, or should I just melt the wires together?"
73, Don N2VGU
Hello--
At one place I worked, we needed some temporary assembly help.
One gentleman we hired asked, "Where do you get all those coils on the IC sockets' pins?"
Someone took him aside and showed him a wire-wrap gun.

He turned out to be a good nuts-and-bolts assembler<g>.

73--

Brad? AA1IP
Bob Albert
 

Ignorance is a temporary problem and shouldn't be scoffed at.? Unwillingness to learn and improve is another story.
Bob

On Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 08:06:17 PM PDT, Brad Thompson <brad.thompsonaa1ip@...> wrote:

Donald S Brant Jr wrote on 10/26/2021 8:06 PM:

Re:? Soldering.? When I worked at RCA Astro we had a postgrad intern with a BSEE from a very prestigious New England engineering, needing to joins two wires, ask mw whether I had any of that "shiny silver stuff you melt onto the wires, or should I just melt the wires together?"
73, Don N2VGU
Hello--
At one place I worked, we needed some temporary assembly help.
One gentleman we hired asked, "Where do you get all those coils on the
IC sockets' pins?"
Someone took him aside and showed him a wire-wrap gun.

He turned out to be a good nuts-and-bolts assembler<g>.

73--

Brad? AA1IP

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