Microwaves & RF articles from April 2009

Microwaves & RF archives from April 2009

White papers found here.(feed back)
April 1, 2009... In the January and February Application Notes, we spotlighted two white papers from Anatech that some people have had trouble locating on the company's web site (see "Filter Choices Help To Eliminate Interference," January 2009, p. 86 and...

Power dividers omitted.(feed back)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... In the March Focus section on Passive Components, specifically on power dividers/combiners, a number of key component suppliers were listed in the article by Technology Writer, Ashok Bindra, "Power Divders/Combiners Rise In Frequency, Shrink In...

Customer service extends to the web.(from the editor)
April 1, 2009... Microwave companies are part of a small, close-knit community. Relationships with customers are strong and many customers know about new products before they are formally announced. Many companies are so familiar with their customers'...

Bluetooth low energy could show explosive growth rate in RF remotes.(the front end)
April 1, 2009... OSLO, NORWAY -- According to an ABI Research study, the RF remote-control sector--predicted to grow at a 55 percent annual growth rate between now and 2014-is ripe for transformation as decades-old infrared technology (IR) is phased out by...

Nordic Semiconductor sponsors Bluetooth Innovation World Cup.(the front end)
April 1, 2009... OSLO, NORWAY -- Nordic Semiconductor is sponsoring the Bluetooth Innovation World Cup--a Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) competition targeting fitness, healthcare, and sports products. The competition will promote the rollout of...

Nokia pulls billions in business from contract manufacturers.(the front end)
April 1, 2009... EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Nokia has announced that it has stopped using outside contract manufacturers for the assembly of its phones. The company cited weak global demand for mobile devices as the reason that it will cease employing outsourced...

Kudos.(the front end)(International Manufacturing Services Inc.)(W.L. Gore & Associates Inc.)(Raytheon Co.)
April 1, 2009... PORTSMOUTH, RI -- Therma-Bridge from International Manufacturing Services, Inc. (IMS) has won EN-Genius Network's product of the year for the category of "Most Cost-Effective Cooling Technology." The Therma-Bridge is a simple and cost-effective...

The latest news, in e-mail form.(Product Data Directory PDD)
April 1, 2009... Some of the most important high-frequency news won't be found in Microwaves & RF magazine, but in the e-mail newsletter Microwaves & RF UPDATE. Sent directly to your computer desktop each week, this concisely written newsletter features...

Defense electronics.(CHECK OUT THE NEW)
April 1, 2009... Penton has launched a monthly digital publication, Defense Electronics. Edited by our own Jack Browne, this publication covers a wide swath of engineering technologies and details their impact on defense developments. The sections covered range...

Tradeshow video coverage.(Product Data Directory PDD)
April 1, 2009... Whether you attended a conference or not, you can always learn more by watching our on-site videos from various trade shows. Go to www.mwrf.com and click on European Microwave Week 2008 to see our latest video interviews, which were conducted...

Link to the industry's most trusted directory.(Product Data Directory PDD)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... The Microwaves & RF web site offers several instant links to the industry's only complete directory of products and suppliers: The Microwaves & RF Product Data Directory. With products from more than 2000 companies, thoughtfully classified into...

News and products.(WEB-EXCLUSIVE)
April 1, 2009... Please join us in welcoming Lisa Maliniak, Online Managing Editor, to the staff of Microwaves & RF. Lisa, who received a BSEE from Rutgers University, has been working as an editor for 20 years. Aside from stints as both a Technology Editor and...

Share your thoughts with quick polls.(Product Data Directory PDD)
April 1, 2009... Quick polls allow you to regularly share your opinion on a wide range of topics. LATEST POLL RESULTS: Do you think the performance of passive microwave components has improved significantly in the last 10 years? 40% No 60%...

Cables and connectors link to new applications: cables and connectors are continuously being created to fulfill the needs of today's applications while anticipating support for future needs.(News Report)
April 1, 2009... In an ever-changing world, the cable market is a place where a company's expertise in one area can easily extend over decades. For example, W.L. Gore & Associates (www.gore.com) has been able to leverage its original work in...

