Understanding the role and implications of impedance in RF transmission lines and antennas is vital to successful system performance. Part 1 of this article looked at the basics of impedance matching and power transfer. This part looks at the closely related topic of nominal impedance and VSWR. Q: Why all this worry? Aren’t RF systems […]
FAQ
What’s a voltage regulator module?
A voltage regulator module (VRM) is a specialized point-of-load (PoL) power converter, sometimes called a processor power module (PPM). Like other PoLs, VRMs are buck converters. They are specifically designed to convert a 5V or 12V bus to a specific voltage needed to power a central processing unit (CPU) or graphics processing unit (GPU) in […]
Test and measurement connections in the world of 5G
Connectors and cabling can be as important as the test instruments used to check out systems operating in the 5G realm. John Muzzio, Times Microwave Systems Andrew Dinsdale, SV Microwave Unlike previous cellular technology generations that were focused on a specific frequency band, 5G deals with a much larger potential frequency range. For example, 4G […]
The basics of VSWR and impedance, Part 1
Understanding the role and implications of impedance in RF transmission lines and antennas is vital to successful system performance. In any design requiring transfer of an RF signal and its energy from one functional block or component in a system to a subsequent one in the signal chain, there’s almost always the issue of impedance […]
What are Point-of-Load converters?
Point-of-load converters (PoLs) are used in distributed power architectures (DPAs) to step down a relatively high power distribution bus voltage to the lower voltages needed by system components such as microprocessors, ASICs, and other digital ICs. DPAs are used in systems of all sizes to improve power distribution efficiency. Larger systems tend to use higher […]
Measuring picoseconds without breaking the bank
Modern analog/digital converters can help implement equivalent time sampling to provide picosecond timing resolution. Dave Guidry, Texas Instruments Inc. A picosecond is an astonishingly short period of time. Imagine a stopwatch with a trillion divisions between each tick of the second hand. While it sounds fantastical, this resolution of time measurement is indeed necessary for […]
Five key considerations for spectrum analyzers
A bevy of specifications define how spectrum analyzers perform. But just a handful of qualities can be pivotal when it comes to selecting instrumentation. Contributed by Signal Hound As wireless technologies pervade our lives, more engineers find they must make RF measurements. In the past, RF testing required the use of expensive equipment handled only […]
Overcome 5G mmWave measurement issues
Signal analyzers and best measurement practices can minimize errors that result from losses at mmWave frequencies.
Raspberry Pi for DAQ
Though they are more closely associated with the maker space, Raspberry Pi boards can be effective at handling stringent industrial measurements. Steve Radecky, Measurement Computing Corp. Originally designed to be a cheap, almost disposable computer, Raspberry Pi was created to get kids interested in programming. Since its introduction in 2012, Raspberry Pi has become the […]
The challenge of testing obsolete PCBs
How to test and maintain obsolete systems when the relevant documentation is absent. Alan Lowne, Saelig Co. Inc. Obsolete PCBs or boards lacking circuit schematic diagrams present a conundrum when there’s a need for repair. Online searches for old datasheets may not be productive. What happens when obsolete boards must be fixed but there is […]
