RF (radio frequency) communication is used in many industries including television broadcasting, radar systems, computer and mobile platform networks, remote control, remote metering/monitoring, and many more.
RF refers to the use of electromagnetic radiation for transferring information between two circuits that have no direct electrical connection.
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), RF waves emanating from an antenna are generated by the movement of electrical charges in the antenna.
RF fundamentals describe how electromagnetic waves can be characterized by a wavelength and a frequency. The wavelength is the distance covered by one complete cycle of the electromagnetic wave, while the frequency is the number of electromagnetic waves passing a given point in one second.
The frequency of an RF signal is usually expressed in terms of a unit called the “hertz” (abbreviated “Hz”). One Hz equals one cycle per second. One megahertz MHz equals 1 million cycles per second.
Different forms of electromagnetic energy are categorized by their wavelengths and frequencies. The RF part of the electromagnetic spectrum is generally defined as that part of the spectrum where electromagnetic waves have frequencies in the range of about 3 kilohertz (3 kHz) to 300 gigahertz (300 GHz).
Microwaves are a specific category of radio waves that can be loosely defined as radiofrequency energy at frequencies ranging from about 1 GHz to 30 GHz.
RF has become a much discussed topic the past few years with the advent of 5G. In order to successfully deliver 5G services, service providers must ensure proper radio frequency (RF) signal quality throughout their networks.
The success of 5G has been largely dependent on overcoming spectrum interference and other barriers. To properly examine the RF spectrum, technicians require specialized testing tools capable of locating and isolating RF interference.
And with the increase in small cells in very dense areas of population, technicians who already struggle to deal with the number of trouble tickets they currently receive will be required to cover even more cell sites.
Want to know more? Tonex offers RF Training | Radio Frequency Training Fundamentals, a 2-day course that covers the basics of RF theory such as propagation modeling, link budget, modulation, channel coding, antennas, capacity planning, propagation, frequency planning and optimization.
Tonex also offers nearly two dozen other courses in RF Training, such as:
Antenna Engineering Training Boot Camp (4 days)
RF Optimization Training (2 days)