Abstract— the project is enlightening us about the characteristics and properties of microwave .

It also include its applications in

our daily life.

Introduction: The term microwave refers to electromagnetic energy having a frequency higher than 1
gigahertz (billions of cycles per second), corresponding to wavelength shorter than 30 centimeters.

Microwave signals propagate in straight lines and are affected very little by the troposphere. They are not
refracted or reflected by ionized regions in the upper atmosphere. Microwave beams do not readily
diffract around barriers such as hills, mountains, and large human-made structures. Some attenuation
occurs when microwave energy passes through trees and frame houses. Radio-frequency (RF) energy at
longer wavelengths is affected to a lesser degree by such obstacles.

The microwave band is well suited for wireless transmission of signals having large bandwidth. This
portion of the RF electromagnetic radiation spectrum encompasses many thousands of megahertz.
Compare this with the so-called shortwave band that extends from 3 MHz to 30 MHz, and whose total
available bandwidth is only 27 MHz. In communications, a large allowable bandwidth translates into high
data speed. The short wavelengths allow the use of dish antennas having manageable diameters. These
antennas produce high power gain in transmitting applications, and have excellent sensitivity and
directional characteristics for reception of signals.

History: The existence of electromagnetic waves was predicted by James Clerk Maxwell in 1864 from
his equations. In 1888, Heinrich Hertz was the first to demonstrate the existence of electromagnetic
waves by building an apparatus that produced and detected microwaves in the UHF region. The design
necessarily used horse-and-buggy materials, including a horse trough, a wrought iron point spark, Leyden
jars, and a length of zinc gutter whose parabolic cross-section worked as a reflection antenna. In 1894 J.
C. Bose publicly demonstrated radio control of a bell using millimeter wavelengths, and conducted
research into the propagation of microwaves.

The first, documented, formal use of the term microwave occurred in 1931. Perhaps the first use of the
word microwave in an astronomical context occurred in 1946 in an article "Microwave Radiation from the
Sun and Moon" by Robert Dicke and Robert Beringer. This same article also made a showing in the New
York Times issued in 1951.

Properties:

 Suitable over line-of-sight transmission links without obstacles

 Provides good bandwidth
 Affected by rain, vapor, dust, snow, cloud, mist and fog, heavy moisture, depending on chosen
frequency (see rain fade)
 Have limited penetration capabilities
 Sensitive to high pollen count
 Signals can be degraded during Solar proton events

Why use microwaves?

Communication using electromagnetic radiation (except for light) began
early in this century, and most early practical systems used very long wavelengths (low frequencies)
which traveled great distances. Eventually, electronics were developed, including the vacuum tube (or
"valve") which allowed controlled frequencies and modulation. This led to the use of higher frequencies,
many channels, and commercial and industrial radio. During the 1930's and 1940's various experimenters
discovered that higher frequencies could bring other advantages to communications. Some of these
experimenters were government agencies and the military - some were universities, and some were
private individuals.
Among these discoveries were that microwaves are easier to control (than longer wavelengths) because
small antennas could direct the waves very well. One advantage of such control is that the energy could
be easily confined to a tight beam (expressed as narrow beamwidth). This beam could be focused on
another antenna dozens of miles away, making it very difficult for someone to intercept the conversation.
Another characteristic is that because of their high frequency, greater amounts of information could be put
on them (expressed as increased modulation bandwidth). Both of these advantages (narow beamwidth
and modulation bandwidth) make microwaves very useful for RADAR as well as communications.

Eventually, these qualities led to the use of microwaves by the telephone companies. They placed towers
every 30 to 60 miles each with antennas, receivers and transmitters. These would relay hundreds or even
thousands of voice conversations across the country. The ability to modulate with a wide bandwidth
permitted so many conversations on just one signal, and the reduction in beamwidth made this
reasonably secure. In the 1950s experiments were conducted that showed the potential to connect the
two coasts of the US via these microwave circuits to produce television programming on a continental
basis, and true television networks were born.

