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Senior Matthew Johnston (Nantucket, Mass.) is designing and testing an integrated computer chip that may be used in digital audio and future digital subscriber lines (DSL).
An electrical and computer engineering major, Johnston spent last summer learning how to configure the miniscule objects that make up a chip as an EXCEL Scholar with John Nestor, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. In Lafayette’s EXCEL program, students work closely with faculty on research while earning a stipend.
For his year-long honors thesis, Johnston is using the knowledge gained from his previous research to design a chip for a more power-efficient amplifier.
“If the chip is successful, the amplifier could be used in many applications from digital audio to DSL,” Johnston says, explaining that after his design was fabricated into a chip in early March, he began testing it and building a circuit.
Dave A. Rich, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, is advising Johnston’s work along with Nestor. He says the project is based on a computer simulation of an extremely power-efficient amplifier that produces purer tones than those in production.
“He took the computer code and turned it into a hardware-descriptive language,” Rich says, explaining that Johnston’s digital research will be combined with analog research being conducted by electrical engineering major Erik Geissenhainer ’04 (Emmaus, Pa.).
“It’s important, original work,” Rich says, offering a music-based analogy to describe the research. “Basically, we were provided with the chords, and Matt had to write the harmony and the counterpoint.”
Nestor says Johnston adeptly used concepts learned from his Very Large-Scale Integrated Circuit Design class and his EXCEL research.
“I was really impressed with his ability to grasp the concept, pick it up, and run with it,” Nestor explains. “He has a strong work ethic, and he’s able to work independently without much direction.”
Johnston, who will begin a graduate program in digital design at University of Washington this fall, says Lafayette’s engineering curriculum piqued his interest in electrical engineering.
“It’s very logical,” he explains. “I grasped the concepts really easily, and I like how it works. I think that the electrical engineering major in general has given me a good, broad base of skills that I can use to continue my studies.”
Johnston says both Rich and Nestor have supported and encouraged him during the course of his project.
“Professor Rich has a vast amount of knowledge in analog circuit design, and he can see where the overall project is going,” Johnston says. “Professor Nestor has been extremely helpful with the small technical problems that arose. He led me through the chip design process and is helping me with the testing.”
Johnston adds that he’s learning how to conduct a full-length research study and gaining valuable technical skills in the process.
“The best part is that I don’t have to compete with graduate students,” he says. “And the facilities are great.”
Johnston has served as photography editor of The Lafayette student newspaper for four years and is on the fencing team’s foil squad. He belongs to Haven, a group dedicated to substance-free living, and is a former member of the club’s residential floor.