Educational Materials

Radio Frequency Systems and Applications Introductory Videos

Radio Telescope

New NSF SpectrumX courseware highlights importance of spectrum-dependent technologies

Created in collaboration with industry and government partners as well as Notre Dame Learning, NSF SpectrumX’s Radio Frequency Systems and Applications courseware videos raise awareness of the amazing technologies and critical frequency bands that people rely upon every day to support weather forecasting, transportation safety, and mobile communication networks.

“The purpose of these videos is to help a wide audience learn how fascinating, challenging, and important radio systems are to our modern society,” said Nick Laneman, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Notre Dame and Center Director of NSF SpectrumX. “The hope is these videos will pique learners’ curiosity and motivate them to explore further.”

The newly released videos feature experts from representative governmental agencies and companies discussing the unique ways in which their organizations utilize the radio spectrum to pursue their missions and provide value to their customers, respectively. Although the videos are brief, each under 15 minutes, they provide insights beyond the frequency bands each organization utilizes and the systems and technologies they deploy. The experts also delve into common challenges and opportunities, ongoing organizational collaborations, and the practical applications and impact of their work.

“There are a lot of interesting people in the field developing radio systems and supporting their societal applications. They have deep expertise but also broad perspectives, which means they can articulate why their work is important in addition to explaining its technical aspects,” said Laneman. “We invited this wide array of experts to help tell this story because it is hard to understand how big and collaborative the radio spectrum ecosystem is until you consider multiple points of view.”

All are encouraged to watch these videos to learn more about radio technologies and spectrum policy and their vital role in society today.

Read the full story here.

Introduction
Description

Nature has a great deal to tell us, and radio receivers allow us to listen. Radio astronomy pushes the limits of what is possible and enables us to understand the nature and dynamics of the cosmos.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Award No. 2132700 and operated under cooperative agreement by the University of Notre Dame. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.

Description

Combining passive and active sensing with reliable communication networks help keep us safe and informed. Global weather forecasting and severe storm tracking exemplify how several kinds of radio transmitters enable these applications.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Award No. 2132700 and operated under cooperative agreement by the University of Notre Dame. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.

Description

Technology development and innovation are key focuses as radio spectrum systems advance, and as the demand for spectrum grows, managing potential radio interference is essential to enabling this development.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Award No. 2132700 and operated under cooperative agreement by the University of Notre Dame. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.