Trusted Resource for the Working RF Engineer
Search MWRF
Home
Product Directory
Topics
Note Pad
MTT-S Video Coverage
Back Issues
RF Blogs
Military Electronics
Subscribe
News
Online News
Design Features
Web Seminars
PartFinder
Whitepapers
Microwave Legends
Newsletter
EuMW 2007
WebConnect
RF Design
RSS
RSS
Sponsored Links
 |
|
JUNE 2007 | |
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
• Get a FREE Subscription • Renew Subscription • Reprints/Licensing • Submit Article Ideas |
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
June 2007 - In This Issue [Cover Story] Single Chip Holds WiMAX Transceiver Broadband services, such as Internet access and streaming video, are coming to a wireless transceiver near you. Many wireless service providers are already offering forms of wireless broadband service through their existing cellular networks. Many are also considering WiMAX equipment as an effective way to augment their networks with broadband-wireless-access (BWA) capabilities. Of course, affordable WiMAX service requires low-cost WiMAX equipment, and the new model MAX2837 wireless... — Walter Lau [News] Innovations Lead To Multi-Pronged Homeland Defense Markets that are heavily funded often encourage the development of a breadth of products and technologies. Such is the case with today’s homeland-security market. The events of September 11, 2001 revealed just how vulnerable the United States was, and began the growth of a market based on using the latest technologies to preserve safety and freedom. From the lack of updated “sniffers” at airports to radio interoperability between different public-safety agencies, a lot of... — Nancy Friedrich [News] Meeting The Filtering Needs Of An Industry Filters remain one of the most difficult components to fabricate by means of standard semiconductor processes. For that reason, among others, the need for RF and microwave filters in commercial, industrial, and military-electronic systems remains steady if not strong, with filter designers constantly finding new ways to improve performance while cut costs and size. While it is fairly safe to say that there are probably more RF/microwave filter suppliers in the high-frequency... — Jack Browne [Design Features] Optimized Transceiver Aids Broadband Wireless Access Broadband-wireless-access (BWA) technology promises high-speed Internet connections by means of reliable wireless devices. But, in order to achieve cost-effective products in a competitive marketplace, the RF hardware in broadband-wireless-access products must be compact and reproducible. Fortunately, the authors have developed an RF/microwave module for broadband wireless access applications that provides excellent performance in a compact size. The module consists of an antenna... — Wei Hong , et al. [Design Features] Small Synthesizers Arm Practical EW Trainers Fast-switching frequency synthesizers are critical to many radar and electronic-warfare (EW) systems as well as in automatic-test-equipment (ATE) measurement systems where high throughput is important. But fast-switching microwave synthesizers are also widely used in radar simulators and EW training systems to emulate complex, multiple-signal threat environments. The requirements for these latter applications can be demanding, but the latest generation of compact, low-power,... — Dennis Gable [Design Features] Checking Capacity For MIMO Configurations Antenna elements arranged in a multiple-input-multiple-output configuration can impact the capacity of a wireless-communications system and combat multipath effects. But one of the keys to improved performance is finding the optimum MIMO layout for a given system scenario, and when it makes sense to stop adding antenna elements and simply optimizing the existing antennas. Last month, this two-part article introduced basic MIMO concepts; this conclusion explains how to calculate... — Kaj B. Jakobsen , et al. [Design Features] PLL Synthesizer Tunes DCS1800 Band Frequency synthesizers are critical components in modern mobile-communications systems, powering both transmitters and receivers. Typically, they are designed with a phase-locked-loop (PLL) approach.1 To demonstrate the effectiveness of this synthesizer architecture for one of the more challenging mobile wireless-communications formats, DCS1800, the authors designed and simulated a PLL frequency synthesizer for use in a DCS1800 base station. The base station operates in... — Samir Kameche [Product Technology] Portable Scopes Pack Deep Memories Portable oscilloscopes generally suggest instruments that are one step above a toolbox digital voltmeter. Typically, they are adequate for quick troubleshooting assignments but hardly the tool of choice for critical measurements. There is nothing typical about the new 5000 Series portable oscilloscopes from Agilent Technologies (www.agilent.com), however. The line includes two- and four-channel models with band-widths from... — Jack Browne [Product Technology] PCB Fabricator Aims At MM-Wave Markets Millimeter-wave frequencies were once considered the exotic realm of radio astronomers and military missile guidance systems. But recent frequency allocations by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other global regulatory agencies have opened opportunities for communications systems at 60 GHz, 80 GHz, and other millimeter-wave bands. Still, the question has always been: Can devices, components, and circuits be made repeatably and affordably for these... — Jack