I've been experimenting with JavaScript a bit lately and came up with a bit of code to make creating calculators for RF Mentor users quite a bit easier. Based on the fact that most of the online calculators share some common functionality as far as the website is concerned, I've created some base "formula" and "variable" objects to handle the creation of the input form and display tasks. As a result, creating a new calculator is a much simpler matter of defining the variables and writing a function for the calculation of the output value.

Greetings from the 2017 International Microwave Symposium in Honolulu, Hawaii! This show is a great opportunity to re-connect with fellow RF and wireless professionals, learn about the latest design techniques, and see the newest products being offered at the exhibition. Besser Associates is here at booth #942. The show is always an opportunity to get new ideas and brainstorm for new courses and resources that we can offer on the RF Mentor site.

I was recently updating one of the online workbooks for the RF Technology Certification program and decided to try and re-write one of the calculators using Python. The topic is teaching how to convert from dBm values to milliwatts without using a calculator, so the calculator does not just calculate the conversion, rather it tries to demonstrate the process of approximation in your head. In the end, I decided to keep the original Javascript calculator with some updates rather than replacing it with the Python version.

I've successfully added transmission line elements to the Smith Chart matching web app here on RFMentor.com. These include series, shorted shunt section, and open shunt section. There's a trick you can use to have these transmission line elements use an arbitrary characteristic impedance. The elements adopt the same characteristic impedance as the chart normalization impedance (default is 50 Ohms).

I created a quick Python function to calculate the component values for an impedance match between two real (resistive) terminations using the technique taught in the Introduction to Impedance Matching course. Here is what the code ends up looking like, and it shows how useful Python can be for working as a "quick programmable calculator." In the old days, I might have been tempted to program my old HP48 calculator to crank out the same values. It only took a few minutes to put the code together, which is the beauty of working with Python.