Understanding the causes of attenuation in a transmission line can help us choose the right solutions for our application. In this article, we’ll learn about attenuation caused by conductor loss and dielectric loss.
September 15, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar
The distribution of AC currents in real conductors with finite dimensions and circular or rectangular cross-sections is non-uniform. This article will discuss Faraday's law and how AC currents create eddy currents and current crowding in real conductors.
August 27, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar
The Y-factor method simplifies noise figure measurements by allowing the use of variable attenuators in place of a calibrated power meter. In addition to defining the Y factor, we will discuss noise source uncertainty and fixturing losses that can introduce errors in your noise figure measurements.
August 11, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar
This article will demonstrate that the AC current density decreases exponentially into a conductor. It will also explain why we can assume that the total current has a uniform distribution from the surface down to one skin depth of the conductor.
August 06, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar
The Y-factor method is a widely used technique for measuring the gain and noise figure (NF) of RF components. This article will help you understand the differences between the insertion gain and the available gain, while avoiding potentially significant errors when measuring the noise figure.
June 28, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar
This two-part project will begin by showing you how to create a robot base from a used electric wheelchair. Part 1 creates a simple robot platform for use with remote control. Part 2 will develop a platform for use with and Arduino.
July 06, 2016 by Mark Hughes
