Thu Nov 07 05:53:06 UTC 2024: ## Cornell Hosts ‘Fox Hunt’ Competition to Spark Interest in Chip Design
Cornell University hosted a unique ‘fox hunt’ competition on Oct. 5th, attracting both undergraduate students and local high schoolers, with the aim of sparking interest in microchip design. The event, organized by assistant professor Mohamed I. Ibrahim, involved teams using handheld spectrum analyzers to locate 10 hidden transmitters across campus.
The competition, sponsored by Keysight Technologies, provided students with hands-on experience using professional radio equipment. The day began with technical lectures from Ibrahim and a Keysight engineer, followed by the one-hour competition.
“The goal of the event was to show students that a silicon chip lies at the heart of every electronic device, and to make them aware how important chip designers will be in the future as systems increasingly rely on specialized electronic chips,” said Ibrahim.
The event received praise from participants, including students from Cornell’s Custom Silicon Systems (C2S2) project team, which focuses on semiconductor design. Taylor Do ’26, a C2S2 member, called the competition a “fantastic experience” and a great opportunity to explore radio frequency technology. Andrew Lewis ’27, president of the Cornell Amateur Radio Club, also highlighted the benefits of using advanced equipment, noting the club’s ongoing use of spectrum analyzers and vector network analyzers.
The ‘fox hunt’ competition showcased the practical applications of microchip technology, with C2S2 currently partnering with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to develop a bird tagging device using a similar design. Ibrahim hopes to expand the competition in the future, offering additional hands-on activities and training sessions to encourage more students to pursue careers in chip design.
First Piper 