Internship at Minicircuits (2021)
I secured at internship at Minicircuits, a highly esteemed company in the field of electronics and radio frequency (RF) technologies. During my internship, I had the invaluable opportunity to work in their cutting-edge R&D lab.
The project I was assigned to was a research project on detecting and classifying objects using specialized radio frequency hardware and machine learning algorithms. My main focus was in developing the data logging and visualization tools for the data intensive research. This project exposed me to the intricacies of designing RF systems, the scientific process necessary for research, and honed in my software development skills.
One of the highlights of my internship was conducting experiments on the TI CC1120 radio transceiver chip to optimize its register configurations to enhance data collection and transfer rates. Leveraging my skills in programming with C, C++, and using tools like Arduino IDE and SmartRF Studio, I successfully achieved over a tenfold increase in the data performance.
Another aspect of my internship was developing a Graphical User Interface (GUI) application to assist in their research. The Java application I developed provides the following functions:
- Facilitate serial communication between the computer and the microcontroller unit (MCU)
- Visualizes and records data in real time
- Has an intuitive interface to control the register configurations
Last but not least, I had the interesting experience of hand-making several RF circuit boards for our project, by delicately laying soldering paste and SMD components under a microscope and reflowing the printed circuit board using a heat plate.
The entire internship experience at Minicircuits was truly fulfilling and educational. Working at such a large company, alongside industry experts and contributing to meaningful projects enriched my knowledge and skills. Moreover, the support I received from the team further motivated me to pursue a research oriented career.
Among the only pictures I have, since we weren’t allowed to take pictures in the lab 😆