TCNJ ECE students Daniel J Bluman, Andrew Iepson, and Dan Chokola participated in the international Microwave Theory and Techniques ( MTT-17) Student Balun Competition in Montreal, Canada this past summer. The idea to compete began when professor of electrical engineering Dr. Allen Katz challenged his Electronics Lab II class to design an electrical device called a balun. They proved to have the best design and were advised by Dr. Katz to participate in the MTT-17 competition.

 

The competition was part of the International Microwave Symposium (IMS), and was an enriching environment that also included presentations on new and cutting edge technologies. The students were amazed by the magnitude and the diversity of the event upon learning they were the only competitors from the United States. The group spent many hours perfecting the design to meet the challenging specifications such as size and bandwidth goals. A balun is an electrical device that converts between a balanced signal and an unbalanced signal. Common applications are radio and television transmission between coaxial cables to a balanced two port cable. After the competition the students attended technical presentations and went to dinner with CEOs of corporate sponsors. The group proudly left with certificates of high achievement.