Inside Frequency Control

Virtually all electronic components benefit from mass production. As it turns out, it’s harder to benefit from buying a few parts compared to buying many. This is true for the production and ordering of Oven-Controlled Crystal Oscillators (OCXOs). There are several important advantages to buying these in bulk instead of in small quantities, including lower setup costs, shorter lead times, and reduced impact of supply chain issues. 

We’re often asked if it’s wise to purchase crystal oscillators in large batches, especially when commodity managers are aware all the oscillators might not be used right away. 

By nature, crystal oscillators are made of natural quartz material, which gives them a very long shelf life. In this article, we’ll take a look at why that is and how the stability of crystal oscillators gives them an indefinite shelf life.

“Good things come to those who wait,” as the saying goes, and while aging is a part of all life cycles, crystals shouldn’t age prematurely. The careful production stages and the time it takes to complete them are necessary to the efficient operation of OCXOs. 

RF and Microwave Design can be ENJOYABLE...

Don't believe me? Many of us already know how designing can easily become extremely long, boring, and tedious. This is especially true for all you RF and Microwave Design Engineers!

Spending hours upon hours designing, finding problems, fixing problems, then repeating the process all over again...It all can become so mentally draining.

Am I bringing back bad memories? Sorry, time for the good news...

So how can you make the long and tedious design process easy (and possibly even enjoyable)? 

You guessed it... Automation and design tools are key. 

Having some great CAD tools on your side can release a significant burden off your back. These tools can save you time and dramatically increase your productivity. Our Top 4 Productivity and collaboration tools will help skyrocket your productivity even further.

Today, we thought we'd help you out by sharing these 18 CAD design tools that can lead to a more simple & enjoyable design session.

**Related Post: Check out our picks for the 5 best laptops for engineers.**

Space podcasts have become very popular, and for good reason. The space industry has been 'skyrocketing' in recent years. SpaceX showed the world it's possible to reuse a space shuttle. Companies like OneWeb are now revolutionizing satellite communications technology. There are even companies planning out the colonization of mars and using asteroids as a source of water. 

We are quickly learning more and more about the deep depths of outer space...now more than ever. Following some of the best space podcasts can be a great way to keep up with the latest space technology, space exploration, and space science. Let's explore our top 12 (updated with 3 bonus additions on top of our original 9!)

One of the most common pieces of test equipment for any electronics lab is oscilloscopes.  Oscilloscopes, or o-scopes for short, are versatile pieces of test equipment that can be used in a multitude of different critical measurements.  While oscilloscopes are standard in almost every electronics lab, they come in many different shapes, sizes, and price points.

When trying to select the best oscilloscope for your electronics lab, it's important to understand which features drive the cost of the o-scope the most.  For example, one of the biggest cost drivers for oscilloscopes is the device's measurement bandwidth.  An o-scope that has a narrow bandwidth of 200 MHz can go for a few hundred dollars; however, a top-of-the-line oscilloscope with a measurement bandwidth of 1 GHz can go for almost $30,000!

We have done all the research and read all the reviews for more oscilloscopes than we'd be willing to admit.  We've done all this leg-work so you don't have to.  So without further ado, here is our list of the 3 best digital oscilloscopes for any budget.

Before we dive into the differences between the 5 GNSS constellations... It's important that we're all on the same page with the difference between GNSS and GPS.

Many people get GNSS and GPS technology confused. A good way to think about the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) is as the backbone (or underlying technology) behind GPS. The Global Positioning System (GPS) GPS is a GNSS constellation, but GNSS is not always GPS. GPS is one of the 5 GNSS constellations used around the world.

The 5 GNSS constellations include GPS (US), QZSS (Japan), BEIDOU (China), GALILEO (EU), and GLONASS (Russia). We'll cover each of these constellations in-depth in this post.

If you’re reading this, you’re about to discover 10 of the best productivity tools that we either use here at Bliley, or that we might use in the future! We feel these tools will help keep you organized, improve communication among your coworkers, and of course, make you the most productive worker possible.

Want even more productivity tools? Check out our previous article on our favorite productivity and collaboration tools.

I have a feeling you're in need of some new test equipment... a new signal generator to be exact. If so, you've come to the right place. Maybe your current signal generator is outdated. Or maybe you're looking for your first one (in which case we'd be honored). 

No matter the reason, we wanted to share with you the best selection of waveform signal generators on the market today to help you make the best purchase based on your needs.