Analog Devices’ New Active Learning Modules Focus on Improving Analog and Radio Frequency Engineering Education

Analog Devices, Inc. today announced two active learning modules that help introduce students and enthusiasts to electrical engineering concepts in a cost effective, easy-to-use, hands-on environment. The ADALM2000 Active Learning Module allows students to design and test analog circuits in real time, utilizing the power of traditional lab equipment made available with graphical application software.

Offering more of an application focus, the ADALM-PLUTO Software-Defined Radio Active Learning Module helps students learn the fundamentals of software-defined radio (SDR), radio frequency (RF), and wireless communications and experiment using independent receive and transmit channels operating in full duplex. These hands-on learning design approaches give students, professors, and enthusiasts alike the freedom and creativity to expand the scope of course materials and explore real-time design scenarios.

• Learn more about Analog Devices’ university programs and series of active learning modules: http://www.analog.com/university

"The ADALM-PLUTO, with MATLAB^® and Simulink^®, has been an invaluable tool for my students by providing a rewarding learning experience in digital communication systems engineering," said Dr. Alexander Wyglinski, associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and director of the Wireless Innovation Laboratory, Worcester Polytechnic Institute. "By enabling students to design actual wireless communication systems quickly and perform over-the-air experiments in a matter of weeks, the ADALM-PLUTO will help these future engineers synthesize theoretical concepts taught in the classroom and learn about practical, real-world design considerations using the latest software defined radio technology.”

About the ADALM2000 Active Learning Module

The ADALM2000 Active Learning Module is a cost-effective, USB-powered software-defined instrument that brings the power of traditional lab equipment to the palm of your hand. With two analog differential inputs, two analog single-ended outputs, two power supplies, and 16-bits of digital input or outputs, students have the freedom to explore signals and systems into the tens of MHz without the limitations of a traditional labs. When coupled with Analog Devices’ Scopy graphical application software running on a computer, the user gains easy access to the most popular high performance instrumentation functions. The instrumentation functions conveniently included are: a DC/AC Voltmeter, 30 MHz oscilloscopes, +/- 5 V power supply, 50 MHz spectrum analyzers, 30 MHz signal generators, 30 MHz arbitrary waveform generators, 100MHz logic analyzers, 60+ different protocol bus analyzers, and 100 MHz digital pattern generator. Scopy, an open source application, supports all major platforms used by faculty and students (Windows^®, Linux^® and OS X^®) and features a plugin architecture for supporting user developed instruments, such as network analyzers. For more information, visit: http://www.analog.com/ADALM2000

About the ADALM-PLUTO Software-Defined Radio Active Learning Module

The easy to use ADALM-PLUTO Software-Defined Radio Active Learning Module helps introduce electrical engineering students to the practical operating scenarios of SDR, RF, and wireless communications. The active learning module features independent receive and transmit channels that can operate in full duplex and generate or acquire RF analog signals from 325 MHz to 3800 MHz at up to 61.44 megasamples per second (MSPS). Small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, the module is completely self-contained and entirely USB powered. The ADALM-PLUTO is accessed by the cross platform (Windows, Linux and OS X) libiio library, allowing students to learn and explore a variety of platforms (x86 and ARM). The ADALM-PLUTO can be used as the key component of a communications or RF lab with SDR signal processing and visualization frameworks such as MATLAB, Simulink, or GNU Radio, which students can use anywhere, enabling flipped classrooms or remote learning. For more information, visit: http://www.analog.com/ADALM-PLUTO

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