Amateur radio interests in microwaves have mostly been for the challenge of working with such esoteric
frequencies that require specialized techniques in design, fabrication and testing. Furthermore, in order to
reach beyond LOS (line-of-sight) amateurs have spent countless hours carefully measuring propagation
phenomena. Amateurs have carried on conversations using 10GHz well over 1,000 miles, and have
bounced signals at that frequency off the moon. For more information about amateur radio uses of
microwaves set your browser to www.wa1mba.org, contact a local VHF/Microwave Amateur radio club, or
contact the ARRL.

Applications:

1. In communication:

Microwave radio signals are electromagnetic waves with high frequencies (between 500 MHz to 300
GHz) and short wavelengths. According to "Electronic Communications System: Fundamentals Through
Advanced, 5/e," approximately 35 percent of all terrestrial communication is maintained by microwave
radio relay systems. There are various types of microwave radio communication systems, operating
anywhere between 15 miles to 4,000 miles, including feeder service or intrastate microwave systems and
long-haul microwave systems.

Advantages:

a) Able to Transmit Large Quantities of Data:

According to "Microwave Communication," microwave radio systems have the capacity to broadcast great
quantities of information because of their higher frequencies. They use repeaters (a device that receives
the transmitting signal through one antenna, converts it into an electrical signal and retransmits it) to
transmit large volumes of data over great distances. Microwave radio communication systems propagate
signals through the earth's atmosphere. These signals are sent between transmitters and receivers that
lie on top of towers. This allows microwave radio systems to transmit thousands of data channels
between two points without relying on a physical transmitting medium (optical fibers or metallic cables).

b) Relatively Low Costs:

Microwave communication systems have relatively low construction costs compared with other forms of
data transmission, such as wire-line technologies. A microwave communication system does not require
physical cables or expensive attenuation equipment (devices that maintain signal strength during
transmission). Mountains, hills and rooftops provide inexpensive and accessible bases for microwave
transmission towers.

Disadvantages:

a) Line of Sight Technology:

Microwave radio systems are a line of sight technology, meaning the signals will not pass through objects
(e.g., mountains, buildings and airplanes). This drawback limits microwave communication systems to line
of sight operating distances. Signals flow between one fixed point to another, provided no solid obstacle
disrupts the flow.

b) Subject to Electromagnetic and Other Interference:

According to "Rural America at the Crossroads: Networking for the Future," microwave radio signals are
affected by electromagnetic interference (EMI). EMI is any disturbance that degrades, obstructs or
interrupts the performance of microwave signals. Microwave signal disruption EMI is caused by electric
motors, electric power transmission lines, wind turbines, television/radio stations and cell phone
transmission towers. Wind turbines, for instance, scatter and diffract TV, radio and microwave signals
when placed between signal transmitters and receivers. Microwave radio communication is also affected
by heavy moisture, snow, vapor, rain and fog due to rain fade (the absorption of microwave signals by ice,
snow or rain, causing signal degradation and distortion).

2. In RADAR’s :

RADAR stands for "Radio Detection And Ranging". By virtue of sending out pulses of microwave
electromagnetic radiation this type of instrument can be classified as an "active sensor" - it measures the
time between pulses and their reflected components to determine distance. Different pulse intervals,
different wavelengths, different geometry and polarizations can be combined to roughness characteristics
of the earth surface. Radar wavelengths range between less than 1 millimeter to 1 meter.

Radar was originally developed in the 1950s, the first airborne system was called SLAR (Side-Looking
Airborne Radar) and was used for improving the resolution for military reconnaissance, early airborne
radar systems were limited by the physical size of the antenna however. Later, SAR (Synthetic Aperture
Radar), was developed and are widely used in many countries for civilian applications.

Radar uses relative long wavelengths which allow these systems to "see" through clouds, smoke, and
some vegetation. Also, being an active system, it can be operated day or night. There are disadvantages,
such as the non-unique spectral properties of the returned radar signal. Unlike infrared data that help us
to identify different minerals or vegetation types from reflected sunlight, radar only shows the difference in
the surface roughness and geometry and moisture content of the ground (the complex dielectric
constant). Radar and infrared sensors are complimentary instruments and are often used together to
study the same types of earth surfaces.

NOTE:Did you know that if you had a sensitive microwave telescope in your house
that you would detect a faint signal leaking out of your microwave oven, and from
various other man-made sources, but also a faint signal coming from all directions
that you pointed it? This is the Cosmic Microwave Background!

