Walter Karas

Interesting to be involved in this foresighting exercise around RF and Microwave skills. Think the last paragraph is key conveys the issue - ‘The report concludes with a clear warning: without immediate and coordinated action, the UK risks falling behind in deploying secure and resilient telecommunications infrastructure. The skills gap is not just a training issue—it’s a potential national capability bottleneck. The resilience, progress, and sovereignty of the UK’s telecoms sector depend on bridging this gap now.’ https://lnkd.in/ep_cAtxt

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Poor performance isn’t normal. It’s solvable. If latency, jitter, or dropped connections are “just how things are” at some of your locations, that’s a signal, not a reality you have to accept. Reliable connectivity starts with visibility into how circuits actually perform, not just what’s on the contract. 2026 is the year to fix the foundation. #Connectivity #ITStrategy #NetworkReliability #MultiLocationIT #TopSpinTech Aram Bolduc

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 When Waveguide Loss Calculation Results in a Gain 🤯 One of the fundamental procedures before activating a satellite link 🛰️ is to verify the integrity of the RF chain. Our team recently quantified the insertion loss on the waveguide path from the HPA (High Power Amplifier) ⚡ output to the antenna input flange. The methodology we implemented was the dual-coupler method, with a comparative analysis using a Spectrum Analyzer 📉. What were the results? ✅ Horizontal Polarization: Showed an excellent and expected attenuation value, meeting technical specifications. All good! ❌ Vertical Polarization: This is where the anomaly was detected. The loss calculation resulted in a negative value, which theoretically implies a gain on a passive path. Impossible! Immediately, the investigation began. We focused on three potential sources of error: 🧐 Calibration Inconsistency: Was there an amplitude reference shift on the Spectrum Analyzer between the two separate measurement sessions? 🧐 Coupling Factor Disparity: Was there an error in inputting the attenuation value of one of the couplers into the calculation formula? 🧐 Test Setup Variability: Could there be a difference in the loss from the cables or connectors used at the two different measurement points? Conclusion & Technical Recommendation: While a Spectrum Analyzer is essential for frequency-domain analysis, its accuracy for absolute power measurement can be influenced by many variables. Therefore, the most valid recommendation is to re-verify using a calibrated Power Meter & power sensor. This instrument will provide a much more definitive absolute power reading. Instruments present data, but interpretation, critical analysis of the methodology, and selecting the right tool are where an engineer's expertise is truly tested. For my fellow RF/Satcom professionals, what's your approach to verifying an RF line-up? Do you have any best practices or favorite tools to ensure measurement accuracy? Let's discuss in the comments! 💬 #RFengineering #Satcom #LinkBudget #HPA #Troubleshooting #Waveguide #Telecommunications

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The satellite industry has a sensor problem. Not a shortage of sensors. A surplus of them. More satellites. More RF. More EO. More telemetry. More ISR. The data is abundant. Decision confidence is not. I spent 14 years building the decision layer for a sovereign waterway — 35,000+ sensors, real-time C2, operators making irreversible decisions about vessel movements under live consequence. The same problem exists at orbital altitude. Different physics. Same architecture. That's what I'll be exploring at SATShow Week — which companies are closing the gap between sensor proliferation and decision confidence. Detection without decision is noise. #SATShow2026 #SpaceDomainAwareness #DecisionArchitecture

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🛰️ 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗢/𝗘𝗨 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀: 𝗔 𝗪𝗮𝗸𝗲-𝗨𝗽 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲? Russian satellites are reportedly maneuvering close to key European and NATO communications satellites - potentially intercepting signals or mapping operational patterns This is not science fiction. And it’s not Cold War nostalgia. 📌 Does it matter?? YES - 🚨Space is no longer just infrastructure — it’s a strategic contested domain 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗢 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝘁? Adversaries operate on short tactical cycles Europe is still moving on multi-year institutional timelines Resilience must scale faster. It must become integrated. And it must evolve from reactive awareness to #ProactiveDeterrence. We need to shift the paradigm from “𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲” to “𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲” A holistic, whole-chain security model — spanning space, ground, hardware, cyber and policy — is the only credible path to true SATCOM resilience. The future of European and NATO space security will not be defined by a single flagship constellation but by how well these layers are fused into one coherent defensive architecture. In other words: #Resilience 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹. #SpaceSecurity #SatelliteCommunications #NATO #EuropeanSpace #GovSatCom

