RF from DC to Light

1. RF from DC to Light For science, fun and profit

2. RF from DC to Light • The RF Spectrum is full of all kinds of things: - The sounds of nature, lighting from thunder storms, meteors entering the earth atmosphere, earth quakes, and the solar wind impacting on the earths ionosphere. - Communications, one on one or one to many. - Sensors liker radar, radiosondes, etc.

3. RF from DC to Light • Measurement is done by an expression of frequency, we use the unit of Hertz named after German physicist Heinerich Hertz (1857 to 1894). It replaced an older term “cycles per second” in 1960. • Hertz, Kilohertz, Megahertz, Gigahertz, and Terahertz.

4. RF from DC to Light • Radio Propagation: - Surface wave or ground wave, follows the surface of the earth, goes through water. -Direct wave or line-of-sight -Ionospheric wave or sky wave reflected by some part of the earths ionosphere many sub modes (Auroral reflection, Sporadic-E)

5. RF from DC to Light • FCC – Federal Communications Commission The people who control the RF Spectrum in the US. • World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC) , meets at 2 to 4 year intervals.

6. RF from DC to Light • Regulations - FCC Part 15 (low power communications) Wireless Data, Cordless Phones etc. - FRS/GMRS (Family Radio Service/General Mobil Radio Service). - HAM Radio - Broadcast Radio (AM, FM, TV etc.)

7. RF from DC to Light • Bands -ELF 3 - 30 HZ, 100 - 10 Mm, Extremely low frequency -SLF 30 - 300 Hz, 10 - 1 Mm, Super low frequency -ULF 300 – 3000 Hz, 1000 -100 km, Ultra low frequency -VLF 3 – 30 kHz, 100 – 10 km, Very low frequency -LF 30-300 kHz 10-1 km, Low Frequency -MF 300-3000 kHz 1000-100 m Medium Frequency

8. RF from DC to Light • Bands (continued) -HF 3-30 MHz 100-10 m High Frequency -VHF 30-300 MHz 10-1m Very high frequency -UHF 300-3000 MHz 100-10 cm Ultra high frequency -SHF 3-300 GHz 10-1 cm Super High Frequency -EHF 30-300 GHz 10-1 mm Extremely high frequency Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_frequency

9. RF from DC to Light • Letter Band (UHF, SHF & EHF): L band 1-2 GHz 30-15 cm S band 2-4 GHz 15-7.5 cm C band 4-8 GHz 3.8-2.5 cm X band 8-12 GHz 2.5-1.7 cm Ku band 12to18 GHz 1.7-1.1 cm Ka band 27-40 GHz 1.1-0.75 cm V band 40-75 GHz 0.75-0.40 cm W band 75-110 GHz 0.40-0.27 cm (History Note)

10. RF from DC to Light • OK, all this is nice but what is so different about all of the bands and frequency’s, What are they used for? Who uses them and why?

11. RF from DC to Light • ELF - Extremely low frequency Frequency: 3 - 30 HZ Wave length: 100 - 10 Mm Propagation: Ground Wave What There: Schumann Resonance Submarine Communications Earthquake ?

12. RF from DC to Light • SLF - Super low frequency Frequency: 30 - 300 Hz Wave length: 10 - 1 Mm Propagation: Ground Wave What There: Power Grids (50 and 60 Hz) Submarine Communications Navigation (USSR)

13. RF from DC to Light • ULF - Ultra low frequency Frequency: 300 – 3000 Hz Wave length: 1000 -100 km Propagation: Ground Wave What There: Submarine Communications Meteors, Earthquake ?

14. RF from DC to Light • VLF - Very low frequency Frequency: 3 – 30 kHz Wave length: 100 – 10 km Propagation: Ground Wave/Sky Wave What There: Navigation Systems Meteors

15. RF from DC to Light • LF - Low Frequency Frequency: 30-300 kHz Wave length: 10-1 km Propagation: Sky Wave/Ground Wave What There: Navigation (LORAN) Part 15

16. RF from DC to Light • MF - Medium Frequency Frequency: 300-3000 kHz Propagation: Sky Wave Wave length: 1000-100 m What There: AM Radio, HAM Radio, Part 15 Radar (Russian, History Note)

17. RF from DC to Light • HF - High Frequency Frequency: 3-30 MHz Propagation: Sky wave (geomagnetic storms) Wave length: 100-10 m What There: Long distance communications Short Wave Stations (Broadcast) HAM Radio Radar (US, USSR, China, others)

18. RF from DC to Light • VHF - Very high frequency Frequency: 30-300 MHz Propagation: Line-of-Sight (some Sky Wave) Wave length: 10-1m What There: TV (old), Navigation, Radar FM Broadcast, Part 15, HAM Communications, Stealth Tech

19. RF from DC to Light • UHF - Ultra high frequency Frequency: 300-3000 MHz Propagation: Line-of-Sight Wave length: 100-10 cm (note antenna size) What There: Satellite TV, Radar, Space-to-Ground Digital TV, HAM, Astronomy, Part 15, WIFY, Stealth Tech

20. RF from DC to Light • SHF - Super High Frequency Frequency: 3-300 GHz Propagation: Line-of-Sight Wave length: 10-1 cm What There: Satellite TV, Radar Ka band in very light use V & W bands technology needed…

21. RF from DC to Light • EHF - Extremely high frequency Frequency: 30-300 GHz (cutoffs) Propagation: Line-of-Sight Wave length: 10-1 mm What There: Satellite, some Radar Very light use

22. RF from DC to Light Science: The radio spectrum is a major resource for scientific inquiry, examples are radio, and radar astronomy, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) .

23. RF from DC to Light Fun: HAM radio, FRS (Family Radio Service), WIFI all provide ways to have fun with the radio spectrum. Many new products in the last few years…

24. RF from DC to Light Profit: As new bands open for use (driven by technology, and regulations). We will see new and expanding uses of WIFI like technology in the Ka, V and W bands. Use of the Ka band is currently very light with almost no use of the V W bands.

25. RF from DC to Light • References: Schumann resonances http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schumann_resonances Letter-Bands http://www.microwaves101.com/encyclopedia/letterbands.cfm FCC http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Communications_Commission

26. RF from DC to Light • References: FCC – Part 15 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_47_CFR_Part_15

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