Microwaves and RF November 2011 Magazine: Issue Contents

Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Superconductor Clues Are Found In Material's Destruction

Samus Davis works at Brookhaven National Laboratory on materials research. (Photo courtesy of Cornell University) In heavy fermion superconductors, much can be gained from understanding the magnetic mechanism that leads to ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Turned On GPS III Pathfinder Proves Program Is On Track

Shown is a peek into GPS construction in Valley Forge, PA. Hopes are high for the next generation of the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system, known as GPS III. It promises to improve position, navigation, and timing ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Antennas Give Radio Telescope Chance For "Early Science"

Upon completion in 2013, the ALMA observatory in Chile will become the world's largest radio telescope. WHEN IT IS COMPLETED IN 2013, scientists will use the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) astronomical ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

AlInN/GaN HFETs Farmed On Bulk GaN

TO FURTHER THE DEVELOPMENT of aluminum-indium-nitride/gallium-nitride (AlInN/GaN) -based HFETs on free-standing bulk GaN substrates, Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc. (SETi) has been awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Space-Based System Could Monitor Climate Change

By leveraging hosted payloads on the Iridium NEXT constellation, a proposed solution aims to further climate research. AT THE ROOT of Earth's climate change is the amount of radiant energy both entering and leaving the planet. ......More
Mar. 14, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Factoid

The Top 1 percent of mobile data subscribers generate over 20 percent of mobile data traffic down from 30 percent 1 year ago. According to a mobile-data-usage study conducted by Cisco, mobile data traffic has evened out over the ......More

Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

CMOS LNA Supports Many Receiver Standards

This linear, low-noise amplifier spans a range of 2.1 to 7.0 GHz with low noise and reasonable gain while consuming less than 8 mW power from a +0.8-VDC power supply....More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Digital VGAs Boost Base-Station Performance

A new generation of digitally controlled variable-gain amplifiers (VGAs) features low noise figures and a broad control range to lower cost and simplify the design of cellular base stations....More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Process MW Signals With High-Speed Logic

High-speed logic devices such as XOR gates and Type-D flip-flops can be used for a surprisingly broad range of circuit functions at microwave- and millimeter-wave frequencies....More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Three-Way Divider Channels WiMAX

This compact three-way power divider provides an unequal dividing ratio of 4:1:1, with broad bandwidth centered at around 4 GHz, for WiMAX and WLAN applications....More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

When Is A Square Wave Truly Square?

Function generators are typically used to produce high-frequency square waves, although the specifications used to describe output frequency performance are often misleading....More

Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Harvesting Energy From The Environment

A great deal of energy is freely available from a variety of sourcesincluding systems in motion and the sunprovided it can be effectively captured and efficiently stored for future use....More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Software Advances As Computers Improve

Engineers relied on the knowledge of fundamental electrical relationships, such as Ohms Law, until improvements in computers enabled practical modeling and circuit analysis by means of software....More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Late '90s Reflect Wireless Surge

Until the advent of cellular communications and other wireless technologies, the microwave industry was mostly defense-focused. Once wireless communications came on the scene, however, everything shifted. Given the large volumes projected by ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Graphene Gains Speed At IEDM

The 2011 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting is a good barometer of key emerging semiconductor technologies, with graphene showing particular promise for RF and microwave use....More
May 18, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Interview: Dr. Ian Dunn, Mercury Computer Systems

Dr. Ian Dunn, Vice President and General Manager of Mercury Computer Systems' Microwave and Digital Solutions Group, sheds insight into why the firm has added RF and microwave capabilities to a core capability and product line that is purely digital. He also reveals what this game-changer might do next....More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

CAE: Do Designers Trust Their Tools?

To keep customers satisfied, EDA vendors offer a combination of simulation techniques to ensure accuracy, robust modeling libraries, and compatibility with emerging standards....More
Dec. 16, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Standards Expand For Enhanced Performance

Wireless communications standards continue to evolve by expanding channel bandwidths and extending the use of advanced technology, including higher orders of modulation....More
Dec. 16, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Transistors Pick Up Speed With GaAs

A great deal of the early expansion of cellular communications and the increased data rates in telecommunications systems can be traced to the development of GaAs technology....More

Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Counterfeiting Could Happen To You

The threat of counterfeit parts hangs over the entire electronics industry. Yet this topic has not gotten too much attention in this industryeven though microwave and RF companies have discovered that counterfeit products were being created and ......More

Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

International Approval

My name is Antonio Fernndez, and I write from Almera, Spain. I'm an electronic engineer working in a desalinated water distribution network. I'm enthusiastic about RF and microwaves components and technology and, although at work I deal ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Sidebands Strike Again

Although you mention in response to Mr. Austen's comment ("Sideband Suspicion," September 2011) that creative thinking should not be abandoned, it seems to me our editors' value lies in discerning creative correctness and creative ......More
Feb. 16, 2012

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Microwaves and RF

Editor's Note

Thank you for clarifying this. While I did realize the differences with LXI and the other "true" modular formats, it didn't seem right not to mention LXI and LXI instruments, which offer a tremendous amount of flexibility to someone setting up an ATE ......More

Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Energy Harvester Targets RF-Powered Sensor Networks

In RF energy harvesting, network architectures employ a hub as both a radiating source and data collector. Because an RF harvester is implemented through a multi-stage rectifier, however, its sensitivity is largely dictated by the threshold ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Particle Swarm Optimization Shapes Antenna Arrays

Due to their very complicated coupling environment, the design of miniaturized phased-array antenna systems is very challenging. Among other issues, the results of steering the beam over its intended scan range come into play. The ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Dielectric Horns Give Roots To Terahertz Antenna

Thanks to growing interest in spectroscopy, imaging, and other applications, the terahertz (THz) band has been expanding. Designers find it challenging, however, to design antennas with good performance in terms of radiation efficiency ......More

Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Design And Test Merge

Since the spring, the industry has been waiting to see results of National Instruments' acquisition of AWR Corp. A hint of what the combined entities can offer is provided in a short application note from AWR titled, "Linking RF Design and ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Ease The Transition From WiMAX To LTE

The adoption of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology quickly eclipsed WiMAX's potential market hold. Yet WiMAX remained critical to the availability of wireless broadband service in many markets, ranging from emerging to developed countries and urban ......More

Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Programmable Pads Set Levels To 18 GHz

This line of programmable electromechanical attenuators offers models with various portions of frequency coverage from DC to 18 GHz, along with low insertion loss and VSWR....More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

RF/Microwave Amplifiers Head In Opposite Directions

Basic trends in high-frequency amplifiers include the pursuit of lower noise figures and higher output power, but with enhanced efficiencies to conserve power consumption....More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Multichip VGA Aids Cellular Applications

By using three different semiconductor processes, a three-chip design can be optimized for individual amplifier and attenuator functions to achieve outstanding overall VGA performance....More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Melding Measurements With Design Software 1

Advances in circuit and system design and measurement software tools are allowing RF/microwave design engineers to incorporate actual measured results into their design efforts....More
Nov. 8, 2011

article

Microwaves and RF

SMT 50-dB Coupler Directs 50 W To 1 GHz

This compact surface-mount directional coupler offers extremely flat 50-dB coupling from 20 to 1000 MHz and can handle 300 W average power with low main-line loss....More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Synthesizer ICs Integrate VCOs

This trio of high-performance integer-N frequency synthesizers features integrated voltage-controlled oscillators for frequency coverage from 2.24 to 5.79 GHz....More

Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

ADCs Capture Medical Signals

A trio of high-resolution octal analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) offers low-power operation for medical and ultrasound applications. Models HMCAD1102, HMCAD1101, and HMCAD1100 offer sampling rates from 20 to 80 MSamples/s. Both 12- and 14-b LVDS ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Microwave Connectors Fit Subminiature D Housings

A line of miniature microwave coaxial assemblies has been developed for a snug fit into small standard Size 20 contact cavities of subminiature D connectors, as well as Size 20 (and larger) contact cavities for standard MIL-DTL-38999 circular connectors. ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Coupler Directs Signals To 4 GHz

Suitable for reflectometry measurements, model 3022B is a high-power calibrated dual-directional 20-dB coupler that operates from 1 to 4 GHz with as much as 30-dB directivity. It exhibits insertion loss of less than 0.3 dB with VSWR of less than 1.15:1 ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

VCOs Tune From 8.4 To 11.8 GHz

Three additions to a line of voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) offer tuning frequencies through 11.8 GHz for a variety of microwave radio and communications applications. Models MAOC-009871, MAOC-009872, and MAOC-010334 cover frequency ranges of 9.2 ......More
Nov. 8, 2011

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Microwaves and RF

Crystal Oscillator Saves Board Space

Model VFXO250 is a compact, low-power crystal oscillator in a surface-mount package measuring just 2.5 x 2.0 mm. It is available with standard frequencies of 24, 26, and 40 MHz, and can be supplied with single output frequencies from 1 to 50 MHz. ......More

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