Electrical Engineering · UMass Boston
Duy (Simon) Pham
Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
I'm a senior at UMass Boston working where RF and analog hardware meets embedded firmware, designing analog receivers, real-time telemetry systems, and ML-assisted spectrum sensing. My focus is building secure, reliable hardware systems, from the circuit board up to the firmware running on it.
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Education
Education
University of Massachusetts Boston
B.S. Electrical Engineering · Minor in Computer Science
GPA: 3.60 / 4.00
Academic Honors: Dean's List (2023–2026) · College of Science & Mathematics
Relevant Coursework
- Electrical Engineering — Signals & Systems, Fields & Waves, Electronics I & II, Antenna Design, Digital Systems, Circuits I & II, Probability & Random Processes
- Computer Science & Math — Linear Algebra, Applied ODEs, Computer Programming for Engineers
Work Experience
Work Experience
Electrical Engineering Co-op
RMF Engineering Inc.
Boston, MA
- Assisted in the design of building electrical power systems, including distribution panels, lighting circuits, and branch circuits for project documentation
- Produced AutoCAD/Revit electrical drawings, including panel schedules and power distribution diagrams for construction drawing packages
- Performed electrical load calculations and voltage drop analysis for commercial building electrical systems during early design phases
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary engineering teams to coordinate electrical infrastructure with HVAC and architectural layouts
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant
UMass Boston — Signals & Systems and Probability & Random Processes
Boston, MA
- Supported students through office hours, homework review, exam preparation, and reinforcement across engineering coursework
- Assisted students with Fourier transforms, convolution, sampling theorem, and probability distributions through technical problem-solving support
Research
Research Experience
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Ubiquitous Communication and Networking (UCaN) Lab
- Deployed and Implemented a multi-node wireless network via Raspberry Pis, collecting RSSI and throughput measurements for ML Algorithm Training
- Automated data collection and controlled experimental parameters XMLRPC, ZMQ Python scripts, implementing on Raspberry Pi node networks
- Modified Distributed Spectrum Sensing Algorithm submodels, increasing consensus accuracy to ∼95% and improving decision speed by ∼20%
- Integrated Linux-based Testbed Controller (Ubuntu) to support Software Defined Radio spectrum sensing experiments and Raspberry Pi control
- Developed MATLAB probability density function models to characterize detection thresholds, reducing false detection rates in the DSS algorithm
- Wrote and Deployed Bash scripts for testbed controller to Raspberry Pi, to transfer Python scripts, CSV files, and to save collected experimential data
Poster Preview
Engineering Projects
Engineering Projects
STM32 Drone Health Monitoring System
- Built and deployed in C a functional project prototype using Arduino, collecting real time drone telemetry
- Ran 30+ motor health tests validating preformance, maintaining 97% Drone Health Accuracy through algorithm training and tuning
- Designed a custom PCB enclosure in Fusion 360 for secure component mounting and integration
- Deployed C code for STM32 microcontroller, to process ESC telemetry and monitor drone health in a local Python based UI with 10 ms updates
AM Radio Receiver & Transmitter
- Implemented bandpass filter receiving 680 kHz, 850 kHz, and 1510 kHz radio waves, verifying real time audio from Boston radio stations
- Optimized RC filters lowering noise floor by ∼15% and reducing noise by ∼5 dB for clearer recovered speech, validated over 30+ test trials
- Designed and deployed a diode based envelope detector to rectify and demodulate AM audio signal from varying radio station carrier waves
- Designed, built, and tuned an LM386 audio amplifier stage with variable gain (5x–20x) for user controlled volume adjustment
Automotive RF Key Fob Antenna Analysis
- Investigated the performance limitations of a 315 MHz Toyota smart key fob to explain why its unlock range trailed competing vehicles.
- Analyzed the internal ~6 cm PCB trace antenna, evaluating how its copper layout and transmitter-IC placement affected RF signal strength and radiation efficiency.
- Proposed miniaturized meander PCB antenna designs to address the key fob’s range limitations.
Earth-Moon-Earth Antenna
- Modeled and analyzed a radar link budget utilizing the radar range equation to successfully guarantee a minimum Signal-to-Noise Ratio of 20 dB
- Calculated extreme free-space path loss (Ploss = -270.9 dB) at a 1.3 GHz carrier frequency over a 770,000 km dual-hop propagation path
- Derived system noise power (Pn = -144 dBm) using the kTB thermal noise formula across an assumed 1 kHz receiver bandwidth
- Determined optimal dimensions by evaluating aperture efficiency (ηa = 0.6) and an antenna gain of 43.45 dBi to specify a 14.1 meter dish diameter
Technical Skills
Technical Skills
Programming & Software
Python, C, C++, MATLAB, LTspice, Linux, Bash, LaTeX, SolidWorks, Verilog/VHDL, KiCad
Circuit Design
Op-amps, filters, microwave circuits, sensors, BJTs, MOSFETs, PCB design
Lab & Measurement
Oscilloscope, function generator, multimeter, spectrum analyzer
Embedded Systems
Raspberry Pi, STM32, ESP32, Arduino, NVIDIA Jetson
Conferences & Engagement
Conferences & Engagement
Photo coming soon
New England Workshop on Software Defined Radio
Photo coming soon
Form & Function Robotics Challenge Competition