Blog Posting

RSS

The Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) announced the the number of 5G devices has surpassed 500 for the first time, accompanied by rapid increase in the number of commercially available 5G devices.

Horn antennas and the waveguide transmission lines to which they are typically attached may seem like things of the past, or technologies that have long since seen their primes. But in an age in which the world is readying for the 5G cellular wireless communications, horn antennas provide real solutions for communications links operating at millimeter-wave frequencies. Learn about the advantages of using horn antennas in your design.

Smaller is often wiser in this age of electronic mobility and portability, and the choice of circuit material when starting a design has much to do with attempts to create smaller RF and microwave circuits. Circuit materials with higher dielectric constant (Dk) typically yield circuits with smaller features and dimensions for a given frequency range. But the higher Dk values can also result in increased insertion loss and other performance tradeoffs. The Dk value of a circuit material will also impact such circuit parameters as radiation loss, dispersion, and coupling.

COMSOL offered a preview of the upcoming release of COMSOL Multiphysics® version 5.6 at the COMSOL Conference 2020 North America, October 7–8. It is planned to be released in fall 2020 and brings faster and more memory-efficient solvers, better CAD assembly handling, application layout templates and a range of new graphics features including clip planes, realistic material rendering, and partial transparency. See what is new for RF engineers.

Circuit material characteristics and factors within the circuit fabrication process and operating environment all play roles in determining a circuit material’s Design Dk. By being aware of the effects, their impacts can be minimized. Read this blog posting to learn about the different effects.