A weather satellite is a satellite which is used by meteorologists to gather information about the weather. Weather satellites give meteorologists a view of weather patterns over a very large area. This enables meteorologists to track large weather patterns and make more accurate predictions of future weather behavior. In addition to visual monitoring, weather satellites …
8PSK (8 Phase Shift Keying) is a phase modulation algorithm. Phase modulation is a version of frequency modulation where the phase of the carrier wave is modulated to encode bits of digital information in each phase change. The “PSK” in 8PSK refers to the use of Phased Shift Keying. Phased Shift Keying is a form …
A thermocouple is a temperature probe that uses two dissimilar metals join at two places. The voltage created when the metals are subjected to a temperature gradient is used to calculate the temperature. There are many different types of thermocouple, each designed for a specific temperature and sensitivity range. How Thermocouples Work The thermoelectric effect, …
A relay is a remote switch controlled by current, magnetism, or temperature. The relay was invented in 1835 by Joseph Henry (1979-1878), an American scientist. Relays are a common component in many devices, and there are many different types of relays. Relay Types The two main types of relay are electromechanical and solid-state. Electromechanical relays …
A photoresistor is a light-dependent resistor which slowly loses its resistance when exposed to high levels of ultraviolet light. As a result, photoresistors convert light energy into electrical energy. Photoresistors are used in a wide variety of devices to detect the presence of light, control a device, or activate a system. They are usually dependent …
Traditional radio equipment works because all parties involved in the communication agree on what frequencies they will utilize. Traditional radio scanners work by scanning for and then listening to those frequencies. Trunking radios, on the other hand, constantly renegotiate the frequencies utilized for the conversation. This allows for more efficient utilization of limited frequencies because …
A MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) is a device that switches or amplifies an electronic signal. MOSFET technology has made computers much smaller and more efficient than they once were by handling large amounts of electricity in very small spaces. MOSFETs are also crucial for both digital and analog signals and are found …
XM Radio is a type of satellite radio that is extremely popular with people that want more entertainment and programming choices from their radio with less commercials and interruptions. XM Radio is similar to cable TV as users pay a small fee each month to receive superior programming. In XM Radio’s case, users can receive …
Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) is a complicated name for a simple technique. In the simplest of terms, Quadrature amplitude modulation is the combination of amplitude modulation and phase shift keying. More technically, quadrature amplitude modulation is a system of modulation in which data is transferred by modulating the amplitude of two separate carrier waves, mostly …
Reed-Solomon is an algorithm for Forward Error Correction (FEC). Reed-Solomon was introduced by Irving S. Reed and Gustave Solomon of MIT Labs in Polynomial Codes Over Certain Finite Fields, which was published in the Journal of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics in 1960. Reed-Solomon does not specify a block size or a specific …