Browne [Editorial] The Odyssey Of Claire Wainwright Wainwright Instruments GmbH may not be a "household word" in the United States when it comes to microwave filters. Still, the company has grown steadily and achieved a sterling reputation as a quality house for RF filters. Sadly, the guiding force behind that company, Claire Wainwright, passed away this April at the age of 81. He leaves behind family, friends, and fellow engineers who he has touched in many ways during his lifetime. The odyssey of Claire Wainwright is a tale... — Jack Browne [Feedback] Demesne? In reference to Jack Browne's article on page 104 of the April 2007 issue of Microwaves & RF ("LDMOS RF IC Amplifiers Boost 100 W At 90 MHz"): You sent me to the dictionary. Who actually uses "demesne" in this day and age? Particularly odd in that Microwaves & RF is a technical journal and not a literary journal. Dan Griffin Avago Technologies Jack Browne responds: Hello, Dan. Thanks for reading. I was hoping... — Dan Griffin [Feedback] A Correction In the June issue of Penton's Military Electronics, there are two errors in the writeup on the MwT MMA022030B MMIC in the new product section ("MMIC Power Amplifier Spans2 To 20 GHz," New Products 1). The following are the corrections to the product release: "The MMIC amplifier delivers typically +28.5 dBm output at P-1dB compression from 2 to 6 GHz, typically +28 dBm output at P1dB compression from 8 to 16 GHz, and typically +29 dBm output power at P-2dB compression point... — Don Apte [The Front End] China’s Chip Market To Rise 20 Percent In 2007 EL SEGUNDO, CA—Despite uncertainties regarding the technology sector and the overall economy, China's semiconductor market growth is expected to accelerate in 2007, according to Byron Wu, director and principal analyst, China Research, for iSuppli Corp. Speaking at the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) Spring 2007 Committee Meeting in Shanghai recently, Wu predicted that semiconductor shipments in China would rise to $51.7 billion in 2007, up 20... — Compiled by John Curley [The Front End] Cellular Machine-To-Machine Module Vendors Face A Difficult Market SCOTTSDALE, AZ—Manufacturers of the cellular modules at the heart of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications are currently facing an extremely difficult market characterized by increasing commoditization and shrinking gross margins. A study of this market from ABI Research reports that nearly 18 million cellular modules shipped into M2M applications in 2006, including telematics, telemetry, and wireless local loop (WLL), and suggests that this number... — Compiled by John Curley [The Front End] ZIGBEE Sees Strong Growth For Energy-Management Solutions SAN RAMON, CA—The ZigBee® Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless solutions for use in energy, residential, commercial, and industry applications, announced that its members are joining forces and leveraging their global wireless and utility expertise to fight the predicted global energy crisis. With this commitment, the Alliance has increased membership and expanded its ability to deliver solutions that are helping consumers, businesses, and... — Compiled by John Curley [The Front End] Kudos COLUMBIA, MD—Rohde & Schwarz was named the Indirect Supplier of the Year 2007 by Rockwell Collins. The award was presented by chairman, president, and CEO Clay Jones during the Annual Supplier Conference. The Supplier of the Year Award is an acknowledgement of significant contributions made during the year by suppliers and is based upon quality, delivery, total cost of ownership, lead time, and customer service. PITTSBURGH, PA—Ansoft... — Compiled by John Curley [Financial News] Iridium Announces Q1 2007 Results Iridium Satellite LLC of Bethesda, MD announced that it had 183,000 subscribers worldwide as of March 31, 2007, a 23.6-percent increase over the company's 148,000 subscribers at the end of the first quarter of 2006. The company had first-quarter revenue of $52.7 million and EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) of $13.6 million. Iridium had revenue of $212.4 million and EBITDA of $53.8 million for the full-year 2006. Iridium chairman and... — Compiled by John Curley [Company News] Company News CONTRACTS TECOM Industries, Inc.—Announced that they have been selected by Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems, Electronic Warfare Systems, to develop and manufacture the mid-land high-band receive-and-transmit antennas for the ADM160B Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD) program. The MALD is a new effects-based approach to counter-air operations to neutralize enemy air defenses. MALD can replicate manned aircraft combat... — Compiled by John Curley [People] People Nujira has named BERNARD MORGAN to the position of CFO. Prior to joining Nujira, Morgan worked for seven years at Celoxica. Before Celoxica, Morgan was vice president of finance for Europe at LSI Logic. See Associated Figure SiGe Semiconductor—SOHAIL KHAN to president and CEO; formerly entrepreneur in residence and operating partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, responsible for evaluating communications deals and... — Compiled by John Curley [Educational Meetings] Educational Meetings SHORT COURSES R.A. Wood Associates Short Courses RF Power Amplifiers, Classes A-S: How the Circuits Operate, How to Design Them, and When to Use Each June 28-29 (Boston, MA) September 17-18 (Syracuse, NY) November 