COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING PART 7

MICROWAVES
1.

Indicate which of the following frequencies

cannot be used for reliable beyond-the-horizon
terrestrial communications without repeaters:
a.
b.
c.
d.

2.

a.
b.
c.
d.
8.

20 kHz
15 MHz
900 MHz
12 GHz

a.
b.
c.
d.

A more directional antenna

A broadband antenna
Frequency diversity
Space diversity

________ consists basically of a thin film strip in

intimate contact with one side of a flat dielectric
substrate, with a similar thin-film ground plane
conductor on the other side of the substrate.
a.
b.
c.
d.

A ship-to-ship communications system is plagued

by fading. The best solution seems to be the use
of
9.

A range of microwave frequencies more easily

passed by the atmosphere than are the others is
called a
a.
b.
c.
d.

4.

Frequencies in the UHF range propagate by

means of
a.
b.
c.
d.

5.

6.

Ground waves
Sky waves
Surface waves
Space waves

Tropospheric scatter is used with frequencies in

the following range:
a. HF
b. VHF
c. UHF
d. VLF
When microwave signals follow the curvature of
the earth, this is known as
a.
b.
c.
d.

7.

Window
Critical frequency
Gyro frequency range
Resonance in the atmosphere

The Faraday effect

Ducting
Tropospheric scatter
Ionospheric reflection

Helical antennas are often used for satellite

tracking at VHF because of

strip line
lecher wire
microstrip
stub

Waveguide is a
a.
b.

3.

Troposcatter
Superrefraction
Ionospheric refraction
The Faraday effect

c.
d.

device used to determine the

wavelength of a signal
hollow metal tube used for transmission
of microwave energy
plastic tubular transmission line for high
RF network
braided wire used for transmission of HF

10. Transmission
lines
which
can
convey
electromagnetic waves only in higher order
modes are usually called
a.
b.
c.
d.

coaxial cable
twisted pair
power lines
waveguides

11. In order to reduce cross-sectional dimensions, the

waveguide to use is
a.
b.
c.
d.

circular
ridge
rectangular
elliptical

12. A signal propagated in a waveguide has afull

wave of electric intensity change between the
two farther walls, and no component of the
electric field in the direction of propagation. The
mode is
a.
b.
c.
d.

TE1,1
TE1,0
TM2,2
TE2,0

13. When a particular mode is excited in a

waveguide, there appears an extra electric
component, in the direction of propagation. The
resulting mode is
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Transverse electric
transverse magnetic
longitudinal
transverse electromagnetic
none of these

14. The wavelength of a wave in a waveguide

a.
b.
c.
d.

is greater than in free space

depends on waveguide dimensions and
free space wavelength
is inversely proportional to the phase
velocity
is directly proportional to the group
velocity

15. When electromagnetic waves are propagated in

a waveguide, they
a.
b.
c.
d.

travel along the broader walls of the

guide
are reflected from walls but not travel
along them
travel through the dielectric without
touching the walls
travel along the 4 walls of the
waveguide

16. When microwave signals follow the curvature of

the earth, this is known as
a.
b.
c.
d.

Faraday Effect
Ducting
Tropospheric Scatter
Ionospheric Reflection

17. A waveguide mode in which there is no

component of electric field in the direction of
propagation given in the British European
standards.
a.
b.
c.
d.

H-mode
E-mode
TE mode
M-mode

18. The extra strength needed in order to assure that

enough signal reaches the receiving antenna
and must be made available to compensate for

fades; computed as the difference between the

received signal strength and the threshold level
a.
b.
c.
d.

Fade Margin
Threshold Level
Noise Figure
RSL

19. The use of redundant system to reduce the

effects of multipath fading is
a.
b.
c.
d.

combining
modulation
multiplexing
diversity

20. A profile graph of the microwave energy path

a.
b.
c.
d.

shows the cross section of the earths

surface
determines LOS or site technical
feasibility
determines the actual clearance,
antenna heights and system reliability
all of the preceding

______ % of the first fresnel radius clears a path

obstruction in microwave systems.
a.
b.
c.
d.

