FAQ

Printed Circuit Boards, Part 4: Beyond FR-4

September 30, 2019 By Bill Schweber

Part 4 concludes this FAQ with some fabrication issues and at substrates with performance which is multi-GHz-compatible and goes beyond that available using FR-4 material. Q: What’s the set-up situation for PC board fabrication? A: The production-level fabrication process is optimized for runs of tens, hundreds, and thousands of boards, as there is a set-up […]

Printed Circuit Boards, Part 3: Vias and multilayer boards

September 23, 2019 By Bill Schweber

Part 1 of this FAQ series looked at the ubiquitous FR-4 PC board as well as other PC board issues, and Part 2 reviewed highlighted some of the board issues and the widely used FR-4 PC board substrate. This third part looks at advanced PB board issues such as vias and multilayer boards. Q: How […]

The basics of FR-4 Printed Circuit Boards

September 20, 2019 By Bill Schweber

Part 1 of this FAQ provided context and background on the PC board, and discussed its first widespread appearance as a phenolic-based board. Part 2 looks at some board issues and the widely used FR-4 PC board substrate. Q: I see the term “solder mask” — what is that? A: Solder mask (also called a […]

Printed Circuit Boards, Part 1: Context and phenolic boards

September 16, 2019 By Bill Schweber

Despite appearances, there’s nothing simple about the materials or fabrication of the ubiquitous PC board, and the requirements of multi-GHz systems are increasing the performance demands placed on these boards. We take the standard, usually green, printed circuit board (PC board or PCB) for granted, but it has an interesting history, alternatives, and future. This […]

What are RF waveguides? Part 2: implementation and components

August 16, 2019 By Bill Schweber

Part 1 of this FAQ looked at the context and the need for waveguides; Part 2 looks at the implementation and available components. Q: What standard waveguide are available? A: There are thousands of models, configurations, and options. Most waveguides have flanges so they can be connected to create longer guides, or to provide turns […]

What are RF waveguides? Part 1: context and principles

August 14, 2019 By Bill Schweber

Waveguides confine and covey electromagnetic energy in the GHz+ range, just as coaxial cables do; they offer lower loss and other virtues, but at a cost in parts and ease of use. Waveguides (sometimes spelled out as wave guides) do not have the visibility or convenience of coaxial cables but they are an essential passive […]

5 things you need to know about 5G filters

August 9, 2019 By Aimee Kalnoskas

by Robert Hammond, Resonant CTO, and Mike Eddy, Resonant VP Product Marketing & Business Development 5G networks operate in new and higher frequency bands, requiring new underlying technology and performance standards for RF filters. The industry must develop new resonating structures in order to filter at these high frequencies, and large bandwidths, with enough power […]

Magnetron, Part 2: History and future

July 29, 2019 By Bill Schweber

Part 1 of this FAQ looked at the application and operating principles of the magnetron. This part explores the development and special history of the device, as well as disruptive alternative technologies for some applications. Q: What’s the history of the magnetron? A: The development and production of the magneton was a major advance during […]

Magnetron, Part 1: Application and operating principles

July 23, 2019 By Bill Schweber

The vacuum-tube cavity magnetron is nearly obsolete (except for the millions in consumer microwave oven. Its development was key to highly effective WWII radar, and it also led to other RF/microwave vacuum-tube devices. Vacuum tubes are so “yesterday,” aren’t they? They have been rendered obsolete and supplanted by solid-state devices for many reasons, except in […]

Passive microwave components, Part 2: couplers and splitters

July 22, 2019 By Bill Schweber

Part 1 looked at of isolators and circulators, which are basic RF/microwave passive devices. This part looks at couplers and splitters, which are two other basic passive devices. (Attenuators are another important class of passive RF/microwave devices. They are not covered here.) A: How is coupling and splitting done in the non-RF/microwave world? A: In […]