1.2 Frequency Bands
For better orientation, the electromagnetic spectrum is divided into a number of frequency bands. Various naming conventions have been established in different parts of the world, which often are used in parallel. Table 1.2 shows a customary classification of the frequency range from 3 Hz to 300 GHz into eight frequency decades according to the recommendation of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) [4].
Frequency range | Denomination |
3 … 30 kHz | VLF - Very Low Frequency |
30 … 300 kHz | LF - Low Frequency |
300 kHz … 3 MHz | MF - Medium Frequency |
3 … 30 MHz | HF - High Frequency |
30 … 300 MHz | VHF - Very High Frequency |
300 MHz … 3 GHz | UHF - Ultra High Frequency |
3 … 30 GHz | SHF - Super High Frequency |
30 … 300 GHz | EHF - Extremely High Frequency |
Figure 1.2a shows a commonly used designation of different frequency bands according to IEEE-standards [5]. The unsystematic use of characters and band ranges, which has developed over the years, can be regarded as a clear disadvantage. A more recent naming convention according to NATO is shown by Figure 1.2b [6, 7]. Here, the mapping of characters to frequency bands is much more systematic. However, the band names are not common in practical application yet.
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