Pasternack Blog

The quality of the construction and materials used can have a large impact on the performance of a waveguide system, especially in microwave frequencies and high power applications. This can become difficult to manufacture and evaluate, as the waveguide tolerances are extremely small at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies. For instance, with millimeter-wave components and interconnects, ..

Coaxial cables are commonly known for being a broadband, relatively low-loss and high isolation transmission line technology. A coaxial cable is comprised of two concentric conductive cylinders separated by a dielectric spacer. The capacitance and inductance distributed along the coaxial line creates distributed impedance throughout the structure, known as characteristic impedance. The distributed resistive losses ..

What is antenna gain and directivity? Antennas, in essence, channel electrical power into electromagnetic signals. The shape, size, and connectorization all affect the antenna radiation pattern. Two key parameters in assessing the performance of an antenna are directivity and gain―directivity is a measurement of the concentration radiation in a direction while gain represents the power ..

Directional couplers are four port passive devices that employ an input port, output port, a port for the coupled signal and a port that is terminated internally. Directional couplers are used to couple a specific proportion of the power traveling in one transmission line out through another connection or port. Directional couplers are used in ..

Though a detailed explanation of jitter can be highly complex mathematically, simply put, jitter is the deviation of a signal from its ideal periodic behavior in terms of frequency, signal amplitude, or phase. There are many contributors to jitter in a signal, from the source itself to outside interferers. Additionally, jitter can be described similarly ..

Though no single 5G requirement is yet set in stone, there has been some consensus from various industrial partnerships, standards bodies, and regulatory agencies on a vision for 5G. Some aspects of this vision are debated as to when they may be realized, but a common timeframe is to have a full 5G definition with ..

RF attenuators are used to reduce the level of a signal. Some reasons why you might want to reduce the signal level would be to protect a circuit stage from receiving a signal that is too high or in applications where a signal level needs to be controlled. Attenuators typically consist of a resistive network ..

Though waveguide components and interconnects tend to be formed of relatively sturdy metals, some aluminum and copper waveguides, for higher frequency and aerospace applications, can easily be dinged and dented. Sometimes these dings and dents are a useful tuning technique; generally, they could dramatically change the performance of a waveguide or waveguide component. Ensuring that ..

We just wrapped up another successful year at IME/China in Shanghai. The China International Conference & Exhibition on Microwave and Antenna (IME/China) is the largest and most influential RF, microwave and antenna exhibition in China. It is “the” place to be for RF design engineers, technical managers and purchasing executives in China and from abroad. ..

New SMA, Type N and TNC Test Cable Boast 1.25:1 Typical VSWR and 69.5% Phase Velocity We just launched a new family of right angle test cable with low profile design. These 16 unique test cable assemblies cover a frequency range from DC to 27 GHz for the SMA versions and DC to 18 GHz ..