Screening requirements for microwave filters: filters for RF/microwave systems come in many different packages and technologies, with response curves tailored to meet a wide range of applications.(RF Primer)
April 1, 2009... Filters perform a simple function in RF/microwave designs: to modify in a controlled manner a signal applied at its input. That function may be defined as passing signals in the middle of a band and rejecting all other signals (bandpass...

FreeWave founders share financial success.(financial news)
April 1, 2009... FREEWAVE TECHNOLOGIES HAS distributed the third installment of a $9-million equity bonus to its employees. The bonus is part of a $113-million private-equity transaction. It was given by the company founders, CEO Steve Wulchin and CTO Jonathan...

Raytheon Company.(CONTRACTS)
April 1, 2009... Raytheon Company -- Has been awarded a $23.9-million phase 3 contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to continue work on the 38-month phase of the Wide Bandgap Semiconductor (WBGS) development program. The program is...

EMRISE Corp.(CONTRACTS)(Advanced Controls Corporation Inc.)(EMRISE Corp.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... EMRISE Corp. -- Has received a $420,000 order for RF devices, which is the second release in a program that is expected to exceed $1.25 million this year. The RF devices will be employed in remote-controlled improvised-explosive-device (RCIED)...

Symmetricom, Inc.(CONTRACTS)
April 1, 2009... Symmetricom, Inc. -- Has been awarded a contract from ITT Corp.'s Space Systems Division valued at a minimum of $4 million as part of the building of GPS IIIA--the next-generation Global Positioning System (GPS) Space System program....

Lockheed Martin.(CONTRACTS)
April 1, 2009... Lockheed Martin -- Has partnered with the University of Florida to develop and launch five miniature satellites to test new space solutions. Lockheed Martin will fund $450,000 worth of research and development projects at the university this...

Elbit Systems Ltd.(FRESH STARTS)
April 1, 2009... Elbit Systems Ltd. -- Has announced that its Israeli subsidiary, Elbit Systems Land and C4I-Tadiran Ltd. (ESLC-T), has acquired all of the shares of Shiron Satellite Communications Ltd., a privately owned Israeli company, for a purchase price...

Fairchild Semiconductor.(FRESH STARTS)
April 1, 2009... Fairchild Semiconductor -- Plans to streamline and consolidate wafer manufacturing. The company will close its wafer fabrication plant and site in Mountaintop, PA as well as one of its wafer fabs in Bucheon, South Korea. Once completed, the...

Harris Stratex Networks, Inc.(FRESH STARTS)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Harris Stratex Networks, Inc. -- Has announced that the Harris board of directors has approved the spin-off to Harris shareholders of its majority position in the company. The distribution of approximately 56 percent of the outstanding shares...

International Rectifier (IR).(FRESH STARTS)(International Rectifier Corp.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... International Rectifier (IR) -- Has announced that its HiRel Business Unit has launched testing services to customers seeking critical electrical, reliability, and qualification testing. IR's new suite of testing services addresses the growing...

TUV Rheinland of North America.(FRESH STARTS)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... TUV Rheinland of North America -- Has learned that its electromagnetic-compatibility (EMC) and telecommunications product testing lab in Rochester, NY has been approved for electromagnetic-interference and electromagnetic-susceptibility testing...

Gary and Mary West Foundation.(FRESH STARTS)
April 1, 2009... Gary and Mary West Foundation -- Has committed $45 million to create the West Wireless Health Institute (San Diego, CA), one of the world's first medical research organizations dedicated to advancing health and well being through the use of...

Modelithics, Inc.(FRESH STARTS)
April 1, 2009... Modelithics, Inc. -- Has announced ICON Design Automation Pvt. Ltd. as its representative in India. Larry Dunleavy, CEO of Modelithics, and R. Varalakshmi, CEO of ICON Design Automation, have signed a comprehensive agreement designed to support...

Gilbert elected to US National Academy of Engineering.(people)
April 1, 2009... BARRIE GILBERT, a Technology Fellow with Analog Devices, Inc., has been elected to the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Gilbert, who directs engineering at the Northwest Labs in Beaverton, OR, is being honored by the NAE for his...