25. __________ are concentric circular zones about a

direct path of a microwave signal called
Huygens radiation center, forming an imaginary
solid called an ellipsoid _______.
a.
b.
c.
d.

d.

terrain obstructions and reflection points

site security and navigational hazards
availability of power, water source and
accessible roads
all of the above

22. A microwave path over which radio waves barely

touches the obstruction is called
a.
b.
c.
d.

Line of Sight
Obstructed Path
Grazing Path
Crooked Path

23. What is the function of regenerative repeater?

a.
b.
c.
d.

to eliminate bias distortion

to help in the loading of the telegraph
lines
to reduce required signal levels
to reshape the pulses after they have
become distorted

24. A situation when there is no net change in

attenuation or no gain, no loss occurs when

temperature zone
skip zone
fresnel zone
fraunhoffer zone

26. Waveguides are used mainly for microwave

transmission because
a.
b.
c.
d.

21. In locating microwave relay stations, the systems

designer must consider
a.
b.
c.

45%
60%
75%
85%

they
depend
on
straight
line
propagation
losses are heavy at lower frequencies
they are bulky at lower frequencies
no generator is powerful enough to
excite them

27. A waveguide assembly that lets the radar

transmitter and receiver share an antenna is
called
a.
b.
c.
d.

translator
diplexer
flip-flop
duplexer

28. ____________ is a graph wherein the terrain in

which the microwave beam should traverse.
a.
b.
c.
d.

topograph
radio path profile
fresnel graph
net path graph

29. The fresnel zone is the circular zone about the

______ path.
a.
b.
c.
d.

reflected
direct
LOS
Refracted

30. The radius in the circular zone is in the first fresnel

zone when the reflected path is ________ longer
than the direct path.
a.
b.
c.
d.

/2

/4
/8

31. At ______ of the first fresnel zone is a condition

where there is no gain and no loss.
a.
b.
c.
d.

0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8

32. The weakest signal the receiver could accept to

be considered satisfactory.
a.
b.
c.
d.

threshold
fade margin
RSL
NPL

33. The frequency band from 8 to 12 GHz is known as

the ______ band.
a.
b.
c.
d.

C
Ku
X
Ka

34. The difference between the Received Signal

Level and the FM Improvement Threshold
a.
b.
c.
d.

System Gain
Noise Threshold
Fade Margin
Reliability

35. A Fade Margin of 28 dB has a reliability of

a.
b.
c.
d.

99%
99.9%
99.99%
99.999%

36. Topographical maps are maps used for

microwave communications systems design
because ________ are shown, thereby elevations
are known.
a. latitudes
b. longitudes
c. contour lines

d.

scales

37. The dominant mode in a rectangular waveguide.

a.
b.
c.
d.

TEM
TE 1,1
TE 1,0
TM 1,1

38. The velocity of a resultant wave as it travels

through the waveguide.
a.
b.
c.
d.

speed of light
group velocity
phase velocity
incident velocity

39. The principal mode for a circular waveguide.

a.
b.
c.
d.

TE 1,0
TM 2,0
TE 1,1
TEM

40. A type of waveguide that reduces the cutoff

wavelength, increases bandwidth and allows for
a variation of the characteristic impedance.
a.
b.
c.
d.

ridge
rectangular
tee
twisted

41. The subscript which indicates the number of /2s

along the waveguide height.
a.
b.
c.
d.

m
n
a
b

42. The international equivalent of the TE mode

a.
b.
c.
d.

H
E
Z
TEM

43. The smallest free space wavelength that is just

unable to propagate in the waveguide under
given conditions.
a. guide
b. phase
c. cut-off
d. group

44. The characteristic wave impedance of a

waveguide in the TE mode is _________ that of the
TM mode.
a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

equal to
higher than
lower than
NOTA

45. The
following are
waveguides except

methods

of

exciting

slot coupling
antennas
flanges
direct coupling

low
high
indeterminate
fixed

a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

ruby maser
LASER
quantum mechanics
GaAs maser

54. Paramagnetic means _________ magnetic

a. elliptical
b. flexible
c. coaxial
d. ridged
48. A piston attenuator is a

a.
b.
c.
d.

almost
fully
slightly
electro

55. Tuning the ruby maser is done by adjusting the

_________ to alter the energy level of the ferrous
chromium.
a.
b.
c.
d.

vane attenuator
waveguide below cut-off
mode filter
flap attenuator

49. Which of the following waveguide

components is not easily adjustable?

helium
neon
argon
ruby

53. Also known as the optical maser

47. Indicate which of the following cannot be

followed by the word waveguide.

a.
b.
c.
d.

directional coupler
magic tee
circulator
re-entrant cavity

52. The following are gases used for LASERs except

a.
b.
c.
d.

