Traditionally, Hackathons events can last up to a full day, where participants use their creative energies to solve problems. They provide opportunities for newcomers to become exposed to a new field, and allow veterans to hone their skills. This year at IMS we will be introducing a new Hackathon that will compress the event time, introducing an exciting race-like component. A basic RF circuit component will be selected for the design challenge and the specifics of the design won’t be revealed until the day of the event! The means that participants will have to use all their knowledge and skills to complete the challenge. Everyone is encouraged to attend whether you’re a student, veteran RF engineer, or the foremost researcher in wireless technologies!
The IMS Hackathon will be a fast-paced competition that focuses on core RF design and engineering skills. Our hope is to demonstrate that complex computer-aided design (CAD) simulation software and expensive test equipment are not needed to build a useful microwave circuit in a short period of time. Competitors are encouraged to rely on basic RF circuit knowledge, rules-of-thumb, and all their electronic assembly and soldering skills.
This year at IMS2017 we are excited to announce that the Hackathon design challenge will be the micro-strip power divider! The design specifics, such as the frequency of interest, will be announced at the event but we encourage participants to take some time to read up on power divider design. We highly recommend checking out Microwaves101 for some great write ups on micro-strip transmission lines and power splitters (https://www.microwaves101.com/). You can also take a look at your favorite RF textbook. For more information on the competition check out the Hackathon page on the IMS website: http://ims2017.org/technical-program/competitions/hackathon/.
Hope to see you there!
