Sometimes what you think you know just isn’t so, and the reality is more than you care to accept. To keep up with new components, architectures, materials, design techniques, and various developments, I read a lot of technical articles written by credible authors. Usually, they are both informative and straightforward. But I recently can across […]
Confused about RF-band letter designations? That’s not surprising!
Frequency bands within the electromagnetic spectrum have multiple, sometimes confusing, overlapping designations. Electronics engineers must deal with the electromagnetic spectrum as a routine part of their wired and wireless projects. This spectrum of interest ranges from relatively low frequencies in the kilohertz (kHz) range (or perhaps lower) into the tens and even hundreds of gigahertz […]
The why, where, and how of automatic gain control, Part 3
There are many ways to implement the automatic gain control function, which is critical to proper performance of many wireless and other links. The previous parts looked at the AGC in the context of its broadest application of wireless links. This part looks at some other aspects of AGCs. Q: What other applications use AGCs? […]
The why, where, and how of automatic gain control, Part 2
There are many ways to implement the automatic gain control function, critical to proper performance of many wireless and other links. The previous section discussed the context and need for AGC. This section will look at the different ways in which the AGC function is implements, and some of the parameters associated with the AGC […]
The why, where, and how of automatic gain control, Part 1
There are many ways to implement the automatic gain control function, which is critical to the proper performance of many wireless and other links. The automatic gain control function has been embedded in radio links since the earliest days of wireless technology, but the need for AGC is not limited solely to that application. Along […]
Cars powered solely by solar energy? Sure…but with a very big “but”
Lately, I’m seeing a lot of cases where solar power is posited as the energy solution for “everything.” And why not? It’s free and ubiquitous, and it feels good to say you are using it. I recently read a column by someone (sorry, I couldn’t find it afterward) about the easy practicality of cars powered […]
The “engineering” TV series I’d really like to see
Could a show dramatizing real engineering-project challenges have a chance? It’s not news that the television schedule of shows is heavily loaded with shows focused on lawyers, police, and doctors, in addition to so-called “situation comedies” (sitcoms). Let’s be honest: they have drama, personalities, action, and conflict, which are among the elements that supposedly make […]
Can I park in one of your Lagrange points?: Part 3
Analysis and insight from an 18th-century mathematician were used to place the James Webb Space Telescope in a “parking spot” optimally suited for its imaging, communication, and solar-power needs. There’s more to the n-body story and Lagrange’s work. All planets orbit the Sun in an oval, as characterized by Kepler’s Laws, so there is a […]
Can I park in one of your Lagrange points?: Part 2
Analysis and insight from an 18th-century mathematician were used to place the James Webb Space Telescope in a “parking spot” optimally suited for its imaging, communication, and solar-power needs. Lagrange’s analysis was an analysis of the three-body problem and provided insight into the conditions under which it could be solved analytically. The five Lagrange points, […]
Can I park in one of your Lagrange points?: Part 1
Analysis and insight from an 18th-century mathematician were used to place the James Webb Space Telescope in a “parking spot” optimally suited for its imaging, communication, and solar-power needs. You’ve undoubtedly followed the stunning success of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched in December 2021 (Figure 1). It is now about 1.5 million kilometers […]
