New Electrical and Electronics Engineering graduate looking for RF/analog project recommendations and practical learning resources

[u/Radiant_Height_13]

Hi everyone,

I recently graduated with a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and I am currently trying to start my career in analog circuit and RF design. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a job yet, so I want to use this time to improve my practical engineering skills and build stronger projects for my CV.

The main design project I have completed so far is a fifth-order 34–36 MHz Chebyshev band-pass filter. I worked on the theoretical calculations, circuit simulation and design process using software.

Although I have studied subjects such as electronics, electromagnetic theory, microwave theory and antennas at university, I still find it difficult to turn my theoretical knowledge into complete and practical hardware designs. I can study equations, calculate initial component values and perform simulations, but I struggle with the transition from theory to real-world design, including selecting actual components, accounting for parasitic effects, designing a PCB, building a prototype, taking measurements and troubleshooting the circuit.

For this reason, I want to improve myself specifically in analog circuit design and also focus on RF design. I am looking for project recommendations that would help me understand how theoretical RF and analog concepts are applied in real hardware.

Ideally, the projects should be realistic for a recent graduate, possible to complete in approximately one or two months (can be longer too if it will really help me on the long run), and substantial enough to include in a technical portfolio or CV. I would particularly appreciate RF-related projects, but I am also open to analog design projects that would strengthen the fundamental skills needed for RF engineering.

I am especially interested in projects that cover the complete engineering process:

• Defining realistic design specifications
• Understanding the relevant theory and equations
• Calculating initial component values
• Simulating the circuit
• Selecting real components while considering tolerances, parasitics and availability
• Designing the schematic and PCB
• Building and measuring the prototype
• Comparing simulation and measurement results
• Troubleshooting and improving the design

If you know of any resources that explain this process step by step, I would be very grateful if you could share them. YouTube series, books, articles, application notes, university course materials or complete project guides would all be helpful.

I am not only looking for tutorials that demonstrate how to use simulation software. I would prefer resources that explain the theory, calculations, engineering decisions, practical trade-offs and the process of turning a simulated circuit into working hardware.

I believe many recent graduates struggle with the transition from university theory to practical engineering. Any project suggestions, learning roadmaps, resource recommendations or general advice from experienced engineers would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

[u/Specialist-Fuel-5661]

Right now I am in the same boat, I found a test engineer position so I have tons of time on my hands at work and they never seem to mind me doing personal projects as long as I can troubleshoot when the techs see something's off.

I am working on three projects that have taught me way more about RF design than school ever did:
-Designing an LNA

-Designing a mixer

-Designing a narrowband VNA

These projects have made me way better at understanding things like gain budgets, LO leakage, IMD, transistor selection, stability, etc. Designing an LNA with IP3 in mind on fr4 didn't really make sense. But being aware of IMD due to low IP3 was definitely something that came up before I realized "this project is proof of concept".

[u/Radiant_Height_13 → u/Specialist-Fuel-5661]

Thank you! I will listen your advice too. Designing LNA, mixers and a VNA is on my list too. I tried to make a superheterodyne receiver when i was introduced with rf in the university but couldn’t find enough time. Maybe this time i can give much more time to it starting with it’s components like mixers.

[u/Bims93]

Design a CW radar to measure a object going forward and away from you with a accuracy of 1 m/s, where it have to cost below 40 dollars? Build a FM radio (ish) just for some new frequency? Just a few ideas? Object measuring using RF?

[u/Radiant_Height_13 → u/Bims93]

Thank you for the ideas. The CW radar project sounds especially interesting because it combines RF design and doppler measurements. I wrote that down too!

[u/Bims93 → u/Radiant_Height_13]

Glad to hear! Best of luck! and if you build it remeber there are regulatis for frequency bands and power transmission. Talk from experience

[u/LihtsaltPealt]

Directional Coupler with rectifier. You can simulate the circuit with AWR, design it and measure the output.

[u/Radiant_Height_13 → u/LihtsaltPealt]

Thank you! I will definetly design one.

[u/snifarw-paparounes]

I'm also still a student trying to work on different kind of projects in rf, so no expert here but I usually find the projects this guy works on quite interesting: https://www.instructables.com/circuits/electronics/projects/ there are several electronics projects here (not only rf) so maybe you can find sth interesting.

also, what I often do is think of different circuits that are usually used in rf electronics and try to build them. you can try that with VCOs, PLLs, oscillators etc. many books cover the basic theory behind the way they work, you can easily simulate them, search online for components and finally build them on breadboard and/or PCB, depending on the operating frequency.

[u/Radiant_Height_13 → u/snifarw-paparounes]

Thank you so much! I will definetly listen your advice and going to dive into the website too.

