Short Courses

The center has organized since 2012 several short courses addressing particular subjects of research areas and trainings on certain tools either software or hardware available at the labs. The list of short courses with brief descriptions are given below:

Trainer:         Advanced Technology Development and Integration (ATDI) 
Course Title: Introduction to HTZ Software 
Duration: 1 day

This training session focuses on practical guidance for using HTZ software. It covers specific features and functions, such as parallel coverage calculations and redundant site identification, to optimize network planning and management. Additionally, this training session covers the application of HTZ software for conducting spectrum sharing and compatibility studies.

Trainer:         IS-Wireless, Poland 
Course Title: LTE & WiMAX 
Duration:      10 days    

This course provides an end-to-end overview perspective of the LTE and WiMAX system, including the access and the core network domains. The course is enriched by numerous laboratory exercises based on IS-Wireless tools, such as LTE PHY Lab, WiMAX PHY Lab and LTE MAC Lab.

Trainer:         EXFO, Canada 
Course Title: Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) 
Duration:      1 day

This course covers the usage of high end OTDR which can characterize a fiber link in excess of 200km. The training involved testing prototypes such as long range passive optical networks. 

Trainer:          Agilent Technologies, Germany 
Course Title: Optical Modulation Analyzer & Light wave Component Analyzer 
Duration:       5 days     

This training provides in depth understanding how the optical modulation analyzer and the light-wave component analyzer work.  Optical modulation analyzer helps researchers in testing their software or hardware designs generating complex optical modulation schemes. The light-wave component analyzer, on the other hand, provides the capability of testing the electrical and optical properties of components.

Trainer:          National Instruments, USA 
Course Title: Introduction to LabVIEW, cDAQ, FPGA and fiber optical sensing 
Duration:       1 day

This course provides knowledge to effectively use main National Instruments (NI) software (Lab view), to build optical sensing applications and prototypes using NI Optical Bragg Grating interrogator. The training involved building applications using temperature, strain and accelerometer sensors.

Trainer:         Agilent Technologies, Germany 
Course Title: Vector Signal Analysis Software 
Duration:      1 days

This course is to analyze time-domain signal quality using pulse timing features, CCDF, and quantify spectral performance with high-resolution, FFT-based measurements. The course also shows how to characterize complex modulation schemes with constellation, EVM, decoded bits, etc. Measurement of device distortion was also presented under real-world operating conditions with AM/AM, AM/PM and gain compression results for modulated signals. Utilization of multi-measurement capability to quickly characterize numerous signals or devices simultaneously was addressed.

Trainer:         National Instruments, USA 
Course Title: LabView Core I 
Duration:      4 days  

This course is offered for the female researchers at KACST as part of the collaboration between RFTONICS and The National Center for Computer Technology and Applied Math. The course gives the chance to explore the LabVIEW environment, dataflow programming, and common LabVIEW development techniques in a hands-on format. Also, it provides skills to learn how to develop data acquisition, instrument control, data-logging, and measurement analysis applications. At the end of the course, the trainee will be able to create applications using the state machine design pattern to acquire, process, display, and store real-world data.

Trainer:         National Instruments, USA 
Course Title: LabView Core II 
Duration:      4 days     

This course is offered for the female researchers at KACST as part of the collaboration between RFTONICS and The National Center for Computer Technology and Applied Math. It is an extension of the LabVIEW Core 1 course and teaches how to use common design patterns to successfully implement and distribute LabVIEW applications for research, engineering, and testing environments. Topics covered include use of event-driven programming, programmatic control of user interface, techniques to optimize reuse of existing code, and use of file I/O functions and tools to create executables and installers. This course directly links LabVIEW functionality to your application needs and provides a jump-start for application development.

Trainer:         EMAG, USA 
Course Title: Field Mapping using Electro-Optical Probe Method 
Duration:      3 days

This course is to learn how to use the electro-optic field mapping system to map the very-near fields of an antenna or microwave circuits using optical probing station up to 20 GHz. It also addresses how to transform the near-to-far field to measure antenna radiation patterns and parameters characterization.

