by Edel Griffith, Adesto Technologies The technology business rarely stays still as new technologies emerge, and newer versions supersede older products. Semiconductor devices have been around for over half-a-century now, and the pace of technological change is, if anything, increasing. While this pace of innovation brings many benefits in terms of enhanced functionality and increased […]
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Printed Circuit Boards, Part 1: Context and phenolic boards
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 […]
Analog Top Talks in August 2019 on EDABoard.com
Peer-to-peer, engineer-to-engineer questions and answers from the EDABoard.com engineering community around analog ICs and analog design. Click the “Read more” link and follow the entire conversation and maybe add your two cents by logging in to EDAboard.com. LNA circuit not working – I am trying to simulate an LNA circuit from the book “Design of […]
What are RF waveguides? Part 2: implementation and components
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
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
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 […]
Analog Top Talks in July 2019 on EDABoard.com
Peer-to-peer, engineer-to-engineer questions and answers from the EDABoard.com engineering community around analog ICs and analog design. Click the “Read more” link and follow the entire conversation and maybe add your two cents by logging in to EDAboard.com. OR wired with diodes to control the gate in a PMOSFET – I have two outputs from an […]
Magnetron, Part 2: History and future
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
The vacuum-tube cavity magnetron is nearly obsolete (except for the millions in consumer microwave ovens). 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
Part 1 looked at isolators and circulators, basic RF/microwave passive devices. This part looks at couplers and splitters, two other basic passive devices. (Attenuators are another important class of passive RF/microwave devices. They are not covered here.) A: How are coupling and splitting done in the non-RF/microwave world? A: In the non-RF world, it is […]