46. Higher order mode-waveguides are not used in

practice because they have _______ cut-off
frequencies.
a.
b.
c.
d.

51. What microwave component can sample part of

the power traveling through the waveguide?

tuning

screw
stub
iris
plunger

50. Which of the following is not a waveguide

termination component?
a. tapered pyramid
b. post
c. tapered resistance card
d. stepped resistance card

electric field
magnetic field
pumping of electrons
electromagnetic field

56. To overcome the very narrow bandwidth in ruby

maser, ________ is used.
a.
b.
c.
d.

Magnetron
TWT
IMPATT diode
Gunn diode

57. The following are applications of masers except

a.
b.
c.
d.

radioastronomy
radiotelescope
radar
ET communications

58. A parametric amplifier is a device which amplifies

signal by varying the
a.
b.
c.
d.

resistance
reactance
magnetic field
electric field

59. The following are parts of the parametric amplifier

except
a.
b.
c.
d.

idling circuit
pump circuit
tuned circuit
filter circuit

60. The number of cavities in a magnetron used in

practice.
a.
b.
c.
d.

4
6
8
10

61. Changing the anode voltage to change the

velocity of the electrons in a magnetron tube
a.
b.
c.
d.

frequency pushing
frequency pulling
strapping
pumping

62. The lowest frequency that will propagate through

the waveguide while operating in a particular
mode.
a.
b.
c.
d.

critical frequency
cut-off frequency
MUF
UHF

63. The mode of a waveguide where there is no

component of magnetic field in the direction of
propagation.
a.
b.
c.
d.

TE
TM
H
TEM

64. The following are slow wave structures used to

retard the RF field in a TWT except
a. helix
b. attenuator
c. waveguide coupled cavity

d.

NOTA

65. A rectangular waveguide is 5.1 cm by 2.4 cm. The

cut-off frequency for the dominant mode is
a.
b.
c.
d.
66.

2.94 GHz
6.25 GHz
664 MHz
57.7 GHz

Calculate the cut-off wavelength, the guide

wavelength and the characteristic impedance of
a circular waveguide whose internal diameter is 4
cm for a 10 GHz signal propagated in it in the
dominant mode. (kr = 1.84)
a.
b.
c.
d.

6.83 cm, 3 cm, 420

3 cm, 6.83 cm, 420
6.83 cm, 3.34 cm, 420
6.83 cm, 3.34 cm, 338

67. A wave is propagated in a parallel plane

waveguide. The frequency is 6 GHz and the plane
separation is 3 cm. The cut-off wavelength for the
dominant mode, the group and phase velocities
are
a.
b.
c.
d.

5 cm, 166 Mm/sec, 543 Mm/sec

6 cm, 166 Mm/sec, 543 Mm/sec
6 cm, 543 Mm/sec, 166 Mm/sec
5 cm, 543 Mm/sec, 166 Mm/sec

68. If the MTBF of a communication circuit is 20,000

hours and its MTTR is 5 hours, what is its
unavailability?
a.
b.
c.
d.

0.00025
99.975%
0.25 %
00.975%

69. What would be the ERP, in watts if the transmitter

output is 30 dBm and the transmission line loss is 20
dB and the antenna connected to it has a power
gain of 60 dB?
a.
b.
c.
d.

10,000 watts
1000 watts
100 watts
10 watts

70. Also referred to as the Transferred Electron Device

a.
b.

magnetron
TWT

c.
d.

Gunn diode
APD

71. Also known as the Esaki diode

a.
b.
c.
d.

gunn
tunnel
APD
TWT

72. The following are negative resistance amplifiers

except
a.
b.
c.
d.

tunnel
gunn
IMPATT
PIN diode

73. Regarded as the oldest semiconductor device

a.
b.
c.
d.

