Ronald E. McNair Program

Tracy L. Jeffries

SCHOOL: The University of Mississippi
MAJOR: Electrical Engineering
MENTOR: Dr. Charles E. Smith
EXPECTED GRADUATION DATE: August 2001
ORGANIZATIONS & HONORS:

Adler Engineering Scholar
Chucky Mullins Scholar
Dean's List Honor Roll
President-National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Summer Scholar
MAMP/IMAGE Scholar
All Nations AMP Research Scholar
F & A M
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

email: tljeffri@olemiss.edu

ABSTRACT

X-BAND PIN DIODE MODULATOR

Modulators are very important devices for information transmission, especially in electrical engineering, wireless, and other related fields. These instruments are needed more and more each day because they allow information to travel over long distances on electromagnetic waves, such as communication signals used for radios and wireless applications. The purpose of this project is to test the feasibility of a shunt switch for RF waveguide or transmission lines that will be the basis of the design for an X-band PIN diode modulator.
In order for an X-band PIN diode modulator to be manufactured, a circuit has been designed based on an electronic timer, transistor driver, and switching diodes. This designed circuit has been analyzed analytically and tested using a circuit analysis program to verify circuit operation. The circuit has been implemented on a prototype board in the laboratory. This circuit has thus been examined using three different techniques: an analytical method, a circuit simulation using a software program (PSPICE) and an experimental method. All three methods yielded the same basic results, which verified that the design is feasible.