Ball grid array (BGA) is a method of surface-mount packaging used for integrated circuits (ICs), whereby the entire bottom surface of the IC is covered with an array of small solder balls to permanently mount devices such as microcontrollers, microprocessors, RAM devices, etc. to printed circuit boards. BGAs support a higher pin count compared to [...]
Did you know that NuWaves Engineering has been taking on some new and exciting RF Design Service projects lately, expanding NuWaves’ experience and expertise into new and diverse industries? Over the past few months, NuWaves has kicked-off a number of projects partnering with customers that serve diverse industries such as medical, public safety, and the [...]
NuWaves recently finished development on a high-powered triplexer to support GPS-III communication services. NuWaves’ triplexer is a unique and advanced piece of hardware that serves a specific purpose in satellite communications. GPS operating frequencies have the unfortunate fate of residing in a narrow range of frequencies that induce an effect known as multipaction. Multipaction is [...]
In today’s industry, finding a COTS product to integrate seamlessly into a system while meeting your exact performance specifications can be hard when considering the various system design variables that have to be accounted for. Design variables such as operating voltage, size and weight restrictions, and power consumption can make an otherwise ideal product incompatible [...]
The continuing drive to improve the Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) of electronics becomes challenging with consumer-off-the-shelf (COTS) lumped element components since the designers are limited by the physical size of packaged components and limitations of assembly processes. Moreover, as spectrum congestion forces new systems to move higher in frequency, the performance of radio frequency [...]
The increasing availability of COTS RF modules and subsystem components has made it convenient to design and assemble a custom high-performance RF communications system from off-the-shelf parts. However, while availability and selection has increased, top-of-the-line performance is still expensive. Being familiar with each category of RF subsystem modules and the various roles these modules play [...]
Radio Frequency (RF) Filters are special circuits that allow a signal of interest to pass through while attenuating any undesired signals. And while there are a large number of different filter topologies, there are generally 4 filter responses, or shapes, when plotted in the frequency domain. These four shapes are: Low Pass High Pass Band [...]
An RF circuit that generates a Radio Frequency (RF) signal, is very sensitive to power supply noise. If not controlled, the power supply noise can significantly degrade the performance of the system. So, what are the sources of noise and how can they be addressed? The first potential source of noise is the power source. [...]
Without additional information, a statement that a product is MIL-STD-810 certified or a requirement that a product be developed to meet MIL-STD-810 does not provide meaningful information about the environmental resiliency of a product. MIL-STD-810 is a test method standard that defines the environmental test procedures and engineering considerations for the design of a product. [...]
From the moment that a modulated Radio Frequency (RF) signal leaves a Power Amplifier and begins its journey to a receiver, the amplitude with respect to the ambient noise starts to decrease. When the signal arrives at the receiver, it needs to be sufficiently higher than the noise for the receiver to properly demodulate the [...]
