Back after a long break

It has been years since I've written on this blog. I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with my PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineer (ECE) in 2014. I have been busy in the defense industry working as a Senior Systems Engineer. I am now in the second and final year of my company's Leadership Development Program (LDP). I have decided to start writing on this blog again this time with the focus on engineering as a profession.

Readers interested in earning a PhD in engineering will find my previous posts interesting. Now that I am a professional in the industry, my blog will focus on the following topics:

• Engineering as a profession: How to be good at it
• Continuous learning: Why and how your education does not end with your degree
• Business development: What you need to succeed in the business world
• Software engineering: Tips and advice for programming in languages including Matlab, C++, Python. 
• Software applications: Machine learning (including Deep Learning) and developing Alexa Skills

I hope that you continue enjoying reading my blogs. For my previous fans who have missed me, I apologize for not writing all these years. The best I can say is that life got in the way.

How to Write an Excellent Technical Conference Paper

One of my roles as an ECE PhD candidate is to write and publish IEEE conference papers. If you've been accepted to an engineering PhD program, your advisor will expect you to publish conference papers on your research. Now, I've seen great conference papers that tell good stories, and I've seen papers that I've tossed aside because they have little merit because I can hardly make head or tails of them. Today, I will give you tips on how to write conference papers that will be excellent because they tell your research story clearly and succinctly.

To begin, you should understand that many technical conferences exist, and some conferences need papers so badly that the technical chairs will accept almost any paper. In other words, you need to choose your conference carefully. Even the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) has poor quality conferences even though the IEEE is regarded for publishing excellent technical content. As you begin writing your paper, ask your PhD advisor to what conference you should submit your paper. He/she will have ideas on which conferences demand excellent papers. For example, in my research field of antenna arrays optimized with genetic and other stochastic algorithms, excellent conferences include

• IEEE Antennas and Propagation Symposium
• IEEE Microwave Theories & Techniques Society International Microwave Symposium
• IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation
• ACM Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference
• IEEE-APS Topical Conference on Antennas and Propagation in Wireless Communications

This list is certainly not complete, nor may it be relevant to your research areas. However, each of these conferences expects high quality papers, and paper submissions are peer reviewed. If your paper is accepted, that means your paper is good.

Second, you need to understand how a conference paper is organized. A conference paper is not the same thing as writing an essay for an english class or a final project report for a capstone course. Conference papers are divided into clear sections as shown in the figures below. 

Diagram showing first page of a sample conference paper 

Diagram showing a final page of a sample conference paper

Conference papers are typically double columned and single spaced with page limits ranging from two pages to eight pages. Each conference has their own paper formatting rules, and you can find those rules on the conference's website. In general, conference papers have several ordered sections following the title and authors lines:

1. Abstract
2. Introduction / Background
3. Methods (Alternatively: Experimental setup, Theory)
4. Results (Alternatively: Experimental results, Simulation Results)
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography (i.e., references list)

Tip: Download the appropriate paper template from the conference website

Tip: Use LaTex instead of Microsoft Word to write your paper

As you notice, a conference paper will typically have several diagrams and/or figures. I've found Microsoft Word to be tricky when formatting papers because my figures would not stay in one place when I added text to my document, and it's very easy for Word to mess up font formatting even when I used the conference's Word template. Instead, I've found paper formatting to be much easier by using LaTex (pronounced "Lay Tech").  LaTex is a type-setting program commonly used in academia. If you do not already know how to use LaTex, I've found a thorough Latex Tutorial. A version of Latex called MacTex is available for the Macintosh, and MikTex is available for Windows PCs. Once you've installed LaTex on your computer, I suggest that you also install and download TexMaker which is a cross platform LaTex editor that works on top of MacTex / MikTex. I've found TexMaker easier to use that MacTex and MikTex by themselves.

Regarding the paper outline, the abstract summarizes the paper in 100 to 150 words. Second, the introduction / background tells why your research is important, what other researchers have done in that research area, and what you have done previously (if this is not your first paper on the subject). Remember to cite any papers or books you reference in your introduction. You might also include a diagram explaining your research at an upper level. This may be a picture of your project. Third, you describe your test setup or simulations methodology in your methods section. You can name this section differently as noted above. This section typically includes a picture or diagram explaining your research's methodology. It might be a block diagram, an algorithm flowchart, etc. The important thing to note is that this section contains the theoretical meat of your paper. 