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📡 Antenna Gain vs Beamwidth: A Common Misunderstanding Ever seen a system with impressive antenna gain… but unstable links, constant realignment, or unexpected disconnection? That’s usually not a power problem. It’s a beamwidth problem. 🎯 Think of Antennas Like Flashlights • High gain / narrow beam = laser pointer 🔦  Long reach, sharp focus — but even a small movement misses the target. • Low gain / wide beam = floodlight 💡  Shorter reach, wider coverage — but much easier to stay connected. 👉The rule of thumb: More gain → narrower beam → higher precision required 🔬 What Gain Really Means • It concentrates energy in a preferred direction • That concentration is paid for with reduced angular coverage 📐 What Beamwidth Tells You • How wide the antenna “sees” • How much misalignment, motion, or vibration your link can survive ⚙️Real-World Engineering Trade-offs High Gain / Narrow Beam • Long range, focused coverage • Requires precise pointing • Low tolerance to movement • Strong interference rejection Low Gain / Wide Beam • Broad coverage, easier to maintain • Tolerates movement and misalignment • Quick and simple setup • More exposed to interference ⚖️ The Engineering Truth High gain doesn’t eliminate system challenges — it shifts them from RF design to mechanical stability and pointing accuracy. The right antenna isn’t the strongest one — it’s the one your system can realistically support. We have antennas built for real operating conditions. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to discuss your link requirements. #KINGSAT #AntennaGain #Beamwidth #NTN #Satcom #RFEngineering #MicrowaveEngineering #WirelessTechnology #Microwave

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Several days after this writer posted about the lopsided market narrative related to co-packaged optics (please see: https://lnkd.in/eReYuVp8), there were a couple of references to the CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, stating that such a solution is not inevitable, starting with a news article (https://lnkd.in/egyNwa92). The piece quotes a supposedly contemporaneous video on a social media site in which Jensen says the following to a press outlet about working with TSMC on silicon photonics: “It’s still several years away. We should stay with copper for as long as we can, and then after that, if we must, we’ll use SiPh.” (https://lnkd.in/eRPv9RDQ). It should be noted that there are couple of comments on the post, despite the August 2025 date, questioning the timing of the statement, and it does appear that the tape was made in January of 2025. It looks like he is in Taiwan for the New Year's event. Yet, the comments are still instructive. While signing autographs, Jensen is somewhat distracted, but he is obviously providing his frank view of the technology. In stark contrast, only a few months later, at GTC 2025, he has effusive praise for SiPh and CPO, with the targeted audience also involving investment analysts. To be fair, it could be asserted that in the first case, Jensen’s comment was only for the NVLink scale-up fabric. Nevertheless, it still provides insight into his actual expectations for CPO. There is the view that was notably expressed very well by Loi Nguyen, EVP Emeritus, Optics, at Marvell Technology at the Optica Executive Forum at OFC 2025 on scale-up that Nvidia will do everything possible to cramp more GPUs in a single rack with liquid cooling and other techniques to allow them to stay with copper. He also believes that the present CPO effort is on a noncritical path in scaling out on a switch platform in which the pluggable is the primary option -- and so, essentially agrees that it will take several years more for CPO to be ready. Such a timeframe would obviously conflict with Nvidia’s quite optimistic 2026 schedule for shipment. Thus, the business narrative for CPO itself will inexorably remain on a more solid foundation compared with the actual, past realities of engineers struggling over the years to get the solution to work. There will continue to be the basic challenges with production, testing, and dependability. 

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Building: Meet (SIMBA-NR) Software Intelligent MIMO & Beamforming Architecture New Radio. A fully software-based 5G NR research platform combining: 1. Real 3D ray-tracing (city geometry maps, Matrix (H → W)) 2. Advanced MIMO beamforming (SU/MU-MIMO) 3. 5G protocol stack (OpenAirInterface) 4. Telemetry and KPI monitoring (Grafana ) 5. Beamforming engine (ZF, MMSE, SVD precoders) Goal : Reproducible, hardware-free environment for realistic 5G experimentation, especially for defense and aerospace deployment. End-to-end: Channel Coding→ Beamforming → 5G stack → KPIs #5G #Beamforming #MIMO #RayTracing #OpenAirInterface #Sionna #DefenseTech #NTN #6G #ResearchPlatform #IABG

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Been digging into interconnects lately. Wires aren't passive anymore, they define performance. Wrote a short post going over key ideas from Weste & Harris and beyond: RC delay, π-models, signal integrity, crosstalk, repeaters and metal layer tradeoffs. Just trying to make sense of what really matters in modern IC design. Read here: https://lnkd.in/dH69a6MN #VLSI #Interconnects #ChipDesign #Semiconductors #EDA

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6G ? Do you know how 3gpp is calling it ? aNB Advance/Ai NodeB The aNB of 6G, where 'a' represents both "Advanced" (enhanced) and "AI" (artificial intelligence), implies that 6G base stations will demonstrate "the deep integration of advanced technologies and intelligent nature". #telecommunications

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Why buy when you can rent smarter? High-frequency measurements demand precision—and flexibility. Rent 20 GHz real-time oscilloscopes from Electro Rent to keep your projects moving forward without the CAPEX slowdown. 🔍 Capture faster edge rates 🔁 Easily swap models as needs evolve 💸 Lower total cost of ownership ➡️ Explore your options here: https://lnkd.in/gpFF74XA #Oscilloscopes #EngineeringTools #TestAndMeasurement