3. In microwave ovens: Microwave ovens use microwave energy to heat or cook food in a
fraction of the time needed to cook with conventional ovens. Unlike conventional ovens, a
microwave oven heats food without applying external heat.   

A magnetron tube is used to produce short electromagnetic waves known as microwaves, or R. F.

energy. Microwave energy is directed into the cooking chamber where the food is placed to be heated.  

The microwaves readily pass through many materials, such as glass, most plastics, paper and china, with
little or no effect. Generally, these materials make excellent utensils for cooking in a microwave oven.  

Some other materials, such as metal and foil, tend to reflect microwave energy. Except for certain
recommended procedures that involve the use of metal or foil as outlined in the use and care manual, use
of metal utensils in microwave ovens should be avoided. Why? For the following reasons:  

 Metal utensils do not allow complete penetration of the food by the microwaves, so cooking
efficiency is greatly reduced. 
 If the cooking load is not large enough to absorb the microwave energy, the oven could be
damaged by an arc between the metal utensils and the cavity interior or door assembly.
 The life of the magnetron tube can be shortened by extended periods of back-feeding R. F.
energy, which raises the magnetron tube's filament temperature.

Because metal reflects microwave energy, the metal walls of the cooking cavity are not affected by
microwaves and do not get hot.
Materials with high moisture content, like most foods, absorb microwave energy. As the electromagnetic
waves at a frequency of 2450 million cycles per second enter the food, the molecules tend to align
themselves with the cycling energy (animated illustration). Since the microwaves are changing polarity
with every half cycle, the food molecules follow these alternations and thus move rapidly back and forth.
In effect, the food molecules are changing direction every half cycle, so they are oscillating back and forth
4,900,000,000 times each second. This high-speed oscillation causes friction between the molecules,
thereby converting the microwave energy to heat. 

Microwave Facts and Safety Information :

Microwaves are a form of radiant energy. Other common forms are radio waves, visible light, infrared heat
and electricity. All forms of radiant energy are a part of the electromagnetic spectrum. To distinguish
between the forms, they are classified according to the wave length which may vary from miles to
thousandths of an inch.   

Microwaves are located in the non-ionizing portion of the energy spectrum between radio waves and
visible light. The first application of microwaves was in radar during world war II (See History of the
Microwave Oven). Today microwaves are widely used in communication systems, radar and many other
commercial and industrial applications. 

Significantly large segments of the population are exposed to infrared rays, visible light waves and
microwaves every day. One characteristic of microwaves is their ability to bounce or deflect off metal
surfaces, a characteristic basic to its use in radar. Another is its thermal or heating effect utilized in
microwave cooking. 
The difference between microwave energy and other forms of ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, Alpha,
Beta and Gamma rays, is that microwave energy is non-ionizing. In other words, it does not alter the
molecular structure of the item being heated. The effects of microwave energy are strictly thermal and do
not cause cellular change as with ionizing radiation. 

Future Scope:

Discussing general trends in the RF/microwave design industry is tricky business for a couple of reasons.
For one, the number of unique technologies that fall under the umbrella of RF/microwave is vast,
incorporating everything from tiny discrete components to large integrated systems. In addition, the scope
of application areas for RF/microwave products is nearly as broad as the number of technologies
themselves, with a reach that grows wider with each passing year. As a result, meaningful trend
identification becomes almost impossible because an important factor in one sector may be completely
irrelevant to another.

New Thermal Management Considerations For Circuit Boards

In RF and microwave applications, power amplifiers and high-power transmitter networks are major
applications that demand high reliability while also pushing power density and operating temperature
limits. As such, these technologies place high demand on heat rejection to ensure material life and/or
component reliability. This is particularly true where passive cooling is desired from a reliability,
maintenance, and size perspective. Engineering focus for these higher-power designs where temperature
extremes are normal and heat rejection is a primary consideration .require advancements and innovation
in materials. New materials must exhibit: low coefficient of thermal expansion (lower CTE offers more
reliable component attachment), low loss (loss creates additional heat), and high thermal conductivity to
improve heat dissipation. As RF materials are typically fairly strong thermal insulators, finding the optimal
balance of material properties is critical for device reliability, cost, and performance.