Microwave engineering or the use of microwave electronics in the various industries from telecommunications to industries that use remote sensing components and applications is more important today than ever before.
Most people don’t stop to consider that microwave electronics play a critical role in all of these elements of our daily life, and that they also are essential in aerospace, military and defense, as well as radar systems and other types of services that go on in thousands of different devices and systems in and around our neighborhoods and communities.
It is really challenging to try to imagine what life would be like without microwave electronics. A short list of systems and industries that use this technology include:
* Imaging in the medical field
* Security systems and body scans
* Heating
* Radar systems
* Radio astronomy – the collection of RF signals from space that help to determine the origin of planets, stars and other components of the solar
* system and beyond
* GPS devices and services
* Signal jamming systems used by the military and police departments
* Satellites and data transmission
* Radiation technology used in treatment of cancer
* Microwave ablation to replace surgical procedures for tumors and soft tissue
The use of microwave technology continues to increase, and there are many new applications for microwave circuits and systems that will be developed in both the medical and military fields. It is also a key component in the new technology used in cell phones and devices, making them more effective and efficient over a much wider types of applications.
Important Differences
There are several differences in microwave electronics, including the use of the relatively short wavelengths compared to other types of electronics. These short wavelengths mean that the system can run with much smaller antennas, which is critical in cell phones and other types of devices, as well as with low-power transmitters.
Although originally almost exclusively used by the military all remote sensing, GPS and other types of technology, including communication over extended distances, is now more in the domain of the private or industrial sector. This increased use of microwave electronics has greatly decreased the cost of the components and increased production, leading to overall lower price for this extremely powerful technology.
As the use of microwave electronics continues to allow smaller components that are powerful and durable, the demand for this technology continues to grow. Today, more than ever, microwave technology is used in a wide range of common and specialized equipment, making it a central component in many applications and products.
