Development of a practice-oriented radio-frequency design course

Several decades ago, radiofrequency design was an integral subject in many undergraduate electrical engineering curricula. In recent years, however, practice-oriented courses have given way to theoretical presentations of communication theory. Several years ago, industrial recruiters commented to us about the lack of formal training in radiofrequency design methods in undergraduate curricula. In response, the author has developed a course in this area that is strongly oriented towards design principles and their realization into hardware. The underlying philosophy of this course is described, and a syllabus with associated laboratory exercises is presented