Fourth, you discuss your test and/or simulation results in the results section. You must show clear diagrams of your results. Interpret your results and explain why and how they matter. In general, you want to show results that support your research hypotheses. It is acceptable to publish results that disprove your hypotheses, but it's more interesting to prove your own points rather to disprove yourself. Fifth, the conclusion summarizes your paper. Your conclusion can be similar to your abstract, but some authors include future work in their conclusions. Finally, the bibliography lists all of the literature your referenced throughout your paper.

In closing, you must tell a story when you write a conference paper. Have your PhD advisor review your paper before you submit it, as your advisor will know the level of quality required for conference acceptance. In most cases, the conference reviewers will also give you feedback on your paper after you submit it but before they accept it. Do not let their comments get you down, as the reviewers do not know your research as well as you do. Anyway, your paper will be much better after you integrate their comments and suggestions into your revisions.

Best,

Jonathan Becker

ECE PhD Candidate

Carnegie Mellon University
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Textbook Review: Antenna Theory Analysis and Design by Constantine A. Balanis

In this post, I will review Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design, Third Edition by Constantine A. Balanis. This book is a must have for engineers who want to learn the theory behind antenna design. This textbook assumes that the reader has a fundamental theory of electromagnetics and Maxwell's Equations. The book is aimed at graduate engineering students. However, senior level undergraduate students would be able to understand the material provided they've already taken courses in electromagnetics. The front cover of the book is shown below.

Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design by Constantine A. Balanis

Balanis is well known in the antenna theory, design, and engineering fields. Although his textbook does not cover every aspect of antenna design, he goes into great detail on the theoretical concepts one needs to understand in order to design antennas. For example, Balanis covers the following topics in good details in the second chapter of his text:

• Definition of of reactive near-field, radiating near-field, and far-field (Fraunhofer) regions
• Radiation power density and intensity derivations
• General derivation of directivity for antennas with arbitrary sources
• Derivations of equations defining antenna efficiency and gain
• Definitions of linear, circular, and elliptical polarizations
• Derivation of the Friis transmission and radar range equations

As I mentioned above, Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design covers many aspects of antenna theory. As such, Balanis has an entire chapter devoted to derivation of vector potentials and how they are used to derive the radiated fields E & H. For example, Balanis explains that it is generally easier to derive the radiated fields based on electric current density J and/or magnetic current density M by deriving the associated vector potentials and taking their derivatives. The more direct path of integrating J or M to obtain the resulting electromagnetic fields is much harder in comparison because the integrals do not always exist or are hard to solve based on the problem. After deriving the vector potentials, Balanis derives general solutions for the inhomogeneous vector potential wave equation, and he derives basic far-field radiation field equations based on the electric and magnetic vector potentials. Lastly, Balanis derives the equations that explain antenna reciprocity. His solutions incorporate circuit theory by modeling the antennas as sources with equivalent voltages and currents.

In Chapter 4, Balanis derives the equations that define the radiation patterns for linear wire antennas. This includes the electromagnetic fields for several types of dipole antennas such as the infinitesimal dipole, small dipole, and half-wavelength dipole. Balanis also gives detailed derivations for the far-field (Fraunhofer) and the radiating near-field regions. Next, Balanis defines the current distribution on dipole antennas and derives their radiation resistance as a function of length. This chapter is very important for understanding antenna theory, as the dipole antenna is considered to be a very basic antenna element, and they are often used in wireless communication systems.

Tip # 1: If your goal is to get a basic understanding of dipole antenna theory, read and thoroughly understand the materials that Balanis covers in the first four chapters. 

Tip # 2: Read Chapter 5 if you want to understand how loop antennas operate as well.

Next, Chapter 5 derives the equations for loop antennas. The loop antenna is considered a dual to the dipole antenna, as both antennas have similar radiation patterns. Whereas the dipole antenna has an electric current density J as its radiating source, the loop antenna has a magnetic current density M as its radiating source. I strongly suggest that you read this chapter if your position or research involves loop antennas.