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📀 TYPES OF COMPUTER MEMORY 📀 1️⃣ Primary memory - also known as internal memory, is directly accessed by the CPU and includes RAM (volatile) and ROM (non-volatile) 2️⃣ Secondary memory - also called external memory, provides long-term storage and includes devices like hard drives and SSDs. 3️⃣ Cache memory, a type of high-speed memory, is used to store frequently accessed data for faster retrieval. ✔️ Primary Memory: 🟢 RAM (Random Access Memory): Volatile memory that temporarily stores data and instructions the computer is actively using. It's faster than secondary storage but loses data when the power is turned off.  🔵 DRAM (Dynamic RAM): A common type of RAM that needs to be constantly refreshed to retain data.  🟣 SRAM (Static RAM): Faster and more expensive than DRAM, doesn't require refreshing. 🟤 ROM (Read-Only Memory): Non-volatile memory that stores permanent data, such as the computer's boot instructions. It cannot be easily modified. ⚫ PROM (Programmable ROM): Can be programmed once by the user.  ⚪ EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM): Can be erased with ultraviolet light and reprogrammed. 🔴 EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM): Can be erased and reprogrammed electrically. ✔️ Secondary Memory: ▶️ Hard Disk Drives (HDDs): Traditional storage devices that use magnetic platters to store data. ▶️ Solid State Drives (SSDs): Use flash memory to store data, offering faster speeds and greater durability than HDDs. ▶️ Other types: Include optical drives (CDs, DVDs), USB flash drives, and magnetic tapes. ✔️Cache Memory: 💿 A small, very fast memory that stores frequently accessed data, allowing the CPU to retrieve information quickly. 💿 It acts as a buffer between the CPU and main memory (RAM). ✔️ Virtual Memory: A technique that allows a computer to use more memory than is physically available by using a portion of the hard drive as an extension of RAM. 

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🛂FCC’s New Shared Spectrum – Ride the 37 GHz Wave The FCC is opening up millimeter wave (mmW) spectrum in the Lower 37 GHz band (37-37.6 GHz). This isn’t your typical auction band – it’s built for shared use, promising a wealth of new opportunities for backhaul, fixed wireless, IoT, and mobile capacity. https://lnkd.in/deq_A2Vc

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Stop Guessing: Why Modern Camera IQ Tuning Demands the SFRplus and ColorChecker SG Charts I just watched a YouTube video having incredibly insightful analysis on advanced Image Signal Processor (ISP) Tuning and the new gold standard in objective image quality (IQ) measurement. https://lnkd.in/gaVWbbWf The days of relying solely on older charts like ISO 12233 are over. For anyone serious about camera engineering or IQ control, you need to be leveraging these specialized tools: The New Standard for Objective IQ Measurement: 1. SFRplus Chart: This has effectively replaced the older ISO charts for sharpness and resolution analysis. - Why it matters: It provides multiple slanted edges across the entire Field of View (FoV), enabling comprehensive checks for Focus Issues, Planarity, and calculating MTF50 (Modulation Transfer Function). It also facilitates Noise, Distortion, and Gamma tests all on one chart. 2. ColorChecker SG (Semi-Gloss) Chart: A massive upgrade for detailed color accuracy assessment. - Why it matters: It features 140 patches (compared to 24 on the original CC chart), including 17 grayscale steps (for precise Gamma and Auto White Balance verification) and 14 unique skin tones. This delivers far higher confidence in a camera's color reproduction across a wide spectrum. 3. Spill Coin Chart: Used specifically to measure Texture performance, which is a critical IQ metric for modern sensors. 4. HDR Chart (ITL 36-Step): Essential for objectively calculating Dynamic Range (the ratio of usable information in the brightest vs. darkest parts of an image), crucial for verifying High Dynamic Range performance. ISP tuning is where the core image processing happens—converting raw sensor data into the final, optimized image. Understanding the ISP pipeline is fundamental, but the objective data generated by charts like SFRplus is what validates the entire tuning process. What charts are you currently relying on for critical IQ testing in your lab? Please share your experience in the comments below. #CameraIQ #ImagingScience #ISPTuning #Imatest #ImageQuality #Engineering #ComputerVision

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Achieving high Q factor is essential for minimizing insertion loss in RF and microwave components. Watch this short video to learn some of the techniques we use to achieve a high Q factor and superior RF performance.

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EchoStar Corporation to sell $23B of spectrum to AT&T 📡 The deal includes 30 MHz of 3.45 GHz mid-band and 20 MHz of 600 MHz low-band #spectrum, covering 400+ U.S. markets. AT&T said the purchase will strengthen its #5G coverage and support emerging #AI and #IoT use cases. As part of the agreement, EchoStar becomes a hybrid MNO, decommissioning parts of its Boost Mobile RAN and serving customers via AT&T’s network. Read more 👉 https://gsma.at/Ku

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Why your via is killing your signal: At low frequencies, vias are just holes. At high frequencies, they're antennas. The stub (the unused portion below your signal layer) resonates. Creates a notch in your frequency response. Destroys your eye diagram. The fix depends on your frequency: → Under 3 GHz: probably fine → 3-8 GHz: use back-drilling → 8+ GHz: blind/buried vias or HDI This is why copying layouts doesn't work. The "right" via structure depends on YOUR frequencies, YOUR stack-up, YOUR impedance targets. Comment "VIA" if you want to learn this properly. Link to the course below if you know you want to master high-speed digital design.

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