TUARC Projects

TUARC has a series of technical projects in conjunction with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and its undergraduate curriculum in analog and digital communications including: high-speed  radio frequency (RF) modem design, amateur packet radio networking protocols, digital signal processing (DSP) and software radios, UHF and microwave transverter design, amateur satellite digital data transmission and the digital voice project.  These projects are intended to give a real-world wireless experience for undergraduate TU ECE students using Amateur Radio.

TUARC fosters the use of Amateur Radio in undergraduate ECE education and especially in the capstone senior design project.  Here is a paper that describes that effort. 

TUARC has sponsored the Northeast High School Amateur Radio Club W3YC, Philadelphia, which is the oldest high school Amateur Radio club in the United States.  Other Delaware Valley junior and senior high schools are invited to contact TUARC to see how Amateur Radio can be a part of technology education.Outstanding Senior Design Project

The Best ECE Senior Design Project 2002 was awarded to MichaelSenior Design Poster, click to enlarge Altomari, Robert Esposito, Mark Renner and team leader Carl Waitz for their effort entitled Data Telemetry for Low Earth Orbiting Satellites using amateur radio satellites.  The team was also featured on WPVI-TV ABC6 Philadelphia.  Click on the thumbnail on the right to see the ECE Senior Design 2002 project poster.
Click here to read the web article on Tech Fest
TUARC was featured at the NBC10 Tech Fest in the ARRL exhibit booth.  An Amateur Radio 10 GHz, high speed (2 Mb/sec) digital microwave communication system, a TUARC technical project, was on display.  Jim Biddle W3DCL, TUARC alumni chairman, is shown discussing Amateur Radio with a group during the NBC10 Tech Fest.  Click on the picture or the link to read the web article.

As part of the Engineer's Week observance, TUARC sponsored The Marconi Challenge for TU  ECE undergraduates and high school students.  The Challenge was to communicate using infrared (IR) semiconductor emitter and detector diodes.  The winning TU ECE undergraduate was Jason Voytilla using the microprocessor controlled pulse modulation system shown.  Click on the picture or the link to read the web article.

The ECE Senior Design Project 2004 is a Earth-Bound Mars Rover semi-autonomous vehicle with triaxial acceleration and tilt sensors, an electronic compass and a GPS receiver.  Digital data communication uses binary frequency shift keying (BFSK) at 1200 b/sec on 144 MHz.  The Earth Rover has an amateur television (ATV) fast scan on 426.25 MHz and audio transmitter with a color camera with an on-board microphone.  Click on the link learn more about the Earth-Bound Mars Rover.

The ECE Senior Design Project 2005 is a continuation of the Digital Voice Project.