IW, Inc.(people)
April 1, 2009... IW, Inc. -- JOHN MORELLI has been appointed Vice President of New Business Development of IW's Microwave Product Division. He assumed the position of President on April 1. Morelli was formerly with SV Microwave in a senior management position.

Harris Stratex Networks.(people)
April 1, 2009... Harris Stratex Networks -- MICHAEL PANGIA appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer; formerly Senior Vice President of Global Sales Operations and Strategy at Nortel.

Shared Spectrum Company.(people)
April 1, 2009... Shared Spectrum Company -- THOMAS STROUP named Chief Executive Officer; formerly CEO of SquareLoop, Inc. DR. MARK MCHENRY, founder of the company, continues as President and Chief Technical Officer.

EPCOS.(people)
April 1, 2009... EPCOS -- JOACHIM ZICHLARZ appointed to the management board and serves as Chief Financial Officer; he succeeds Helmut Konig.

D.B. Management Group.(people)
April 1, 2009... D.B. Management Group -- ROBERT TARZWELL joined D.B. Management Group LLC in a strategic alliance. He will show companies how to develop high-technology products.

Xiocom Wireless.(people)
April 1, 2009... Xiocom Wireless -- TROY RICHARDSON appointed Chief Executive Officer; formerly President since 2007. He succeeds JEFF SPENCER, who was appointed Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors; he has been a board member since the company's inception...

KSW Microtec AG.(people)
April 1, 2009... KSW Microtec AG -- DR. HEIKO FARBER appointed Chief Financial Officer; formerly held CFO roles at Budget and QSIL as well as a senior partnership in a corporate finance and investment company.

Meetings.(education)(Brief article)(Calendar)
April 1, 2009... ARMMS RF & Microwave Society Conference April 20-21, 2009 (Oxfordshire, England) Milton Hill House For more information, visit: www.armms.org 2009 Global Symposium on Millimeter Waves (GSMM2009) April 20-22, 2009 (Japan)...

Short courses.(education)(Brief article)(Calendar)
April 1, 2009... ANTENNAS: Principles, Design, and Measurements May 12-15, 2009 (Annapolis, MD) ARINC Conference Center Registration Fee: $1695 For enrollment information, contact: Leanne Traver, Northeast Consortium for Engineering Education...

Power-detection system covers UWB spectrum.(R & D roundup)(power-detection system)(Ultra wideband technology)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... MANY WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS systems must be able to measure received signal strength. To provide sufficient bandwidth to cover the Ultra Wideband (UWB) spectrum, a pair of researchers has expanded on the capabilities of a previously introduced...

Implanted antenna improves in-body communications.(R & D roundup)
April 1, 2009... IN SHORT-RANGE BIOTELEMETRY APPLICATIONS, antennas are implanted inside the body to forge communication links between medical sensors and exterior instruments. Ultra Wideband (UWB) signal transmission from an in-body implanted antenna to...

60-GHz bandpass filter leverages standard CMOS process.(R & D roundup)
April 1, 2009... WITH THE INCREASING DEMAND for broadband multimedia applications, the 60-GHz band has garnered attention for short-range communications. Development has focused on on-chip antennas and filters integrated with low-cost, 60-GHz, integrated-CMOS...

UNB modulation salvages spectrum: understanding the limitations and capabilties of ultranarrowband (UNB) modulation formats can help in applying these techniques to transport wireless data efficiently over crowded bandwidths.(Design Feature)
April 1, 2009... Spectrum is limited, but innovative communications formats using ultranarrowband (UNB) modulation may provide relief for added wireless services. UNB modulation formats have their limitations, of course, and it is important to understand the...

Evaluating impedance transformers with a VNA: some simple calibration techniques applied to a vector network analyzer can aid in making accurate S-parameter measurements on a wide range of impedance transformers.(Design Feature)
April 1, 2009... Impedance transformers are widely used in radio communications applications to match the impedance of different devices and components to the 50-[??] characteristic impedance of a high-frequency system. To evaluate the performance of an...

Analyzing a 5.5-GHz DRO for WLANs: several software packages were used to examine the linear and nonlinear characteristics of dielectric resonators to design a 5.5-GHz oscillator with low phase noise and high output power.(Design Feature)
April 1, 2009... Dielectric-resonator oscillators (DROs) provide low-noise signals for a variety of wireless and other applications. Computer-aided-engineering (CAE) tools can be invaluable in designing and optimizing the performance of these oscillators, as...

