Scholar Profile –
Richard

Why I chose to study Electronics

From an early age I have been fascinated by electronics. I used to take things apart and wonder how they worked (and then not know how to put them back together). I chose to study electronics because I love understanding what makes the world work, and designing things to make it work better.

Why I wanted to work at Plextek

I knew some theory behind RF and communications engineering from my course, but hadn’t yet had a chance to use it in practice. Plextek specialise in these areas, so I hoped to be able to learn how to apply my knowledge from expert engineers. I also liked the idea of working in a consultancy, seeing lots of different projects and technologies.

My experience at Plextek

I was tasked with making a low-cost SDR (software-defined radio) proof-of-concept prototype. I planned block diagrams, built the prototype, and finally developed the firmware. The radio could send and receive signals over a wide range of frequencies, and I demonstrated it receiving FM audio (Radio 1) in my final presentation. I had access to sophisticated tools and a very helpful supervisor.

Personal interests

At uni I sing in the Southampton Philharmonic Choir. Over lockdown I bought a 3D printer and had a lot of fun setting it up and printing things for my family. I also like walking, gaming and making small electronics projects at home.