Our multi-disciplinary team is looking to design and construct a programmable radio-frequency load simulator test fixture that mimics the plasma load and matching network that would be found in a normal high power system test lab environment. The three main components that our team is tasked with creating are a custom printed circuit board (PCB), software for a microcontroller, and an enclosure for the device. The PCB is designed by our three electrical engineers, and is meant to be the "replacement" for the plasma chamber and large capacitors in the matching network that would normally be in a standard lab facility. The software and microcontroller are need to allow the device to be controlled by a user through a computer. Through typed commands, the proper load and matching network settings on our PCB can be easily set. The enclosure will essentially a metal box with a handle it can be carried like a briefcase. It will be powered with a standard home wall outlet and have a secured top that can be taken off to access the internal components.
3D view of test fixture enclosure with internal component arrangement.
Team Members
Alexander Abel-Ferretti,Elijah DeChane,Trenton Witham,Steven Walker,Zachary Gansworth
