Degaussing is a process of reducing the magnetism of a material by applying an opposite magnetic field. The name is derived from a unit of magnetic flux, the gauss. There are many different uses for degaussing. Cathode Ray Tubes Most televisions and computer monitors that use cathode ray tubes have a degaussing function. The electron …
A spot beam is a beam of radio signals that is directed towards a specific area on the Earth’s surface. Spot beams are the opposite of broad beams, which are beams that are directed towards a large area of the Earth’s surface. While broad beams are used for general telecommunication and surveillance, spot beams are …
MCPC stands for Multiple Channel Per Carrier. MCPC is a form of satellite transmission where each carrier is utilized to transmit multiple channels. MCPC transmits multiple video or audio channels on one carrier by utilizing Time Division Multiplexing (TDM). The alternative to MCPC is SCPC (Single Channel Per Carrier). MCPC is used much more than …
VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio) is a metric commonly used with antenna systems for ham or shortwave radio communication. VSWR is normally defined as a ratio with a 1:1 VSWR, indicating that there is an exact or perfect match between all antenna system elements. The VSWR can also be expressed by comparing Vmax with Vmin …
The basic types of satellite systems include geostationary (GEO), Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) satellites. There are also public and private satellite systems such as Television Receive Only (TVRO), Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), Global Positioning System (GPS), and multibeam satellite operations. Geosynchronous satellites orbit the Earth on …
A BUC (Block Upconverter) is a device that converts radio signals from a lower frequency to a higher frequency. BUCs are used in satellite uplink transmissions in order to transfer data from a ground based unit to a satellite in orbit that will then be redirected to another ground based unit in separate location. Likewise, …
An IR blaster (infrared blaster) is a device that emulates an infrared remote control. IR blasters are used in situations where one device controls another. For example, it can be connected to a computer in order to control virtually every other infrared device in the room from that computer. IR blasters are usually small and …
L band is a fequency range between 390MHz and 1.55GHz which is used for satellite communications and for terrestrial communications between satellite equipment. The high frequencies utilized by C band, Ku band, and Ka band would suffer from high signal loss when transported over a copper coax cable such as an Intra-Facility Link. An LNB …
Basic diodes are constructed from two semiconductor materials, germanium or silicon, to create a basic PN-junction. When two single diodes are connected to each other back-to-back, two PN-junctions that are connected in series are created. They share a common N or P terminal, which forms the basis of a BJT or Bipolar Junction Transistor. The …
An integrated circuit (IC), also called a microchip, is an electronic circuit etched onto a silicon chip. Their main advantages are low cost, low power, high performance, and very small size. History The integrated circuit was invented in 1958 by Jack Kirby (1923-2005), an American engineer. In 2000, he won the Nobel prize in physics …