Microwave Frequency Bands
The microwave spectrum is usually defined as electromagnetic energy ranging from approximately 1 GHz to 100 GHz in frequency, but older usage includes lower frequencies. Most common applications are within the 1 to 40 GHz range. One set of microwave frequency bands designations by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), is tabulated below:
|
Letter Designation | Frequency range |
---|---|
L band | 1 to 2 GHz |
S band | 2 to 4 GHz |
C band | 4 to 8 GHz |
X band | 8 to 12 GHz |
Ku band | 12 to 18 GHz |
K band | 18 to 26.5 GHz |
Ka band | 26.5 to 40 GHz |
Q band | 33 to 50 GHz |
U band | 40 to 60 GHz |
V band | 50 to 75 GHz |
E band | 60 to 90 GHz |
W band | 75 to 110 GHz |
F band | 90 to 140 GHz |
D band | 110 to 170 GHz |
P band is sometimes used for Ku Band. "P" for "previous" was a radar band used in the UK ranging from 250 to 500 MHz and now obsolete per IEEE Std 521, see and.
When radars were first developed at K band during World War II, it was not realized that there was a nearby absorption band (due to water vapor and oxygen at the atmosphere). To avoid this problem, the original K band was split into a lower band, Ku, and upper band, Ka see.
Read more about this topic: Microwave
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