A hands-on microwave laboratory course using microstrip circuits

The microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum provides an excellent vehicle for introducing electromagnetic concepts. Unfortunately, the relatively high cost of microwave experiments make it difficult to reinforce lecture material with laboratory exercise. A discussion is presented as to how a CAD program and a nonconventional fabrication procedure have been used in a two-semester microwave course at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY to design and build a variety of low-cost microstrip circuits