Inside Frequency Control

Space. One of the biggest mysteries of mankind. Are we alone? Will humans ever sustain themelves on mars or other planets? What else is is out there waiting to be explored outside of our solar system? These questions and more lead many young people to pursue a career in engineering. While human space exploration involves the minds of many different types of engineers, RF engineers are among the most important. 

Do You Have The (Right) Skills?

If you were to ask the typical layperson what the most important quality of a successful engineer is, they would probably consider technical expertise to be the most vital. But the truth is that in RF engineering - as in all other branches of engineering - there are many other qualities that are necessary for success which are less quantifiable than technical skills. Electrical engineers who want to advance in their careers must also develop leadership skills in order to differentiate themselves from the competition and increase their value in the marketplace.

One Size Does NOT Always Fit Well

When it comes to crystal oscillators, one size does not fit all. Different applications have different power requirements, ranges of phase noise, tolerance for acceleration sensitivity, and more. As a result, different types of crystal oscillators have been developed over the years and are all used for many different applications. 

The RF engineering field is an exciting and growing industry, and different firms are always competing to attract that best talent to their teams. But finding the best new employees isn’t as simple as just posting on job boards anymore. To stand out from the crowd, engineering companies use social media to present themselves in the best light to not only their customers but to potential new recruits as well.

For the first 15 years or so of their existence, cell phones were clunky devices which could only be used to make voice calls - which were frequently dropped.

Remember these GIANT things?? ...The Model T of cell phones, The 1983 Motorola Dynatac:

If you'd like to go on a quick side tangent, check out The Evolution of Cell Phones.

Anyway, these first cell phones were considered first-generation or “1G” phones. Then came 2G, which brought us the wonders of text messaging. 3G was a huge leap forward, making internet access completely mobile, and now most of us living in industrialized nations using 4G phones, which bring us the speed we’ve grown accustomed to.

There are big changes coming in the world of RF engineering in the next few years. Major breakthroughs in wireless coverage, military technologies and satellite and space-based systems will mean that radio frequency specialists will be in high demand, and only the best will land the most lucrative contracts.

RF engineering is a massive and growing industry. Over the last quarter-century, it has gone from simple commercial radio, TV and military communication/detection systems to being an indispensable field of technology that is required for the global economy to function. Wi-Fi, satellite communications, 4G networks and more are all made possible by RF technology, and with exciting developments like 5G and “Space 2.0” just around the corner, the demand for skilled RF engineers is only going to increase. So, if you’re an aspiring engineer who wants to get in on the action, where do you start?

One of the most important criteria in determining how well an oscillator performs in a given application is phase noise. It is a somewhat esoteric concept that is not well understood outside of the engineering world, but it affects many of the RF technologies we take advantage of every day, including Wi-Fi and mobile phones, as well as more complex applications like avionics, radar, military communication systems and electronic warfare.