Eravant offers single balanced mixers that utilizes high-performance GaAs Schottky beam-lead diodes arranged in an anti-parallel configuration. These mixers are available in two primary configurations

Measuring antenna patterns and gain accurately is often a major challenge, not only due to the demand for expensive test equipment but also the requirement of skilled and knowledgeable test technicians. In addition, it is difficult to control the interactions introduced by test equipment, cables, fixtures, and support structures.

Waveguide sections are often used to make connections in Test & Measurement systems. A variety of waveguide shapes may be employed depending on how the Device Under Test (DUT) is configured. Straight sections are commonly used in systems designed to test two-port waveguide components such as amplifiers and filters. More complex waveguide configurations may be needed to test multi-port devices such as directional couplers, power dividers, switching networks, or antenna systems.

Variable waveguide attenuators are found in many applications including test setups and various electronic systems. Attenuators employing active devices vary their attenuation in response to electronic control signals. Passive Level-Setting attenuators are adjusted mechanically.

The STO series of VNA frequency extenders increases the reach of coaxial Vector Network Analyzers to millimeter-wave frequencies. Three different STO configurations are offered for waveguide bands from 50 to 330 GHz. The most versatile STO configuration is the Transmit/Receive (TX/RX) version. More specialized versions include the Receive-Only (RX) and Transmit/Reference (TX/Ref) configurations.

New applications for millimeter-wave technology are often found by taking familiar designs and applying them in unfamiliar ways. Eravant can facilitate the prototype-development process by providing block diagrams for a variety of subassemblies that are commonly encountered in millimeter-wave systems. 

In 2022, we shortened our organizational vision to simply “Enabling RF engineers by making millimeter wave accessible.” Eravant believes that there are three main barriers to working in millimeter wave: knowledge, experience, and budget. Our Wellprice models target the budget barrier by offering the industry quality active and passive components at up to 60% off their original price.

Eravant offers a wide selection of waveguide calibration kits for Vector Network Analyzers (VNAs). Many configuration options are available. Eravant waveguide calibration kits support the following calibration methods, as well as others.

Connections between waveguide components are generally accomplished with flanges. A typical waveguide flange is aligned using pins and mating pin-holes. Because of the practical machining tolerances for pins and holes, flange misalignment is always possible. 

Directional couplers are the key components in any test instrument, Radar, and communication systems. The quality of the directional couplers is measured by insertion loss, return loss and directivity. 

Eravant’s millimeterwave vector network analyzer (VNA) extenders are offered in six (6) banded frequencies, WR-15 (50 to 75 GHz), WR-12 (60 to 90 GHz), WR-10 (75 to 100 GHz), WR-08 (90 to 140 GHz), WR-06 (110 to 170 GHz) and WR-05 (140 to 220 GHz), respectively. 

Sometimes the correct heatsink choice is not always clear. To help address this, Eravant matches each part’s package with an associated heatsink. To determine what heatsink works with your device there is a straightforward process.

Eravant offers modular amplifier and bench top amplifier. The modular amplifier, also referred to as a “bare” amplifier, is the building block for any microwave and millimeterwave system, such as communication, Radar, test instrumentation and scientific apparatus etc., systems. Eravant categorizes its modular amplifier into three families, Broadband (SBB), Power (SBP) and Low Noise (SBL). The broadband family covers the octave frequency bandwidth, often wider than waveguide operating bandwidth, such as 1 to 40 GHz for instance.

Due to the traditional system application and new 5G and IoT challenges, the industry considers millimeterwave technology as an “old” but “new” frontier. The technology is steadily finding increased applications. Due to technological evolution and continued frequency expansion, key players like system engineers, technologist, integrators, innovators are continuously pushing the technology forward ...

What are Limited Run Models?

Limited Run models are products that may not be restocked after supplies are depleted. These products are not necessarily being completely obsoleted and may even remain available to legacy customers. New customers should consider alternative models if they anticipate long-term use. 

SAGE Millimeter is now Eravant in March 2020, a change that renews our commitment to serve, first and foremost, the RF engineer. Rebranding as Eravant represents our promise to continue investing in our customers and our team members. And as our company transitions to the new brand, we trust that your experience with us will continue to set the standard for all supplier partnerships.

Eravant takes pride in the appearance of our products, but our design philosophy is rooted in our understanding of our customers and the technology. One year ago, Eravant decided to implement the anti-cocking variation of the MIL Spec flanges across our WR-22 and above product lines while also adding sandblasted finishing to our products. …

Calibration is an essential step in any RF test and measurement procedure. By calibrating our measurement setup with known standards, we can reduce measurement uncertainty. For millimeterwave testing, Eravant provides calibration kits that include precision machined shorts, open and loads accompanied by a set of in-series adapters with their respective connector type, see Fig …

The waveguide sections offered by Eravant cover the frequency range of 8.2 to 325 GHz. These sections include waveguide straights, bends, twists, mode transitions and flange adapters. The waveguide sections are designed for full-band operations from X-band to WR-03. Other lower frequency waveguides may be available upon request.

