Cut Through the NOISE with Neil Jarvis | Trace Talks EP 9

In this episode of Trace Talks, Amit Bahl and Atar Mittal sit down with Neil Jarvis, Applications Engineer at Rohde & Schwarz, to explore the complex world of RF and microwave design, from phase noise and low-noise amplifiers to testing strategies and component behavior at high frequencies. We also dive into the real reasons why network analyzers cost what they do, how RF is used in drone applications, and what every engineer should know about MW-capable components. And don’t miss the “Off PCB” segment where our poster finally gave up while Neil was sharing his quirks outside the lab. EPISODE BREAKDOWN 00:00 - Introduction 02:41 - How to learn RF 07:20 - Phase noise 19:49 - Low-noise amplifiers 27:03 - RF/MW for drones 32:39 - Components at MW frequencies 39:09 - Why are network analyzers so expensive? 47:16 - TRUE OR FALSE 52:25 - OFF PCB