Pasternack Blog

Phase noise and its time-domain counterpart, jitter have been studied in radar and communications systems since the phenomenon was first observed. Though always a concern, recent advances in high-speed digital modulation schemes and advanced radar, which also used complex digital modulation techniques for pulse compression, have led to radar and communication systems being more susceptible ..

The US defense standards, commonly referred to as MilSpec, are developed by the US DoD for the purpose of enhancing interoperability among critical defense systems. The goal of the standards is to provide precise descriptions on the procedures and practices for the design, manufacturing, and deployment of military devices and equipment. Ultimately, the standards aim ..

Following from the name, a waveguide is a hollow conductive structure that guides an EM wave along a path. The conductive inner walls of the waveguide bounce EM energy along the path with low-loss and close to light speed. Waveguides are commonly cylindrical, elliptical, or rectangular. In a rectangular waveguide, transverse electric (TE), or H-wave, ..

RF limiters and detectors are used widely throughout the RF and microwave industry in a wealth of circuit applications. For example, radar transceivers, telecommunication radios, test and measurement equipment, and other circuits rely on RF limiters for receiver protection, as well as the protection of critical circuit components that may experience high-peak voltage and current ..

Passive intermodulation (PIM) distortion is a wireless communication system degrading phenomenon that has been a concern for cellular telecommunications, satellite communications, and wireless network development. PIM is such a concern in cellular/wireless communications that there are entire distinct Low PIM Components and Cable Assemblies product lines designed to aid in preventing or mitigating PIM distortion. ..

A reverse polarized coax connector is a variation of a standard polarity connector in which the gender of the interface has been reversed. The term “reverse polarity” refers not to the signal polarity of the connector itself but to the gender of the center contact pin. A reverse polarized connector will have the same external ..

RoHS, also known as Lead-Free, stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. RoHS originated in the European Union and restricts the use of six hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products. All applicable products in the EU market after July 1, 2006 must pass RoHS compliance. The substances banned under RoHS are lead (Pb), mercury ..

Packaging dimensions, weight, pinouts and material construction are critical features of any RF amplifier. These factors heavily weigh into the cost and feasibility of using a particular amplifier in a given design. Regardless of electrical and RF performance, if an amplifier can’t fit into the required footprint, the device won’t be serviceable for that application. ..

Though there are many reputable and high quality waveguide vendors, some vendors, specifically offshore vendors, may use machining techniques that reduce time and cost of manufacture. These short-cuts could have dramatic impact on a waveguide component and system performance. Any misalignments or machined geometries beyond specified levels can reduce the VSWR performance of a waveguide, ..

Introduction to Mixers A microwave frequency mixer is a 3-port electronic circuit that combines two or more signals into one or two composite output signals, and are categorized as switching mixers or nonlinear mixers– although many mixers are configured with both. Using diodes, the mixer is passive and has a conversion loss. Using active devices, ..