Eravant offers complete balanced mixer and upconverter solutions under the product series of SFB and SFU based on GaAs Schottky beam-lead diode and balanced circuit configuration to offer the superior RF performance. For instance, the W Band balanced mixer with model SFB-10-N1 shown in Figure 1, supports the full waveguide band operation for both LO and RF frequencies from 75 to 110 GHz with an extremely broad IF output from DC to 35 GHz.

Historically, limited CW power was available in the millimeterwave frequency range, especially in the higher frequency bands, Ka-band and above. Therefore, power handling was not a major concern for most customers, except in the case of certain dedicated high-power applications or programs in which special attention was required. As semiconductor advancement and applications of such increased in scope, technology such as the Gallium Nitride devices (GaN) enables the expansion of 5G, IoT, small satellite and many other commercial, aerospace and military systems. But due to this, the specification for higher power handling capacity is required for even high frequency devices.

Waveguides are some of the most important transmission lines used in microwave applications, especially in millimeter-wave systems, due to its low loss and high-power handling characteristics. However, the waveguide has a defined operating bandwidth due to its inherent structural limitations. For example, the standard operating frequency of a WR-10 rectangular waveguide is 75 to 110 GHz. 

The waveguide, along with the coaxial line, is one of the most important transmission media in any modern RF, microwave and millimeter-wave component, and sub-assembly and system. Due to its metal tubing configuration, the waveguide tends to be heavy and bulky, especially in low microwave frequencies. However, it is always a preferred transmission means when performance and high power are priorities. In millimeter-wave bands, it is especially true that the waveguide is widely used and engineers will pay high attention to loss.

Many customers will question Eravant’s waveguide to coax adapter return loss performance. They will mention that their measured return loss is lower than what is on the provided datasheets or in the specifications provided in their quotes. Eravant has noticed that these same customers often test return loss by using the “back to back” connection approach...

Noise figure is an important parameter in many RF applications. Per its definition, Noise Figure (NF) is a measurement of the degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) which is caused by components in a signal path. It is a number by which the performance of an amplifier or a radio receiver can be specified. The lower the values, the higher the performance. As an example, a DUT (Device Under Test) with a Noise Figure of 3 dB will degrade the SNR of a signal by 3 dB when the system is kept at 290 K.

A quadrature mixer consists of two balanced mixers where the RF (or LO) ports are connected along with an in-phase power divider; the LO (or RF) ports are connected with a quadrature hybrid. There are two IF ports, "I" for the in-phase component and "Q" for the 90° out-of-phase component. They are available to the user for further signal processing (Fig. 1). Quadrature mixers can simultaneously mix ‘in-phase’ and ‘quadrature’ components. It leads to a variety of unique features and applications of these mixers. Phase detectors and single sideband modulators are two of these important applications. 

STZ series full waveguide band noise sources are silicon IMPATT diode based solid state noise sources. These noise sources implement high performance diode and propriety circuit design to offer high ENR with extreme flatness in entire waveguide bandwidth in the frequency range of 26.5 to 170 GHz in eight waveguide bands. 

Eravant offers Doppler Radar Target Simulators for Radar manufacturers and developers to test and evaluate their Radar systems’ performance in an economic way by replacing expensive and time-consuming field tests. 

It is industry practice to consider the Noise Figure (NF) of a Mixer equal to its conversion loss. This is a useful approximation, and it’s generally accurate within 0.5 dB, or, at any rate, within the uncertainty of a typical noise figure measurement.

Eravant offers harmonic mixers in two product families: SFH and STH. Their purpose is to extend the operation frequency of the spectrum analyzer and/or the frequency counter to millimeter-wave operations. These cover seven waveguide bands spanning across the frequency range of 26.5 to 170 GHz. 

The dual polarized antenna is widely used in the industry due to its versatile characteristics. It is well known that the dual polarized antenna can support linear, elliptical, and circular polarized waveforms. Here are several application scenarios. 

The Faraday isolator is constructed with a longitudinal, magnetized ferrite rod that causes a Faraday rotation of the incoming RF signal. By properly biasing the ferrite, the isolator will cause low loss signal in one direction and high loss in the reverse direction.

Coaxial devices are widely used in the microwave industry and are increasingly being used at millimeterwave frequencies up to 110 GHz. Because Eravant's products and services focus on higher microwave and millimeterwave frequencies, only miniaturized connectors will be discussed here. The following are concepts, terms and definitions that are widely used and accepted in the industry.

