Articles by Coilcraft

Explore a variety of technical articles that answer foundational questions about RF inductors and address topics such as solving RF isolation issues with RF inductors, comparing the benefits of wirewound ferrite beads to traditional chip ferrite beads, and designing LC filters with Coilcraft reference designs and software.

RF inductor selection involves these key parameters: mounting (surface mount or through-hole), inductance value, current rating, DC resistance (DCR), self-resonant frequency (SRF), Q factor, and temperature rating. While small size is typically desired, the laws of physics limit how small an inductor can be for a given application.

Impedance mismatch in a circuit results in energy be¬ing reflected back to the source, reducing the amount of power available to the load and possibly causing damage to the power source. Matching the output impedance of the power source to the input impedance of an electrical load maximizes power transfer from source to load.

The demand for increased bandwidth in data communications is continually increasing, and the integrity of RF signals has become a major design concern. In broadband bias applications, most inductors do not cover enough impedance bandwidth. This paper discusses the proper use of broadband chokes in bias tees and critical design considerations including frequency range, DC resistance and current requirements.

The continual increased use of electronics and electrical products has led to an environment filled with many signal and noise sources across a wide range of frequencies. This paper explains how fields interact to create intentional and unintended transmitters and receivers, and how applying EMI mitigation techniques when designing and testing can lead to positive outcomes in electromagnetic compliance testing.

Many consumer products communicate over broadband networks. From television to fiber transmission networks, the bandwidth of data communication is increasing, and the integrity of RF signals has become a major concern. This paper demonstrates how inductors are used for RF isolation in circuits ranging from relatively narrow band applications like portable devices up to broadband networks for data distribution.

Understanding the meaning of S-parameters, how they are measured, and their limitations can lead to more meaningful simulations of RF- and microwave-frequency inductors, chokes, wideband RF transformers, and high-speed common mode chokes. This document describes how S-parameters are generated and how to best apply them to your simulations.

There is more to selecting an inductor than the nominal inductance value. To ensure your choice will perform in your application, you need to give careful consideration to inductance tolerance, current ratings, DCR, operating temperature and efficiency under specific conditions. This paper provides students and anyone new to inductors with an overview of the key performance ratings they will need to understand when specifying RF and Power Inductors.

In broadband bias applications, most inductors do not cover enough impedance bandwidth. Bandwidth can be increased by putting three or four inductors in series, but DC losses and filter complexity increase. Instead, a broadband bias choke provides wide bandwidth in a single inductor package.

RF inductor selection involves a number of key parameters including, mounting (surface mount or through-hole), inductance value, current rating, DC resistance (DCR), self-resonant frequency (SRF), Q factor, and temperature rating. While small size is typically desired, the laws of physics limit how small an inductor can be for a given application. Inductance value and current rating are the chief determinants of size. Once they have been calculated, other parameters can be optimized.