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Professor Juan E. Page de la Vega, Professor of Electromagnetics and Circuit Theory at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain, describes how he incorporates MEFiSTo-2D in his teaching at various levels.
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Professor Page de la Vega received both his engineering degree and his doctorate from the School of Telecommunications Engineering, the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He has been teaching electromagnetics, microwave theory and circuits in the same institution since 1971. Since 1983 he holds a Chair in the Department of Electromagnetics and Circuit Theory. His research interests focus on CAD of Microwave Circuits. |
Here is the educational report by Professor Page de la Vega:
Our engineering curriculum at the Polytechnic University of Madrid extends over five years, and we teach during two periods of four months each year. I employ the MEFiSTo-2D simulator in four different classes. The specific applications depend on the nature and level of the topic.
In my course Electromagnetic Theory I (3rd year- second period), I teach the propagation of plane waves and TEM modes, reflections and standing waves. In this class I use simulations very similar to the experiments described in the Virtual Electromagnetics Laboratory of MEFiSTo-2D. I demonstrate the propagation of sinusoidal and pulse wave forms in various materials, reflection and transmission at the interfaces between different dielectrics, propagation through dielectric slabs, etc.
My course Electromagnetic Theory II (4th year - first period), covers electromagnetic propagation in waveguides and dielectric fibers. Here I use similar simulation examples, but I also include mode fields and scattering at basic waveguide discontinuities.
These two courses are compulsory for all students registered in the School (ca. 500 per year) and involve 45 contact hours each. The impact of time domain visualization is always very strong!
My course Microwave Circuits (5th year - first period) covers fundamentals of active and passive circuit design. I teach the frequency and time domain behavior of devices (couplers, filters, attenuators, terminations, and so on).
The Laboratory of Microwave Circuits (5th year - second period) covers the design, construction and performance evaluation of some microwave devices selected by the students.
Both courses are electives and are taken by typically 15 to 20 students each year. In these courses I use MEFiSTo-2D not only for analysis but also as a design tool. This is a very important application of MEFiSTo; I show how to optimize the performance of a structure by strategically modifying its dimensions and shape. This gives the students invaluable experience in basic optimization and sensitivity analysis.
Here is how I actually use MEFiSTo in class: either I prepare a short video by running the examples ahead of time and capturing the screen on a video tape or a CD, or I project MEFiSTo-2D interactively. We employ a mobile multimedia teaching platform that incorporates a computer, a video player and a video projector.
I find MEFiSTo to be most effective when combining it with many other tools. It is important to use very simple programs in the educational environment unless we want to train people in the use of a specific professional product, which is not our mandate in a University. For example, I rely on a simple 2D Finite Element tool for computing the characteristic impedance of TEM transmission lines. Only in very special situations will I prepare a video from HFSS or similar professional tools.
Details of Professor Page de la Vega's courses can be found on his web site (in Spanish, but easy to read by anyone with a knowledge of technical English) at http://www.etc.upm.es/asignatu.htm.
