Gigahertz

The gigahertz (GHz) is a multiple of the hertz frequency measurement unit (Hz{displaystyle mathrm {Hz} }and equals 10⁹ 1 000 000 000) Hz. Therefore, it has a oscillation period of 1 nanosecond. The unit was proposed in 1930 by the Technical Committee for Electrical and Magnetic Amounts and Units of the International Electrotechnical Commission and introduced in 1935 as part of the Technical Unit System.

Radio waves with frequencies close to gigahertz are called microwaves. A 1 GHz microwave has a wavelength of 30 cm and a 3 GHz microwave has a wavelength of 10 cm. They are widely used in communications through a drum-like satellite dish. Microwave bands (in GHz) widely used are:

• GSM (0.8 and 1.8 GHz)
• GPS (1.3 GHz)
• Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5.0 GHz and below 1 GHz in Wifi Halow)
• Radar and microwave oven magnet (2.4 GHz)

Since the year 2000, GHz began to be used in computing to refer to the frequency at which a quartz crystal emits a clock signal that regulates a cycle of a synchronous integrated circuit, mainly in microprocessors (although not exclusively), replacing the megahertz as the unit in which the speed of a CPU is most frequently indicated.