I
have purchased a few geocaching
Travel
Bugs and would like to get some of them planted outside the
U.S. Each one consists of a Travel Bug strung together with a dog
tag having RF Cafe stamped on it. If you are a Geocacher and would
volunteer to plant one of my tags, I will be glad to mail one to
you. One Travel Bug would like to go to each of the following regions,
so please contact me if you are interested...
NuWaves
Engineering, an international Radio Frequency (RF) and Embedded
Systems solutions provider, announced today that the company has
added E.G. Holmes &
Associates, Inc. as an authorized representative of its commercial
off-the-shelf (COTS) products and design services for the Southeast
region of the United States. With the signing, E.G. Holmes brings
NuWaves over 50 years of proven results to NuWaves’ expanding sales
representative network.
An
automated simulation-based design cycle has become a fundamental
part of the success of one of today's leading designers of travelling
wave tube (TWT) microwave amplifiers. TMD Technologies produces
a large range of TWTs, a core component of many radar and missile
seeker systems, electronic counter measure (ECM) and electronic
warfare (EW) systems. By using scripting tools built into Cobham
Technical Services'
Opera electromagnetic design software, the company has created
a custom tool that automatically builds a three-dimensional (3D)
model of a new TWT, simulates it and analyzes the results, all within
the space of around five minutes.
Pasternack
Enterprises expands their line of high and medium output
RF noise sources. This new line of noise sources is perfect
for applications requiring reliable frequency levels up to 18 GHz.
Pasternack Enterprises' coaxial RF noise sources are diode-based
microwave components that produce white noise for system performance
evaluation such as noise figure. This expanded line of RF noise
sources have operating frequencies ranging from 1-18 GHz and
have a maximum noise output between 15-35 dB ENR.
An
article with instructions relating to subjects like overthrow, balance,
friction, and cleaning could very well be about a country's revolutionary
struggles. In this case, it is an article about how to rejuvenate
a persnickety or inaccurate mechanical (aka
analog)
meter movement. W.R. Triplett, relative
(I assume) of meter manufacturer Ray
L. Triplett, is the author (Triplett is now
owned by Jewel Instruments). There are a lot of analog meters
around in labs, workshops, and garages. Unless they have been burnt
out, most probably still work like new. Occasionally, however, the
movements get sticky because of accumulations of dirt and dust,
bug filth, or even from corrosion. This article offers some great
tips for making them serviceable again. I have a Micronta
(Radio Shack) model 22-208 FET-VOM
that I bought back in the late 1970s. I put a new 9V battery in
it every 5 years or so and it keeps going like the Energizer bunny
(in fact it now uses an Energizer battery).
Analog meters are more useful than digital meters, IMHO, when...
Noisecom
has been a leading provider of RF & Microwave
noise generating equipment
used in commercial & military applications since 1985. We provide
noise diodes, calibrated noise sources, jitter sources, cryogenic
noise standards, and computer controlled instruments for either
Precision C/N, or broad band white Gaussian noise. Noise Com provides
off the shelf as well as custom designed noise testing solutions.
If
subjects pertaining to electronics - particularly vacuum tubes -
are like music to your ears, then this poem titled "What
Is It?," from the February 1943 edition of QST, should suit
you just fine. The rhyming words are supplied by author Frank Judd;
you just need to supply the harmony. Poems like this one were actually
quite common back in the day. In fact if you look through the list
of articles that I have posted from vintage QSTs, you will find
half a dozen or more.
Boonton
Electronics is a provider of RF & microwave test equipment including
Peak and Average power meters, Modulation & Audio Analyzers,
RF millivolt & Capacitance meters, and PIM Test Sets. Peak Power
meters have up to 70 MHz of video BW, and 40 GHz of carrier
BW. Modulation & Audio Analyzers provide analog measurements
required for radio sets. RF Millivoltmeters use an RF probe system
that automatically loads calibration coefficients for measurements
to 1.2 GHz.
everything RF
– everythingrf.com
has now added RF calculators to the website including RF Attenuation
Calculator, VSWR Calculator, Microstrip Calculator, Coax Calculator,
Wavelength Calculator, Cascaded Noise Figure and Gain Calculator,
Skin Depth Calculator, Inductive Reactance and Admittance Calculator.
The
TXM119
is a 1.7 – 2.5 GHz, 5 W (P1dB) PA module designed for
COFDM Video link applications and general purpose use. The unit
has 11 dB gain with 0.3 dB flatness across the band. Current
draw is 750 mA at 1 W COFDM output. High speed switching
and over / under / reverse voltage protection are standard, and
the units dimensions are 3.75 x 1.9 x 0.49 in.
