An Ideal Filter

The Ideal Filter would have unit gain (0dB) in its pass band and a gain of zero (-infinity dB) in its stop band. Between pass band and stop band there would be no indecision and would transition from 0dB to -infinity dB asymptotically. It would pass only the required frequencies without adding or subtracting anything from the signal and like a very discrete and fastidious butler we would not see it - just its perfect management of the frequencies in its care.

At Knowles Precision Devices, our expertise in capacitor technology helps developers working on some of the world’s most demanding applications across the medical device, military and aerospace, telecommunications, and automotive industries.

Around the world, 2019 was a busy year for 5G, with standards being finalized, large networks beginning 5G operations, and mobile device manufacturers releasing 5G-capable phones. Just one year after the official launch of 5G on November 1, 2018, the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) identified the launch of 50 commercial 5G networks along with 328 operators in 109 countries that announced investment in 5G. Let’s look at some of the big moments for 5G from 2019.  

The US MIL-STD-461 specification manages electromagnetic interference emissions by setting limits on the levels that can be emitted from electrical equipment. This specification also sets regulation to control equipment susceptibility to external noise sources and establishes guidelines for properly measuring the relevant equipment features.

EMI filtering plays an important role in reducing noise that could interfere with other devices; in medical or defense applications, for example, false alarms due to external interference could be detrimental. Here, we will continue our EMI filtering exploration with application and installation considerations. For earlier reading, review EMI filtering basics and filter performance.

As the year comes to a close, it's the season to take some time to relax and reflect on the year. You’ve likely read many of our blog posts this year and you may have missed a few – it's been a busy year! Never fear, we've rounded up our most popular blog posts from 2019. We hope that they'll bring you some holiday cheer, or at least provide some ideas and insights to use for a successful 2020.

To comply with international legislation such as the EU Directive on EMC or the FCC, EMI filtering is an essential element of equipment design. Here, we will continue to explore EMI filtering through insertion loss and filtering performance.

The insertion loss performance shows signal attenuation at any given frequency. As a metric, the insertion loss performance is most useful as a guide in the filter selection process; the actual performance in service can vary depending on circuit characteristics.

Welcome to the Capacitor Fundamentals Series, where we teach you about the ins and outs of chips capacitors – their properties, product classifications, test standards, and use cases – in order to help you make informed decisions about the right capacitors for your specific applications. After describing soldering for capacitors in our previous article, let’s discuss common formulas and calculations for capacitors.

Welcome to the Capacitor Fundamentals Series, where we teach you about the ins and outs of chips capacitors – their properties, product classifications, test standards, and use cases – in order to help you make informed decisions about the right capacitors for your specific applications. After describing visual standards for chip capacitors in our previous article, let’s discuss chip attachment and termination guidelines.

Today’s advancements in power electronics are reaching all-new highs in performance. In the quest for increasing efficiency and power density of converters and inverters, manufacturers are looking to use WBG semiconductors, such as gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC), for making metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs) and other devices.

These materials are capable of operating at faster switching frequencies – and therefore greater current and power – compared to traditional silicon-based materials. Their higher temperature rating also allows the semiconductors to be used in harsher environments found in electric vehicles, aerospace, energy production, and test equipment.