Shottky Barrier diode

PIN diode
point contact diode
triode

74. Also called the hot electron diode

a.
b.
c.
d.

PIN diode
ESBAR
APD
Gunn diode

75. Also called tunnel rectifiers

a.
b.
c.
d.

backward diode
schottky barrier diode
APD
PIN diode

76. Varactors are variable ________ diode.

a.
b.
c.
d.

reactance
capacitance
inductance
resistance

77. Diodes designed to store energy in their

capacitance during forward bias and generates
harmonics in the reverse bias.
a.
b.
c.
d.

step recovery
gunn
APD
IMPATT

78. A cross between the TWT and the magnetron in its

operation
a.
b.
c.
d.

CFA
BWO
EIA
Twystron

buncher cavity
catcher cavity
cathode
attenuator

a.
b.
c.
d.

GaAs FET
Si BJT
MIC
NOTA

Dual GaAs FET

Si BJT
MIC
Schottky Barrier Gate

CFA
BWO
EIA
Twystron

a.
b.
c.
d.

TWT
Twystron
EIA
gyrotron

85. SAW propagate in

microstrip
elliptical waveguide
parallel wire line
stripline

rising sun magnetron

CFA
coaxial magnetron
TWT

90. One of the following is unlikely to be used as a

pulsed device

TWT and Magnetron

TWT and Klystron
TWT and Ubitron
TWT and gyrotron

84. A multicavity klystron

multigap cavities

a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

83. A Twystron is a hybrid combination of

a.
b.
c.
d.

does not require pumping

needs no resonator
is an oscillator
produces much lower powers

89. A BWO is based on the

82. It looks like a shorter, thicker TWT

a.
b.
c.
d.

infrared
narrow beam
polarized
single frequency

88. The transmission system using two ground planes

81. The most common microwave FET which is also

known as the MESFET
a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

87. The ruby laser differs from the ruby maser in that
the former

80. The very first microwave transistors

a.
b.
c.
d.

GaAs
InP
Stripline
quartz crystal

86. The output from a laser is monochromatic; this

means that it is

79. The following are parts of a multicavity klystron

except
a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

with

a.
b.
c.
d.

multicavity klystron
BWO
CFA
TWT

91. A microwave tube amplifier uses an axial

magnetic field and a radial electric field
interconnected
a. reflex klystron
b. coaxial magnetron
c. TW magnetron
d. CFA
92. The attenuator is used in the TWT to
a.
b.
c.

help bunching
prevent oscillation
prevent saturation

d.

increase gain

93. The glass tube of a TWT may be coated with

aquadag to
a.
b.
c.
d.

help focusing
provide attenuation
improve bunching
increase gain

94. The cavity magnetron uses strapping to

a.
b.
c.
d.

prevent mode jumping

prevent cathode back heating
ensure bunching
improve the phase focusing effect

95. Compared with equivalent transmission lines, 3GHz waveguides (indicate false statement)
a.
b.
c.
d.

are less lossy

can carry higher powers
are less bulky
have lower attenuation

96. Indicate the false statement. When the freespace wavelength of a signal equals the cutoff
wavelength of the guide
a.
b.
c.
d.

the group velocity of the signal

becomes zero
the phase velocity of the signal
becomes infinite
the characteristic impedance of the
guide becomes infinite
the wavelength within the waveguide
becomes infinite

97. A disadvantage of microstrip with respect to

stripline circuits is that the former
a.
b.
c.
d.

do not lend themselves to printed-circuit

techniques
are more likely to radiate
are bulkier
are more expensive and complex to
manufacture

98. In order to couple two generators to a

waveguide system without coupling them to
each other, one could not use a
a.
b.
c.

rat-race
E-plane T
Hybrid ring

d.

Magic T

99. A PIN diode is

a.
b.
c.
d.

a metal semiconductor point-contact

diode
a microwave mixer diode
often used as a microwave detector
suitable for use as a microwave switch

100. For handling high powers, the best transmission

medium is
a.
b.
c.
d.

stripline
microstrip
rectangular waveguide
coaxial line