A
decision was made by the United Kingdom in 1994 to produce 2-pound
(£2) coins for general circulation. Public input was sought
regarding a theme for the design of the reverse face (back) of the
coins; the obverse (front) would feature the standard bust of the
Queen. Four year later, the British Royal Mint issued its first
coin. The bi-color coins all have a nickel-brass (dark) inner component
and a cupro-nickel (light) outer component. Designs would tell the
story, through symbolic devices, of technological development from
the Iron Age to the Industrial Revolution and from the Computer
Age to the Internet. An edge inscription was included to identify
the object or event being commemorated. Designed by Robert Evans,
the third coin in the yearly series pays tribute to the contributions
of Guglielmo Marconi. Per the British Royal Mint's website: "100th
Anniversary of Marconi's 1st Wireless Transmission across the Atlantic.
Radio waves decorating centre and outer border while a spark of
electricity linking the zeros of the date represents the generation
of the signal designed by Robert Evans." The chosen design contains
a rendition of Guglielmo...
IEEE
sends out occasional e-mails with job hunting tips for technical
types. Here are a few from the most recent. I post only the useful
ones to save you time.
•
What Not to Say During an Interview
•
Wearing Two Hats: The New Path to Promotion
•
U.S. House Votes to Expand Visas for High-Tech Workers
RFMD's
new RFFM8xxx series provide complete integrated solutions in single
front end modules ( FEMs)
for WiFi systems. The ultra-small form factor and integrated matching
minimizes the layout area in the customer's application and greatly
reduces the number of external components. This simplifies the total
front end solution by reducing the bill of materials, system footprint,
and manufacturability cost.
Whether
you’re designing broadband defense systems, HF, VHF, and UHF radios,
or wireless systems that demand the lowest possible IMD, Anatech
has hundreds of standard power divider models to choose from. The two
models below are terrific examples of our design expertise at work
and many more are available at www.amcrf.com.
We can also design custom models up to 32 GHz with high power handling
ability and up to 32 ports.
Kete
Microwave Electronics specializes in designing and manufacturing
state of the art RF/Microwave passive components solutions including
isolators and circulators, RF resistors, terminations, attenuators,
multilayer chip ceramic capacitors, feed-through capacitors, directional
couplers, power dividers and combiners, 3dB Hybrid coupler etc.
Connectorized, surface mount, drop-in, and waveguide versions available.
It is no secret that 2012 has been a rather crappy year for the
IC markets. Nevertheless, according to research by the
IHS iSuppli folks, communications IC maker Qualcomm ranks #3
this year, up from #6 last year after a 27% increase in revenue.
1 |
Intel |
47.5 |
2 |
Samsung Electronics |
30.5 |
3 |
Qualcomm |
13.0 |
4 |
Texas Instruments |
12.0 |
5 |
Toshiba |
11.0 |
6 |
Renesas Electronics |
9.4 |
7 |
SK Hynix |
8.5 |
8 |
STMicroelectronics |
8.5 |
9 |
Broadcom |
7.8 |
10 |
Micron Technology |
7.0 |
"You
could put in this room, de Forest, all the radiotelephone apparatus
that the country will ever need." -- W.W. Dean, president of Dean
Phone Company, when de Forest pitched his audion tube.
Every
week while sitting in the studio where Melanie takes her cello and
piano lessons, I usually read technical and hobby magazines, but
lately I have been studying the ARRL General Class License Manual
in preparation for taking the written exam in a couple months. Last
week a lady saw the book title and remarked, "I didn't know
ham radio people were still around." Wow. It would be tempting
to blame her for being ignorant, or to blame the ARRL (American
Radio Relay League) for not adequately getting the word out, but
the reality is that the mass media does not consider Ham radio's
contribution to be significant enough to cover in news stories.
Amateur radio operators perform a mighty service in times of trouble,
but they do it so efficiently and effectively- without actively
seeking credit - that their efforts are lost in the noise. Ham radio
operators have been on the front lines of national and civil defense
since World War II and even a bit before...
RivieraWaves
announced IEEE Wi-Fi 11n certification of its new scalable Wi-Fi
802.11ac silicon IP. The IP is available in a broad range of configurations,
supports 802.11n and 802.11ac specifications, single or multiple
MIMO (Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output) streams, and up to four
transmit and receive antennas. In its simplest 1x1 configuration,
the IP is optimized for wireless sensors and many Internet of Things
(IoT) applications requiring low power consumption. For more complex
MIMO configurations, the IP can achieve optimized throughput close
to the maximum theoretical values, and is ideal for applications
such as smart phones, tablets, computers, digital TVs and set-top
boxes.