Analyze bearing accuracy of a monopulse system: the performance characteristics of cables and other RF/microwave components can have an impact on determining the bearing accuracy of an amplitude monopulse system.(Design Feature)
April 1, 2009... As detailed last month in Part 1 of this two-part article series, an amplitude monopulse system requires tightly matched amplitude balance between receiver channels to provide good bearing accuracy. Also, minimizing bearing errors depends on...

Software analyzes communications systems.(application notes)
April 1, 2009... BECAUSE CIRCUITS DO NOT BEHAVE predictably at microwave frequencies, engineers must often tweak them to achieve better performance. High-frequency circuit design tools have reduced the need for tweaking prototype circuits. Yet software tools...

VCOs tune miniature synthesizers to 12 GHz: using a hybrid approach based on miniature SAW and printed-circuit resonators, these tiny VCOs measure just 0.3 x 0.3 in. but can tune from 100 MHz to 12 GHz.(COVER story)
April 1, 2009... Miniaturization of voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) at lower microwave frequencies has long been limited by the size of the resonator. For the popular 4-to-8-GHz band, however, Synergy Microwave Corp. (Paterson, NJ) has managed to shrink...

EM and math software aids RF/microwave design: the latest EM and mathematical software tools are gaining in speed and sophistication, taking advantage of the processing power of modern multicore-processor computers.(Product Technology)
April 1, 2009... Software plays an increasingly important role in high-frequency design, especially as more functions are integrated into smaller circuits. Design engineers have a wide choice of computer-aided-engineering (CAE) software tools at their disposal,...

Converter/exciter fires EW and ECM waveforms: this compact module generates wideband FM chirp signals or accepts arbitrary waveforms to 1 GHz wide via an IF input, and places them at any frequency between 10 MHz and 14 GHz.(Product Technology)
April 1, 2009... Electronic warfare (EW), electronic countermeasures (ECM), secure communications, and electronic intelligence systems have the daunting challenge of detecting, characterizing, and countering threats with a diverse combination of characteristics...

Power amplifier tackles WiMAX: this first-in-a-series of pallet power amplifiers employs GaN transistors to achieve the best efficiency and linearity trade-offs at WiMAX frequencies from 2500 to 2700 MHz.(Product Technology)
April 1, 2009... Digital modulation formats place great demands on a communications system's transmit power amplifier. Systems such as WiMAX and LTE employ signals with high peak-to-average (PAR) power ratios, requiring power amplifiers with low error-vector...

Radio monitors pipeline integrity: this compact, board-level radio uses frequency-hopping spread-spectrum technology at the unlicensed 2.4-GHz band to collect measurements and report status on remote pipelines and other structures.(Product Technology)
April 1, 2009... Pipelines for water, oil, and natural gas can run for long distances, across areas difficult to check for leaks and damage. But the new IM-CP cathodic protection (CP) radio from FreeWave Technologies (www.freewave.com) operates at 2.4 GHz for...

ZigBee module scales data rates to 1 Mb/s.(editor's choice)
April 1, 2009... LOW-POWER ZIGBEE TECHNOLOGY can be used for applications like home and building automation, industrial control, and medical patient monitoring. Whereas most ZigBee modules run at 250 kb/s, the new MeshConnect ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4) modules run...

Spectrum analyzers cover 1 kHz to 26.6 GHz.(editor's choice)
April 1, 2009... FOUR SPECTRUM ANALYZERS make up the new 3250 series. Each one measures a frequency range beginning at 1 kHz with the 3251 ranging to 3 GHz, the 3252 to 8 GHz, the 3253 to 13.2 GHz, and the 3254 to 26.5 GHz. The spectrum analyzers display...

L-band VCO operates at 1560 MHz.(editor's choice)
April 1, 2009... A VOLTAGE-CONTROLLED OSCILLATOR (VCO) has debuted for fixed wireless and test and measurement applications that require superior second-harmonic suppression and low-phase-noise performance. The model ZRO1560A1LF operates in L-band at 1560 MHz...