Innovations Inspire The Industry

May 6, 2010
In any industry, especially a small one such as the RF/microwave industry, it is easy to become "closed minded," and think that everything that can be done has been done. For that reason, when an innovation surfaces, it is good not only for the ...

In any industry, especially a small one such as the RF/microwave industry, it is easy to become "closed minded," and think that everything that can be done has been done. For that reason, when an innovation surfaces, it is good not only for the innovator, but for the industry as a whole. Any innovation, whether from a corporate giant or a fledgling start-up, serves to remind us all that there is still much to learn and work to be done.

Innovations come in many forms, from the development of basic building-block materials, such as GaAs and GaN for semiconductors, or even PTFE for circuit boards, to the creation of invaluable measurement tools such as the vector network analyzer (VNA). Those old enough can remember a time before such things were commonly available and how such things changed the industry. Obviously, as the RF/microwave industry ages, innovations are harder to come by. But they still do come. And such developments as Synergy Microwave's variable inductors on the cover of April Microwaves & RF help to remind the industry that there is still room for improvement and advancement, and it is still refreshing when innovations occur.

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.

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