Good impedance matching is required for the efficient transfer of signals between connected devices. Unfortunately a perfect match is rarely achieved. There are two common ways to express a device’s impedance mismatch: Return Loss and Standing-Wave Ratio (SWR). Both quantities describe the same phenomenon, but they have different interpretations.

Eravant offers microwave and millimeterwave amplifiers and active multipliers in the frequency range of 10 MHz to 170 GHz. Eravant’s standard amplifiers and active multipliers all have built-in regulators to protect the delicate microwave semiconductor devices. In addition, all amplifier and active multipliers have a built-in “charge pump” to generate negative bias so that only a single positive power supply is required. With this feature, the user does not need to worry about having second power supply for gate bias and also has no chance of damaging the amplifiers and active multipliers by accidently letting the gate float while applying the positive power supply.

The SFD series and STD series waveguide detectors offered by Eravant, Inc. are square root small signal detectors. What this means is, for RF power in the range of -45 dBm to approximately 0 dBm, the detector output voltage is proportional to its incident power measure in watts. Because of the behavior exhibited, these detectors are also called “square law” detectors.

The flexible and twistable waveguides offered by Eravant, Inc. cover the frequency range of 18 to 110 GHz in six waveguide bands, namely, WR-42, WR-34, WR-28, WR-22, WR-15, WR-12 and WR-10, respectively. Other lower band flexible waveguides are also available per request. 

The industry widely used Keysight Noise Figure Analyzer (NFA) N8975A can provide accurate measurement of both gain and noise figure up to 26.5 GHz. Eravant’s STG series Noise Figure and Gain Anakyzer Extenders can extend the measurement up to 170 GHz while preserving the functionality and features that Keysight standard models offer. The model STG includes two critical assemblies: down converter (STC) and noise source (STZ). The system interface drawing is shown in below. 

Sometimes the most challenging part of working in a busy lab environment is having the right tools to do the job. Even the act of mating two flanges can be challenging due to tight space or missing waveguide screws, misplaced screwdrivers, and too many connections. Eravant offers the industry a simple, effective, and easy-to-use contraption to increase efficiency and decrease frustration on the bench: the waveguide quick connect.  

Eravant often receives questions on measuring the axial ratio for polarizers. In this blog post, Eravant (SAGE MM) reveals the step-by-step process of axial ratio measurement for its SAS series polarizers.

A Vector Network Analyzer (VNA), Orthomode Transducer (OMT), and Mode Transition will be used to test the axial ratio.

Eravant offers two types of waveguide screws for millimeterwave products interconnections. The model numbers are SWH-332-SS and SWH-564-SS.

Eravant offers many aperture antennas. The popular ones are Rectangular Horns (SAR series), Conical Horns (SAC series) and Lens Corrected Antennas (SAL). 

Corner reflectors are often used to reflect radar signals back toward the transmitter. Their efficiency as reflectors makes them useful for testing radar systems or to increase the radar visibility of objects. Common corner reflectors include dihedral and trihedral designs constructed from metal plates intersected at right angles to each other.

In many communication and radar systems, duplexing allows a single antenna to perform both the transmit and receive tasks at the same time. Either a circulator or an orthomode transducer (OMT) can play this role. So, which is better?

Unlike 3G or 4G, 5G is not just about the wireless connection between smart phones, computers, and the internet. It is about everything: home appliances, door locks, security cameras, cars, wearables, and many other inert devices. It is about the smart home, the smart office, and the smart city. When fully developed, the 5G wireless network is estimated to support 1,000-fold gains in capacity, connections for at least 100 billion devices, and a 10 Gb/s individual user experience with near zero response times.

Many customers come to ask what is the insertion loss of Eravant’s rectangular waveguide. It is always a tough question to us because it is really depending on what types of material the waveguide is built with and how the plating is applied. Because of that, we only can offer the general guidelines for it.

The active device used in Gunn oscillators is the Gunn diode. It is often described as a two-terminal “negative resistance” device, referring to its electronic circuit behavior. The Gunn diode is also described as a “transferred electron device”, referring to the physical mechanism responsible for producing its negative differential resistance. 

These attenuators are constructed with an E Plane resistive insert in the center of the rectangular waveguide. The operating waveguide mode is TE10. The insertion loss or attenuation of this type of attenuator is frequency dependent due to its inherent mechanical configurations. As one can see, the same amount of insertion in the waveguide shows less attenuation in the lower end of the operating frequency band of waveguide than the higher end, because the electrical length is shorter relative to the frequency. The difference between these two attenuators is that level setting attenuator has a micrometer for attenuation value reset or memorization, while the attenuation value of the fixed attenuator is set at certain value at center frequency.