Scott has published a new build: This is the general idea behind how this frequency counter works. It’s so simple! It’s entirely digital, and needs very few passive components. sn74lv8154 is configured in 32-bit mode (by chaining together its two 16-bit counters, see the datasheet for details) and acts as the front-end directly taking in […]
Tag Archives: radio frequency
Breadboard line driver module
Scott from SWHarden has published a new build: Line driver chips are one of my go-tos for quickly amplifying digital signals because they’re so fast to drop in a breadboard and they provide a strong output with very high impedance inputs and need no external components. Individual buffer of the integrated chip can be paralleled […]
14 GHz Ku Band Block UpConverter
Sebastian (a.k.a KF5OBS) writes, “A quick look at what it takes to make a Block UpConverter (BUC) for the 14 GHz Ku-Band satellite uplink band work. A BUC is used in professional Broadcast TV environments to convert a video signal from a L-Band intermediate frequency to the 14 GHz range to be received by broadcast […]
Measuring filter response using a noise source
KF5OBS writes: If you own a spectrum analyzer with tracking generator or, even better, a good vector network analyzer, measuring the frequency response of a filter is fairly easy. But there is one old approach using a noise source that can turn any oscilloscope with a FFT spectrum view into a useful tool for determining […]
App note: RF Layout with Microstrip
Here’s an application note from Atmel on microstrip layout techniques to get optimal RF performance from wireless ICs (PDF!) : Poor layout can seriously degrade wireless performance. This application note outlines practical microstrip layout techniques to connect wireless microcontrollers with baluns and antennas. Unbalanced and balanced (differential) microstrip techniques are discussed for 4-layer PCBs using […]