12-13 (Philadelphia, PA) Introductory RF and Microwaves September 10-11 (Syracuse, NY) November 5-6 (Philadelphia, PA) RF and Microwave Receiver Design... — Compiled by John Curley [R&D Roundup] Microstrip Circulator Topology Boasts Rectangular Ferrite Region Typical junction circulators are composed of ferrite material—usually circular, hexagonal, or triangular in shape—surrounded by a uniform dielectric. Microstrip traces are then patterned on top with ports emanating at equal intervals in the azimuthal direction. This approach to circulator design poses problems for circuit layout. To solve these problems, Ryan S. Adams, Jeffrey L. Young, and Benton O'Neil from the University of Idaho (Moscow, ID) developed a microstrip... — Nancy Friedrich [R&D Roundup] MIMO System Achieves 108-Mb/s Data Rate Using 16-MHz Channel Higher data rates can be achieved by using wider RF bandwidths. Yet those bandwidths reduce the number of users that can simultaneously be connected to the network. A number of technologies have emerged to resolve this issue. Recently, a fully integrated 5-GHz, 2 X 2, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), wireless-local-area-network (WLAN) transceiver, RFintegrated-circuit (RF IC) was implemented in 90-nm CMOS. This RF IC was developed by Intel Corp.'s (Hillsboro, OR) Yorgos... — Nancy Friedrich [R&D Roundup] Fractal Electrodynamics Improves Kokh Antenna Bandwidth In fractal electrodynamics, fractal geometry is combined with electromagnetic theory in order to investigate a new class of radiation, propagation, and scattering problems. When fractals are applied to antenna elements, the result is smaller resonant antennas that are multiband/broadband. These antennas may even be optimized for gain. A wideband and compact fractal Kokh antenna has been created by Babak Mirzapour and Abbas Ali Lotfi Neyestanak from Shahed University and Islamic Azad... — Nancy Friedrich [Application Notes] Real-Time Spectrum Analyzers Handle Advanced Radar Measurements Today's advanced radars are notoriously hard to test. Simply put, the radar is beyond the scope of most standard measurement equipment. To simplify diagnostic troubleshooting and production test for radar applications, Tektronix, Inc. (Beaverton, OR) has expanded the measurement envelope in bandwidth, frequency, dynamic range, and display processing for one of its instruments. This achievement is detailed in the application note, "Advanced Radar Testing with the RSA6100A Series... — Nancy Friedrich [Application Notes] Software-Defined Radios Place Stringent Demands On Test Equipment Software-Defined Radios (SDRS) eliminate incompatibilities between the command and control radio systems of different armed-services branches. They also link the communications systems of allied and coalition forces, thereby helping these different forces operate as one cohesive unit. For test engineers, however, SDRs pose a number of challenges. To help these engineers, Anritsu Co. (Morgan Hill, CA) has released a six-page application note titled, "Understanding SDRs and Their RF... — Nancy Friedrich [Editor's Choice] 100-W GaN-On-Si Transistor Targets WiMAX The market for 2.5-GHz WiMAX solutions is growing rapidly, thereby inspiring a legion of new products. One example is a 28-V, 100-W gallium-nitride (GaN), high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT). The NPT25100 GaN-on-silicon (Si) power transistor is designed specifically for 2.3-to-2.7-GHz WiMAX applications. Typical performance is rated using a mobile WiMAX waveform, which is defined as a single-carrier, orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexing (OFDM) signal with 64-state quadrature... — Nancy Friedrich [Editor's Choice] 5-V InGaP/GaAs Amplifiers Satisfy Broadband RF And IF The quick evolution of next-generation communications is making system requirements increasingly complicated. The WJA broadband amplifier family was designed to exceed those requirements. The devices offer up to 20 dB of gain and output third-order intercepts to +43 dBm while consuming just 60 to 90 mA from a +5-V supply. The first WJA amplifiers to be introduced are the RF (WJA10xx) and IF (WJA15xx) amplifier series. The WJA series can be operated from a +5V supply. The amplifiers... — Nancy Friedrich [Editor's Choice] Economy Spectrum Analyzers Span 9 kHz To 20 GHz In the past, less-costly microwave spectrum analysis came at the price of some performance. Yet the MS271xB family of microwave spectrum analyzers vows to provide high performance at an affordable price. The three models feature 1-Hz-to-3-MHz resolution bandwidths (RBWs), amplitude accuracy better than ±1.3 dB, and low phase noise of –114 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset. In addition, they typically offer 100 dB of dynamic range. Among the analyzers' features are root-mean-square... — Nancy Friedrich [Editor's Choice] Double-Balanced Wideband Mixers Cover 0.7 To 10 GHz To satisfy GPS, telecommunication, radar, EW, and instrumentation applications, a family of wideband, double-balanced mixers has emerged. The monolithic-microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) cover the 0.7-to-10-GHz band. The CGY2180UH, CGY2181UH, and CGY2182UH use on-chip baluns to provide rejection of the local oscillator (LO) to the RF and IF paths of greater than 40 dB. Thanks to the passive-mixer structure, the MMICs flaunt a high dynamic range with an input 1-dB compression... — Nancy Friedrich |
|
Resources
Electronic Design