Reid
C., of Lawrence, Kansas, is the November 2012
book drawing
winner!. Reid chose Robotic
Navigation and Mapping with
Radar.
Graciously provided by
Artech
House
VCO
Fundamentals, by Mini-Circuits, Wednesday December 5, 11 AM ET.
Outline: VCO Overview Functional block concept, I/O relationships,
basic performance metrics, center frequency tuning, 'constant' types
of VCOs, resonant (LC, SAW based, crystal) multivibrator, ring oscillator,
Methods of tuning varactor drive strength (e.g. charging current
in multivibrator), phase adjust, second order performance metrics,
v-f linearity, supply/load sensitivity, phase noise, comparison
of VCOs.
Hittite
Microwave Corporation, a world class supplier of complete MMIC based
solutions for communication & military markets, has developed
the
HMC832LP6GE, a 3.3V Wideband Fractional-N PLL with Integrated
VCO that generates continuous fractional frequencies between 25
MHz and 3 GHz. The
HMC832LP6GE offers low power consumption of 560 mW while featuring
industry leading phase noise and spurious performance. It also includes
innovative programmable performance technology that allows designers
to further reduce current consumption if demands on the noise floor
can be relaxed.
PMI
Model No.
PE2-25-7G10G-5R0-20-SFF is a low-noise amplifier that operates
over the frequency range of 7.0 to 10.0 GHz. This model provides
gain of 22 dB minimum with a maximum noise figure of 5.0 dB.
The output power at 1dB gain compression is +20 dBm minimum
and the output OIP3 is +27 dBm minimum. This amplifier is supplied
in our standard PE2 housing that can be used with SMA connectors
or as surface mount.
All
the online magazines seem to now have columns where readers can
tell of their personal experiences relating to science and engineering.
Design News has "Designed
by Monkeys" for that purpose. Sometimes a bit of humor is injected,
other times you revel in the brilliance of someone's troubleshooting
skills, or roll you eyes at the gullibility of mankind. "RMS
Meter Saves Investor Big Bucks" is an example of the latter.
Vector
Telecom has fully instrumented microwave, millimeterwave, &
antenna laboratories and production facilities. Our professional
engineers have backgrounds from telecommunications, electronics,
space and aviation industries. Frequencies up to 50 GHz, at
globally competitive prices. Custom designs available.
RF
PCB Design, AWR, Tuesday, December 4, 11 AM ET.
Abstract: One of the most in-demand categories of consumer products
on the market are wireless telecommunication products. While many
factors contribute to the success of a great product, a well designed
RF PCB can provide a significant boost, as the RF PCB can improve
a product’s performance, stability and reliability. There is a strong
demand for RF professionals who possess the knowledge and experience
to design top-performing RF PCBs quickly and efficiently. This webinar
offers insightful knowledge on practical RF PCB design to improve
one’s competence level and meet this demand.
For
the sake of avid cruciverbalists, each week I create a new
crossword puzzle that has a theme related to engineering, mathematics,
chemistry, physics, and other technical words. You will never be
asked the name of a movie star unless he/she was involved in a technical
endeavor (e.g., Hedy Lamar).
RF
Cafe visitor Barry Carlin is looking for someone willing to sell
a licensed copy of Eagleware's Superstar 6.5B. Says Barry, "I have
a reasonably large archive of linear circuit simulations created
via Eagleware's Superstar Version 6.5B. Unfortunately I no
longer have access to the software. Do you know how I might
locate someone who might be looking to sell a copy of this software
along with the hardware key? My PC operates via Windows XP
in 32 bit mode, so I should not have any difficulty running Superstar."
If you can help, please contact Barry at
bcarlin@cinci.rr.com .
If
you live in western Europe or the U.S., there is a good reason you
probably feel like the future has moved on to other places. This
new interactive
Global MetroMonitor Map of World Economies by the
Brookings Institution indicates the economic health of 300 cites
based on how they are affected by the recession and their growth
rate over specified periods. Bluish indicates strong health and
reddish is in the loo. You don't need a larger version of the map
(but go ahead and click on it anyway)
to see which parts of the world are doing things right. Hint: It
isn't the U.S and Europe. Asia and Central America - the places
that make nearly everything we buy - are winning. While the winners
concentrate on strong national policies for their citizens, we funnel
the resources of society's producers to whiny and militant special
interest groups. Demonizing everything that Western society built
and worshiping everything else is the cause du jour. It's taught
in our schools and promoted by
wealthy
government bureaucrats who are deeply invested in foreign concerns.
