Gigahertz, generally abbreviated GHz, refers to frequencies in the billions of cycles per second range. Giga is the standard multiplier for 1 billion, and Hertz is the standard unit for measuring frequencies, expressed as cycles or occurrences per second.
GHz is commonly used when discussing computer performance or radio
frequencies. In computers, GHz most often refers to the clock speed of
the central processing unit, or CPU; the faster the CPU clock can tick,
the faster, in general, the computer can process data and instructions.
In 2000, Intel and Advanced Micro Devices achieved a marketing and
technical milestone by releasing the first CPUs to run at 1 GHz. Speeds
have subsequently reached 4 GHz.
In radio communications, GHz is used to define bands of the
electromagnetic spectrum. Different bands will be assigned different
uses. S-Band, for example, is a band of spectrum between 2 and 4 GHz.
Common technologies such as Bluetooth, wireless internet (WiFi) and
cordless telephones operate in the S-Band. L-Band, between 1 and 2 GHz,
is used for satellite communications and Global Positioning Systems, or
GPS. Other notable bands in the GHz range include Ku and Ka, used by
satellites as well as by police radar guns.
Devices transmitting at or near the same GHz can interfere with each
other. This is caused by the wave-like nature of radio waves; peaks in
one wave can be offset by lows in the other wave, thereby nullifying
both waves. The closer in frequency the two signals, the more
pronounced the effect. Microwave ovens, for example, can interfere with
Internet connections because they emit radiation at the same frequency
as that used by WiFi routers. Similarly, Bluetooth and WiFi compete for
the same frequencies, and using them concurrently can affect
throughput. The use of GHz frequencies for communications was made possible by
advances in semiconductor technologies. Prior to the widespread use of
transistors and high-speed electronics, it was not practical to
generate such high frequencies.
Conference Calls
Cheap long distance calls Wifi
Network High Speed Internet
Integra 9500 - integra 9500 from the barcode specialists at barcode america.
Top
|