In addition, the following chapters in this textbook are dedicated to specific subfields within antenna theory. The subjects include but are not limited to

• Antenna arrays
• Antenna synthesis
• Integral equations and the method of moments (MOM)
• Broadband dipoles and matching techniques
• Broadband antennas
• Horn antennas
• Microstrip (including patch) antennas

Finally, the last chapter in Balanis' textbook is one devoted solely to antenna measurements. Balanis explains several methods of measuring an antenna's radiation patterns such as reflection ranges, free-space-ranges, and compact ranges. He also explains how a test range can be made more compact by making near-field measurements, and he derives methods for extracting far-field data from near-field measurements. Furthermore, Balanis describes the equipment necessary for measuring antenna fields as well as radar cross sections (RCS) of various targets.

In conclusion, Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design (Third Edition) is an excellent textbook for learning antenna theory. It is certainly not the only textbook one should read on antennas. However, this book is certainly a great start for understanding how antennas operate.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Becker

ECE PhD Candidate

Carnegie Mellon University

Behind the Scenes Roles of a Graduate Student Teaching Assistant

A graduate student teaching assistant has several responsibilities, and I previously wrote a post explaining how one can be an outstanding TA. Today, I want to explain the roles that the TA has behind the scenes before, during, and after the semester. Yes, it is important that the TA do well in front of the students, and the TA has responsibilities to help the professor as well. I have made a diagram that shows the typical timeline for an undergraduate course. You will notice that the TA's responsibilities start before the semester begins, and the TA's responsibilities continue after the semester ends.

A Typical Timeline for an Undergraduate Course.

Actually, the TA's responsibilities start well before the semester begins with course preparation. Although the professor will prepare a syllabus, the TA will review it for mistakes and make sure that it clearly conveys the material that should and will be covered during the course. The amount of preparation required for a class depends on the course itself. However, all TAs should be prepared to follow requests made by the course's professor before the class begins. These responsibilities may include:

• Writing course project summaries.
• Writing solutions for the first homework assignment.
• Preparing laboratory instructions and questions.
• Making sure that laboratory test equipment is available and completely operational.
• Ordering hardware through the department's lab director.
• Bringing any issues to the teaching professor's attention.

As an example, I am TAing a RF / wireless capstone course. This is a laboratory and project based course that is designed to wrap up Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) courses that the undergraduate students took within the last several years. I already wrote a project summary per the professor's request, and I made sure that the lab vector network analyzer (VNA) is fully operational. In addition, I am currently updating the course lab instructions. Although these instructions were available from last year, previous students complained that the instructions were confusing. I've rewritten them to explain the subjects better, and I hope that my instructions will add value to the students' education.

In addition, I've previously written about the TA's responsibilities during the semester. Namely, the TA needs to write & grade homework assignments, maintain office hours, and give guest lectures. Of these responsibilities, the TA must keep a record of student grades. Some Universities give midterm grades or a mid-semester progress status to the students, so the teaching professor will need homework grades to prepare these items. 

Important: Remember to keep grades confidential. You will be removed from your TA assignment if you tell other students a particular students' grades. Universities and colleges value their students' privacy after all.

To maintain academic integrity, the teaching professor may ask the TA to aid in administering exams, as the TA serves as a second pair of eyes to prevent cheating. If the professor travels to present papers during the semester, the TA will also need to proctor exams.

Furthermore, the professor must assign grades to all of the students after the semester ends. Every professor in every department in every college/university has a deadline for submitting grades. Therefore, it is very important that the TA assist the professor in tallying the final grades. Again, the TA must keep track of all grades given during the semester. These grades always include homework / lab assignments that the TA graded. Sometimes the professor will give you a copy of the exam grades and ask that you keep a record for bookkeeping purposes. Always make a back up copy in case you (or the professor) make a mistake or a computer crashes.

Finally, remember that a TA assignment is a learning experience in and of itself. Dedicate yourself to doing an outstanding job, and meet with the teaching professor on a regular basis. Learn from your mistakes, strive to continually improve yourself, and be proud that you're helping undergraduate students learn new materials. You will do well, and I wish you best of luck in your TA assignment.

Best,

Jonathan Becker

ECE PhD Candidate

Carnegie Mellon University