If you like it this way, do nothing.
Cross
RF is a leading manufacture and supplier of
RF/Microwave Interconnect Solutions. Headquartered in Orange
County California, our components have been successfully proven
in a diverse range of applications including Telecommunications,
Automotive, Defense, and Test and Measurement industries. These
adapters include the In-Series K-K or 2.4mm-2.4mm and the Between-Series,
2.4mm-2.92mm-3.5mm adapters. Low VSWR, durable stainless steel composition,
and frequencies up to 50 GHz (2.4mm) or 40 GHz (2.92 mm/K
and 3.5 mm).
Storm Copper
Components
800-394-4804 | Decatur, TN
Fabricates custom
copper connectors for the wireless, telecommunications, power and
alternative energy industries. Serving engineers and OEM’s worldwide
for 20 years, Storm has consistently provided its customers with
the speed and efficiency of advanced computer-controlled fabrication
combined with expert craftsmanship and design execution.
Pinpoint Laser
Systems
800-757-5383 | Peabody, MA Manufacturer of precision
laser measuring and alignment products for industry. Broad line
of easy-to-use products that incorporate lasers, optics, electronics,
and solidly built mechanical features. Manufacturing customers in
many industries as diverse as semiconductor equipment to pet food,
use these products which deliver measuring resolution of 0.0001
inch and work over distances of 200 feet, for both routine and complex
measuring and alignment tasks.
Microwave
and Millimeter Wave Circuits and Systems: Emerging Design, Technologies
and Applications, A. Georgiadis, H. Rogier , L. Roselli, P.
Arcion. The book provides a wide spectrum of current trends in the
design of microwave and millimeter circuits and systems, and identifies
the state-of-the art challenges in microwave and millimeter wave
circuits systems design such as behavioral modeling of circuit components,
software radio and digitally enhanced front-ends, new and promising
technologies such as substrate-integrated-waveguide (SIW) and wearable
electronic systems, and emerging applications such as tracking of
moving targets using ultra-wideband radar, and new generation satellite
navigation systems. Each chapter treats a selected problem and challenge
within the field of Microwave and Millimeter wave circuits, and
contains case studies and examples where appropriate.
Innovative
Power Products designs and manufacturers high power 90° Couplers,
Broadband Directional Couplers, Combiners, Resistors and Terminations
for the RF and microwave industries. Connectorized, surface mount
formats are available. Call for custom requirements or volume production
information.
"Spark:
Upgrade Your Lights with Wi-Fi and Apps" That is the tag line
for a Kickstarter™
crowdfunded
project that seeks to commercialize a device that screws into a
standard light bulb socket and wirelessly controls a bulb
(up to 100 W) which is screwed
into it. Evidently the product is already designed and tested, so
all the development and marketing team needs now is enough cash
to do FCC certification (due to the switching
power supply, controller, and WiFi signal) and a production
launch. As of this writing there are 1,162 Backers, and $92,189
has already been pledged toward the $250,000 goal. They have 13
days left to reach the goal, or the entire effort has to begin all
over. Spark needs a WiFi router within about 200 feet, and will
only work with dimmable bulbs, which includes Edison's evil Earth-killing
incandescents, LEDs, and dimmable (but not
standard) CFLs. I did not see a target retail price. The
team has a very well-done presentation for their effort.
Anatech
Electronics today introduced the Model AS816N335 extremely high
Q notch filter designed for 800 MHz GSM applications that has
extremely sharp transition characteristics from the stopband to
the passbands, and extremely high rejection of -70 dB making.
It is an excellent choice for use in base station applications,
either indoors or outdoors. The Model AS816N335 has a notch center
frequency of 816.5 MHz, notch of 816 to 817 MHz, low-side
passband beginning at 809 MHz and high side passband beginning
at 821 MHz. Passband return loss is at least 18 dB.
AWR
announces the release of two new university success stories that
reveal how students use AWR software to design novel and award-winning
microwave/RF products. Norbert
Leder of the Vienna University of Technology led a team in the
design of a complex X-band transmission analyzer using Microwave
Office.
Cem Korkmaz, a student at Istanbul Technical University, used
Microwave Office for his graduation design project. His award winning
final Wi-Fi low noise amplifier (LNA) design performed better than
other commercially available designs with lower noise figure and
power consumption, to name a few key metrics.