Pasternack Blog

Military standards and specifications—often referred to collectively as “MIL-SPEC”—are essential tools used by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to ensure consistency, reliability and interoperability across defense systems and components. In this post, we’ll break down the major types of military standards and specifications, explain how they differ, and highlight recent updates that impact defense ..

By Kevin Hietpas   The industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio frequency bands are designated radio frequency bands as defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations. These bands were originally set aside for RF use purposes other than telecommunications. Much of their usage is now for low-power wireless communications.    Key Takeaways  ● ISM ..

Author: Diana Nottingham  In military and aerospace environments, communication networks face conditions that push the limits of conventional infrastructure. From extreme temperatures to mechanical vibration and electromagnetic interference, the demands of these environments require fiber optic cable assemblies that are not only highly reliable but specifically engineered for harsh, high-performance applications. Whether connecting avionics systems, ..

A common type of coaxial cable assembly used throughout the RF industry is a BNC cable, or BNC coaxial cable assembly. A BNC cable is used for signal routing below roughly 4 GHz (there are high precision BNC connectors that reach maximum frequencies to 12 GHz or beyond). BNC stands for Bayonet Neill–Concelman, and is ..

Many coaxial cable and connector types are available in the RF and microwave industry designed for specific purposes and applications; compatibility with other RF microwave components is achieved with universally accepted cable and connector standards. The US Department of Defense (DOD) develops standards for materials, facilities, engineering, and testing practices in order to improve military ..

In reality, all types of RF antennas have some degree of directionality. However, there are certain antenna designs and types that are particularly directional compared to other antenna types. A Directional Antenna is useful in applications where it is desirable to receive a signal from a specific direction of origin or otherwise transmit a signal ..

There is a wide variety of different coaxial transmission line hardware types and configurations. Hence, there are a wide range of accessories to go with these various coaxial connector, adapter, cable, and assembly arrangements. This blog covers a quick overview of a few of this, namely SMPS adapters with features such as spring loading, adapter ..

Planar transmission lines are used to carry a variety of analog, RF, and digital signals on insulative, planar substrates from kilohertz to hundreds of gigahertz frequencies. Planar transmission lines are constructed of one or more layers of metal traces with one or more parallel metal traces. There are several common types of planar transmission lines: ..

A waveguide antenna is a type of antenna that channels RF energy from an air medium into a waveguide, or vice versa. Once the RF energy has been captured, it is either conducted through waveguide interconnect, or picked up by a coaxial interface to later be transmitted through a coaxial assembly. The reverse is also ..

To enable interoperability amongst RF systems, the military and industry rely on standardized dimensions and types of coaxial connectors. The two major standards that define coaxial connectors for the US military are MIL-STD-348 and MIL-PRF-39012. MIL-STD-348 provides the dimensions for control of the standard interfaces, while MIL-PRF-39012 defines the, detail specifications, materials, quality conformance, qualification, ..