Executive summary

RF engineers can use free online calculators from Ampleon to calculate parameters such as VSWR and RLC networks. The tools include a series and parallel RL/RC network converter, a unit converter for RF unit power, distance, and ratio, a temperature calculator for junction temperature and thermal efficiency, and a VSWR calculator for voltage standing wave ratio and related metrics.

Online RF calculators help engineers - 5G Technology World RF design tools

By Martin Rowe

RF engineers often need to calculate parameters such as VSWR and RLC networks. Ampleon provides these and other free RF design tools for you to use.

Ampleon, a maker of RF components, provides engineers with a free RF online tools page where you can find four sets of useful tools. Each of the four tools provides a tab showing relevant formulas, and then three tabs for performing calculations. We’ve listed each with a direct link to that page. The page in the link above also provides links to relevant Ampleon product pages.

The series and parallel RL/RC network converter provides just that: resistor, capacitor, and inductor values to convert series-to-parallel or parallel-to-series networks. You simply enter your component values and frequency. The calculator provides the needed values for the other configuration. The figure below shows a series-to-parallel RC network calculation.

RL RC series-parallel circuits

The unit converter isn’t your typical metric-to-imperial calculator. This tool calculates RF unit power, unit distance, and unit ratio. It works with both metric and imperial units of power (W, mW, dBm), distance (mil, inch, μm, mm, cm) plus voltage, current, and power ratio.

RF unit converter

Using the temperature calculator page, you can calculate junction temperature, thermal resistance, minimum Efficiency, and thermal efficiency of RF components.

temperature converter

Using the VSWR calculator, you can find voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), return loss, reflection coefficient, and mismatch loss for transmission lines, antennas, connectors, and so on.

VSWR calculator

Give these Free RF design tools a try on your next design.

Image source: Ampleon