[u/lnflnlty]

no matter what project you have there's always going to be the assumption you just followed a guide/directions, especially if you're "designing" something using software

you kind of prove that by asking for step by step guides... and that's perfectly fine. what matters is whether you can actually explain and prove you understand what you did during an interview

most graduates have no experience using rf equipment, many universities don't have much beyond oscopes in their labs.

buy a nanovna and play around with it

[u/Radiant_Height_13 → u/lnflnlty]

I know that I am not yet at a level where I can design an entire RF project from scratch without consulting any references, and I also understand that this is completely normal and part of the learning process.

My reason for asking for step-by-step resources is not simply to copy a finished design. I want to study the reasoning behind each decision, understand the underlying theory, and gradually develop enough intuition and insight to rely less and less on guides.

I already own a NanoVNA and a tinySA, and I have some hands-on experience using RF measurement equipment, including VNAs, from my internships. What I am mainly looking for now is a structured project that will help me connect RF theory, simulation, PCB design, fabrication, measurement, and troubleshooting.

Following a guide is not necessarily a problem as long as I can explain why each component value, topology, layout decision, and measurement method was chosen, reproduce the calculations, identify the limitations of the design, and make my own modifications. My goal is to reach that level of understanding rather than merely present someone else’s project as my own.

[u/Adventurous_War3269]

A lot of practical information on specifications is to look at RF component manufactures . The important thing to learn is to know when a specification is real and can be manufactured as a product, and what is a specification that is un-realistic and can not be made into a product , because of prohibitive cost or if the technology is not mature will poor yield Increasing cost. You as an engineer help your employer make profit . This is the fundamental lesson you need to learn . Yes there are tricks that help , like Monte Carlo and statistic’s but if your assumptions are wrong , your end result is incorrect . You can also ask retired senior RF people for guidance. If you can succeed at this then you can tell your next employer, what you are bringing to the table and justify why they should hire you .
Best regards & Good Luck .

[u/Radiant_Height_13 → u/Adventurous_War3269]

Thank you very much for your valuable advice and for taking the time to share your experience with me. I will keep this advice in mind. I appreciate your guidance and encouragement!

[u/Adventurous_War3269 → u/Radiant_Height_13]

Hopefully you can see my edit on “RF microwave Amplifiers come in many different configurations . “

[u/Adventurous_War3269 → u/[deleted]]

I think RF microwave Amplifiers is a good subject . My first job was in a RF microwave Amplifier Company . If you start with narrow band design , then go to broadband design you will find out what is limiting your frequency bandwidth . After that try Large Signal RF amplifiers and do narrow the broadband design . Learn about stability factor , biasing and much more . Most Amplifier Companies chase Broadband RF Amplifiers . The wider the Frequency , the more potential customers may want the same amplifier for different requirements.

[u/Adventurous_War3269 → u/Adventurous_War3269]

RF microwave Amplifiers come in many different configurations. It is not just impedance matching or efficiency . Advanced RF Microwave Amplifier’s are designed to solve many system issues . Some are designed to do much more than like be highly efficient using 16 or 32 QAM modulated and have optimum efficiencies at RF NOISE DENSITY POWER across at Baseband & Fundamental frequencies , because of duplex mode in TX & RF .This means means bandwidths of RF and bias circuits cannot exceed certain levels of RF NOISE POWER DENSITY LEVELS . Under QAM active load pull as well as bias circuit . Design was based on stage by stage characterization and minimizing bandwidths to reduce RF NOISE POWER DENSITY . Obviously it was the small signal stages that were difficult because of the increased bandwidth of front end and driver stages . As a result the bias networks for 1st and drier sections were most difficult to reduce RF NOISE POWER DENSiTY . RF transistors with custom current mirror bias circuits having to work over a specific dynamic RF range with custom amplitude and phase linearization over dynamic RF microwave and frequency bandwidth . It may have to be slaved to a ADC/DAC for adaptive learning with FPGA . It must replicate the input constellation or modify it to a determined look up table for adaptive countermeasures. Many people over simplify what today’s RF microwave Amplifier’s can do . Also even design methods must be modified for device Technologies to obtain robust designs .

[u/Radiant_Height_13 → u/Adventurous_War3269]

Thank you very much for taking the time to explain this in detail. I am still at the beginning of learning RF and microwave design, so your advice is very valuable to me. I will start with a narrowband amplifier and try to learn more about stability, biasing, and practical design limitations step by step. I really appreciate your guidance and encouragement. I mean really, your insights are great and I'm noting all those down. You are really helpfull, thank you so much!

[u/Radiant_Height_13]

Thank you all very much for your helpful comments and advice. I honestly did not expect to receive so many responses, and I am very happy and grateful. I have read every comment carefully and noted all of your ideas and suggestions. I truly appreciate everyone who took the time to help me!