Trainer:         EMSS – Electromagnetic Software and Systems, USA 
Course Title: Introduction to FEKO 
Duration:      3 days

This course is to train FEKO users to make efficient use of the simulation software and to introduce various numerical methods. Also, it discusses how to utilize some of the strengths and weaknesses of different numerical methods in FEKO. The course introduces FEKO workflow and model setup, and high frequency methods. Advanced model construction methods through application driven examples were presented. Tools and tips to improve accuracy and reducing computational workload were also given.

Trainer:         VPI Photonics, Germany 
Course Title: Modeling of Optical transmission Systems using VPITranmsission Maker Optical Systems 
Duration:       3 days

This training provides knowledge to use the software VPITranmsission Maker for designing and testing optical devices and systems before moving on to implementation stage. This early testing facility enables researchers to optimize their designs even before purchasing expensive components thus avoiding any potential investment in hardware implementation that has inherent design problems. In addition, it helps researchers to build and test their prototypes before going to experimental work.

Trainer:         Near-Field Systems International (NSI), USA 
Course Title: Antenna Measurements 
Duration:      2 days   

This course is to learn how to use the near-field measurements to measure the gain and radiation pattern of an antenna under test (AUT). This includes the procedure to move the AUT platform in z-direction to satisfy near-field conditions at different frequencies up to 40 GHz. The course also shows how to perform planar, cylindrical and spherical scans of antenna near-field and transform it to the far-field radiation pattern.

Trainer:         National Instruments, USA 
Course Title: CompactRIO Fundamentals 
Duration:      4 days

This course is offered for the female researchers at KACST as part of the collaboration between RFTONICS and the National Center for Computer Technology and Applied Math. .The course introduces the CompactRIO Product Line, and teaches how to setup and configure a CompactRIO system using the LabVIEW Embedded Project Manager.  Also, it shows how to create an FPGA VI to read and write to CompactRIO I/O and implement digital control operations.  Further, it gives the skills to create a Host VI to interface with the FPGA VI and implement scaling of binary data.

Trainer:         Cascade, USA 
Course Title: Cascade Probe Station Training 
Duration:      1 days

This course is to learn how to calibrate and use Cascade Probe Station to measure and characterize RF and microwave circuits and antennas up to 110 GHz using 50 and 150 micrometer probes.

Trainer:         National Instruments, USA 
Course Title: LabView Core 1 and 2; Data Acquisition and Signal Conditioning 
Duration:      9 days

This course is to learn how to develop data acquisition, instrument control, data-logging, and measurement analysis applications. It shows how to create applications using basic design templates and architectures to acquire, process, display, and store real-world data. The trainees also learn common design techniques for successfully implementing and distributing LabVIEW applications for research, engineering, and testing environments including file I/O function use, event programming, and error-handling practices.  The course also shows how to use NI LabVIEW software, plug-in data acquisition devices, and NI Compact DAQ hardware, and to explore the fundamentals of PC-based data acquisition and signal conditioning. 

Trainer:          EXFO, Canada 
Course Title:  Optical Sampling Scope 
Duration:       1 day

This course covers the usage of 500GHz Optical Sampling Oscilloscope which can directly visualize very high speed optical signals in both time and frequency domains. This scope can be used by researchers actively involved in building next generation high speed optical transmission systems.

Trainer:         Agilent Technologies, Germany 
Course Title: Arbitrary Waveform Generation 
Duration:      1 days

This course shows how to create highly realistic signals for different applications. It also shows how to generate multi-level signals and reproduce analog imperfections with programmable ISI and jitter up to 3 Gb/s. 

Trainer:          Keysight Tech. 
Course Title:  Training on SystemVU 
Duration:        1 days

This training was  focused on electronic design automation (EDA) environment for electronic system-level (ESL) design. It provided an overview to design the physical layer (PHY) of wireless and aerospace/defense communications systems. We also learned about  RF, DSP, and FPGA/ASIC implementation by using systemVU.

Trainer:          RFTONICS Senior Researchers 
Course Title:  WikiOptics 
Duration:        5 weeks

This workshop provides an overview perspective of optical fiber devices and components such as optical splitters, optical couplers, optical attenuators, and fiber splicing in addition to optical network components such as WDM optical add drop multiplexer (OADM) . The workshop is enriched by numerous laboratory experiments that based on using optical laser/LED sources and optical receiver in order to test and investigate the mentioned fiber components.