Passive RF devices, also called RF components, serve as accessories for
RF power amplifiers,
spectrum analyzers, and
EMI receivers. Directional couplers, load resistors, low-loss cables, and attenuators are examples of common RF components, add-ons that sample electrical currents between test instruments and devices to ascertain the effectiveness of the test in progress. ATEC has a variety of RF components available for immediate rental.
Directional couplers are one of the most common varieties of passive RF devices and are generally integrated into the system to perform monitoring and testing during the design stages; like many passive components, they enhance RF performance and reduce costs. Engineers also implement RF components to perform DC isolation, impedance matching, and the matching of balanced ports to a single port. RF system designers are constantly faced with the challenge of shrinking a system’s size while retaining the expected output power, and small passive RF devices provide the necessary level of power handling.