The Accidental Engineer

sometimes informative, sometimes funny, always interesting

Filter Topologies

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Have you ever asked yourself, “why did Jim quote me a cavity filter when I was sure a discrete component filter was what I wanted”? In this post, I’ll detail several different filter topologies and reasons for using them.  In advance, however, please understand that this is a general discussion ...

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Atlanta – IMS2008 – A Look Back

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Don’t you always remember your first?  Who doesn’t, right!   Easy, tiger – I am talking about the first IMS-specific ad I ran for Reactel.  The ad was titled “Dirty Secrets” and was centered on hotel drinking glasses’ filthy condition.  What does that have to do with filters or the IMS Conference?  ...

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Out with the New, In with the Old

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Did you ever have a favorite restaurant or pub where visiting felt like home?  Every interaction there was like being surrounded in a blanket of comfort and security.  Everything was going to be okay, familiar and safe.  Never a care in the world, these people had your best interests at ...

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Filter Mounting Options

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In a rush to specify the proper filter for a particular task, an Electrical Engineer may not give much thought to “how am I going to mount this thing”?  Luckily for this Electrical Engineer (or more accurately, the Mechanical Engineer tasked with fitting all of the components into an enclosure) ...

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WAMI delayed is not WAMI denied

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I was sorry to see the announcement that WAMICON 2020 had been canceled – sorry….. combined with WAMICON 2021.  According to the Conference organizers, “…the WAMICON 2020 Conference will be combined with WAMICON 2021.  The Conference will remain in the same location (Clearwater Beach, FL), with the new dates in ...

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How wide can you go?

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We often get asked about how wide a filter’s bandwidth can be made.  Typical filter technologies are limited to approximately 75% BW or so.  For applications where ultra-wide, multi-octave bandwidths are required, you would need more than an ordinary filter.  The best filter choice for bandwidths in the 150% range ...

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Review of the Virtual IMS (vIMS)

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Some contemplative reactions to the Virtual IMS from an Exhibitor – the comments are my own and may not be indicative of other’s experience or their impression of the vIMS.   The live portion of the Virtual IMS concluded on August 6th though much of the Conference is available On-Demand thru ...

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Thoughts on the Virtual IMS (vIMS)

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As most of you know by now, IMS2020 that was to be held in Los Angeles last month was cancelled as an in-person event and rescheduled as a virtual event for August 4-6.  Exhibitors who were involved with the in-person exhibition were offered the opportunity to participate in the vIMS.  ...

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Connectors & Power

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A recent customer asked about connector options for a filter we were building.  Reactel can use most any connector a customer needs on the filters and multiplexers we build.  Generally speaking, however, the choices become a little more limited when operating at high power levels.  This brief discussion will assume ...

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Why are there so many filter companies in Maryland?

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This is a question I hear often on my travels.  What is it about Maryland that attracts the greatest concentration of filter knowledge?  Blue Crabs, the fabulous Eastern Shore, Fishers popcorn, Dolle’s Salt Water Taffy?  A 2011 article in Microwave Journal investigated this subject, and the answer is not as ...

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