Inside Frequency Control

These are exciting times to be an RF engineer. With the advent of 5G, the Internet of Things, and the increasing expansion of the private sector into space, we are about to witness some extraordinary developments in radio frequency tech in the next decade.

There are a lot of engineers coming out of school who want to get in on the action. So, what are the traits that help an RF engineer succeed? What distinguishes those who advance in their careers and land the most desirable positions from those who don’t? Let’s explore this in detail and break down 3 of the most important qualities that make a successful RF engineer.

Whether it’s a fancy new gaming PC, an HDTV or a 4G phone, all of them make use of printed circuit boards. A technological innovation dating back to the 1940s, the circuit board is part of what makes all modern electronics possible, and radio frequency products are no exception. Following best practices when designing a circuit board is one the first steps to building an RF system that performs well. This article will offer some basic tips for good RF board design and list some common mistakes that RF engineers should avoid.

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. 

Spacecrafts must be designed to have very precise functionality when it comes to making the long journey to earth’s orbit and even beyond. Even simple vibrations can interfere with the spacecraft’s functionality during pre-launch transportation and powered flight.  In both cases, the spacecraft itself isn’t even being powered.

More people are online than ever before. At the turn of the century, there were only around 500 million internet users in the whole world. As of 2015, 3.2 billion people had access to the internet according to an estimate by the International Telecommunications Union. Here's a graph to put that into persective. Almost increasing exponentially! 

In spite of all this incredible progress, more work needs to be done. Today around 4 billion people still lack access to the web, according to a report by the World Economic Forum. Even in developed countries like the United States, there are still some 55 million people that don’t have access to broadband internet.

When High Stability is a Must

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?