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RF Design Basics: VSWR, Return Loss, and Mismatch Loss

RF Design Basics: VSWR, Return Loss, and Mismatch Loss

Learn about voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), return loss, and mismatch loss, which helps characterize the wave reflections in a radio frequency (RF) design.


Basics of Millimeter Wave Technology

Basics of Millimeter Wave Technology

What is millimeter wave technology and how is it characterized compared to other lower-frequency technologies?


Intro to 5G NR

Intro to 5G NR

Learn the basics of 5G NR (New Radio), including its frequency bands, applications, and what technologies make it possible.


Digital or Analog? How Should I and Q Combining and Separation Be Done?

Digital or Analog? How Should I and Q Combining and Separation Be Done?

How should I and Q combining be done? Through analog or digital means? This article will discuss the basics of the analog and digital IQ approaches.


The Four EV Charging Modes in the IEC 61851 Standard

The Four EV Charging Modes in the IEC 61851 Standard

In this article, we’ll look at different EV charging modes specified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).


Introduction to Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology

Introduction to Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology

Learn the basics of the ultra-wideband short-range wireless protocol, a technology that can be found in cutting-edge devices.


Introduction to the Terahertz Band

Introduction to the Terahertz Band

Learn about the terahertz band, its properties, and the applications where it's finding utility.


EV Charging Standards and Infrastructure

EV Charging Standards and Infrastructure

Learn more about EV charging connectors and standards in this overview.


Introduction to Electric Vehicle Battery Systems

Introduction to Electric Vehicle Battery Systems

Electric vehicle design is a complex concept. Here's a look at the heart of every EV: the battery.


Introduction to CAN (Controller Area Network)

Introduction to CAN (Controller Area Network)

This article introduces the Controller Area Network (CAN) serial communication bus, detailing message frames, bus arbitration, and signaling.


How to Design a Super Simple Sensor System for Industrial Monitoring Applications

How to Design a Super Simple Sensor System for Industrial Monitoring Applications

This article describes an Ethernet-connected subsystem of a larger modular sensor system designed for industrial or smart home sensing and monitoring. We will discuss a custom sensor subsystem developed for this application.


Projects Sep 12, 2018 by Mark Hughes
How Do Satellites Communicate with a GPS System? A Look at the GPS Antenna

How Do Satellites Communicate with a GPS System? A Look at the GPS Antenna

Antennas provide the wireless linkage required for any satellite-based system. Here's a look at the many antennas of GPS.


Hardware Evaluation of a Custom Programmable Wi-Fi Controller: The WiCard

Hardware Evaluation of a Custom Programmable Wi-Fi Controller: The WiCard

This article explores the schematic design and basic features of a smart programmable wireless controller module I designed: the WiCard.


How to Stream Sensor Data from Bosch’s XDK110 Evaluation Board to the MQTT Messaging Service

How to Stream Sensor Data from Bosch’s XDK110 Evaluation Board to the MQTT Messaging Service

In this article, we will take a look at the XDK110 rapid prototyping kit, characterize its hardware, explore its software environment, and demonstrate connecting the device to the MQTT messaging service.


Projects Apr 12, 2018 by Mark Hughes
GPS Times, Atomic Clock Frequencies, and the Increasing Accuracy of GPS

GPS Times, Atomic Clock Frequencies, and the Increasing Accuracy of GPS

GPS as we know it requires the precision of atomic clocks. This article looks at the importance of timing for GPS and the clocks that provide it.


Radio Meets Fiber Optics: RF Over Fiber

Radio Meets Fiber Optics: RF Over Fiber

Radio Over Fiber (ROF) combines RF and optics, providing optical links to replace strategic portions of cellular, satellite, and copper based systems.


Track Overhead Flights with a Raspberry Pi Zero Wireless, a Software Defined Radio, and FlightAware

Track Overhead Flights with a Raspberry Pi Zero Wireless, a Software Defined Radio, and FlightAware

This article shows you two ways to use a Raspberry Pi Zero Wireless to track flights in your area. It also demonstrates how it can control a 64×64 RGB matrix.


Projects Apr 03, 2017 by Mark Hughes
Robust, High-Speed Serial Communication: A New RS-422/485 Transceiver from Maxim

Robust, High-Speed Serial Communication: A New RS-422/485 Transceiver from Maxim

The MAX14775E offers high-performance capabilities that make it especially suitable for data transfer in harsh environments.


An Introductory Project for Software Defined Radio

An Introductory Project for Software Defined Radio

Learn how to listen to frequencies on the air with nothing more than a USB dongle: first FM radio, then voice signals.


Projects Feb 02, 2017 by Christi Durham
Introduction to Software-Defined Radio

Introduction to Software-Defined Radio

All about software-defined radio (SDR).