RF-Connect Lab in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at North Dakota State University conducts research in antennas, RFID, and wireless sensors for Internet of Things applications. Our facilities in rooms 205, 225, and 113 of the Electrical Engineering building provide approximately 2,000 square feet each for the simulation, fabrication, and testing of antennas, antenna arrays, RFID tags and sensors, electromagnetic devices, and RF circuits.

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Computing and Simulation

 

The labs have 10 desktop and 5 laptop computers, together with two dedicated Dell Alienware GPU-enabled workstations for large full-wave simulations. Available software includes ANSYS HFSS, CST Studio Suite, Agilent ADS, COMSOL Multiphysics, MATLAB, and OriginPro. The research group also has access to NDSU's Center for Computationally Assisted Science and Technology (CCAST).

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RF Measurement and Characterization

 

Anechoic Chambers and Antenna Positioners

• Anechoic chamber with an antenna positioner for RF measurements up to 18 GHz

• MilliBox MBX34 benchtop anechoic chamber, with absorbers specified for 18–330 GHz

• Diamond Engineering Model 6000 desktop antenna measurement system, DC–18 GHz

 

Network Analyzers

• Keysight E8361C PNA vector network analyzer, 10 MHz–67 GHz

• Keysight E5071C ENA network analyzer, 300 kHz–20 GHz

• Agilent N5230A PNA-L vector network analyzer, 300 kHz–20 GHz

• Agilent E5071C ENA network analyzers, 100 kHz–8.5 GHz and 100 kHz–4.5 GHz

• HP 8753E network analyzer, 30 kHz–6 GHz

• SeeSii 4-inch NanoVNA portable vector network analyzer, 50 kHz–6.3 GHz

• SeeSii LibreVNA portable vector network analyzer, 100 kHz–6 GHz

 

Impedance and Dielectric Measurement

• Agilent 4395A network, spectrum, and impedance analyzer

• Agilent E4991A RF impedance analyzer, 1 MHz–3 GHz

• Epsilometer dielectric measurement device, 3 MHz–6 GHz

 

Spectrum Analyzers and Oscilloscopes

• Agilent E4402B spectrum analyzer, 9 kHz–3 GHz

• HP 8590A spectrum analyzer, 10 kHz–1.5 GHz

• Tektronix DPO5104 4-channel oscilloscope, 1 GHz

• Agilent 54853A 4-channel digital storage oscilloscope, 2.5 GHz

 

Antennas and Probes

• Log-periodic/biconical antenna, 25 MHz–4 GHz

• A.H. Systems bilogical antenna, 25 MHz–4 GHz

• ETS-Lindgren active loop antenna, 10 kHz–30 MHz

• Biconical antenna, 30–300 MHz

• A.H. Systems tuned dipole kit, 25 MHz–1 GHz

• Fischer Custom Communications matched current probes, 10 kHz–250 MHz

• Four TDK horn antennas, 1–18 GHz

• Two QRH67E quad-ridged horn antennas, 6–67 GHz

• Two Alien ALR-8698 RFID antennas, 860–960 MHz

 

RFID Readers

• Impinj Speedway Revolution R420 4-port UHF RFID reader

• Walabot Developer programmable 3D ultra-wideband RF reader for chipless RFID applications, 3.3–10.3 GHz

 

Signal Sources, Amplifiers, and Test Cables

• Agilent 81160A pulse function arbitrary generator, 330/500 MHz

• Agilent N5181A analog signal generator, 100 kHz–3 GHz

• Two Mini-Circuits ZHL-30W-252-S+ power amplifiers, 700 MHz–2.5 GHz

• Micro-Coax 26.5 GHz test cables: UFA210A-0-0240-30070U and UFA210A-0-1800-300300

• Micro-Coax 40 GHz test cables: UFB142C-0-0240-300300

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Fabrication and Rapid Prototyping

 

• Nano Dimension DragonFly IV 3D printer for additively manufactured electronics

• Bambu Lab P1S 3D printer for fused deposition modeling

• MakerBot 3D printer

• LPKF ProtoLaser U4 micromachining system

• LPKF ProtoMat S104 PCB prototyping system

• LPKF S63 milling machine

• Thunder Laser Nova 63 laser cutter

• Brother PR1055X multi-needle embroidery machine

• Laser milling, screen printing, and photolithography facilities

• Microcutter for conformal materials

 

The lab also has access to ECE workspace with power supplies, soldering stations, microcontroller development boards, FPGA toolkits, oscilloscopes, and function generators.