As with everything in 2020, the International Microwave Symposium (IMS) is a bit different this year. We’re gearing up for the live stream event next week, Aug. 4-6, where we’ll participate in the virtual exhibition and give six online MicroApp technical presentations.

DC link capacitors are commonly used in power converters as an intermediary buffer between an input source to an output load that have different instantaneous power, voltages, and frequencies. In electric vehicle (EV) applications, DC link capacitors help offset the effects of inductance in inverters, motor controllers, and battery systems. They also serve as filters that protect EV subsystems from voltage spikes, surges, and electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Recently, Microwave Journal editors Pat Hindle and Gary Lerude sat down with Knowles Precision Devices product line manager Tim Brauner to discuss how our innovative high-performance components are helping RF engineers improve the size, weight, and performance (SWaP) of mmWave designs.

When selecting a filter implementation, one factor that is common across all frequencies is optimizing the size of the filter given the application and the required performance. At mmWave frequencies this can be prove to be a particularly interesting problem, given the change in the physical dimensions of the system as one moves from say 600MHz to 38GHz. 

Over time, the telephone replaced the telegraph, and now cellular and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology are replacing the landline. However, as more communication is done wirelessly and over the Internet, we are becoming more interested in increased bandwidth. This is because bandwidth places a limit on how quickly we can send information through a channel such as an optical fiber or a section of the radio spectrum.

Healthcare professionals and patients rely on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to examine soft tissues and organs in the body to detect a variety of issues, from degenerative diseases to tumors, in a non-invasive manner. To do this, the MRI machine uses a strong magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to produce cross-sectional images. Thus, the quality of the MRI depends on the uniformity of the magnetic field – even the smallest trace of magnetism inside an MRI scanner can disrupt the field and degrade the quality of an MRI image. 

To choose the right filter for your application, you'll need to evaluate filter type, identify the specific filter technology that best suits your application, and ensure the filter meets your required specifications. This post is designed to serve as a quick reference on the common terms that are used to discuss filter type, technology, and specifications.

To start, there are four key Filter behaviors that sort them into types: Low Pass, High Pass, Band Pass, and Band Stop.

Knowles Precision Devices will be at the upcoming Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) Conference, the largest global conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals, March 10-12 in San Diego. For over 40 years, OFC has drawn attendees from all corners of the globe to meet and greet, teach and learn, make connections and move the industry forward.

At the show, Knowles will demonstrate broad bandwidth optical networking solutions using our latest high-performance microelectronic components.

Many microwave applications, such as repeaters, and electronic warfare equipment, require increased spectral resolution. This means these devices only need to look at a narrow slice of a given band. Filters that are optimized for the whole band, such us our planar microstrip devices, are too broadband for these applications. Likewise, traditional high Q filters, such as waveguide devices, are often too large to consider using in these types of applications.

With more than 2,000 satellites currently orbiting the Earth, and that number expected to quintuple in the next 10 years, the demand for space-ready components is exponentially increasing (Figure 1). At the same time, the technology needed to control and transmit satellite data has changed from mechanically controlled parabolic or dish technology to active electronically steered arrays (AESAs).