Microwaves & RF articles from December 2008

Microwaves & RF archives from December 2008

Unknown legends.(feedback)
December 1, 2008... With interest, I read the Microwave Legends article in the October issue of Microwaves & RF. I was interested in the history of radar development and I found the book by Louis Brown: History of Radar, the best source of historic information....

Correction.(feedback)(Correction notice)
December 1, 2008... In our October FOCUS supplement, the wrong picture appeared with the product write-up titled, "Directional Couplers Span 1 To 18 GHz." The correct photo appears here. The photo that was originally printed showed 50-[ohm] coaxial-to-waveguide...

Opportunities and rough times lie ahead.(from the editor)(Editorial)
December 1, 2008... Holidays are a perfect time to wind down and enjoy the small things that make life meaningful. Hopefully, most of us can take this time to enjoy the company of friends and family and be grateful for life's blessings. In that vein, the editors...

Third-quarter mobile-handset shipments maintain forward momentum.(the front end)
December 1, 2008... NEW YORK, NY -- According to ABI Research Asia-Pacific Vice President Jake Saunders, "Given the traumatic news ricocheting around the financial markets, one would almost expect mobile handset markets to have nosedived. However, the third...

Not enough students are pursuing engineering careers.(the front end)
December 1, 2008... PISCATAWAY, NJ -- The trend is alarming and it is global. In Western Europe, Australia, Japan, and even in India, the numbers of students focusing on engineering and computer science are declining. A 2003 Harris poll conducted in the US shows...

EI receives Illinois Governor's Pollution Prevention Award.(the front end)
December 1, 2008... CHICAGO, IL -- Electronic Interconnect Technology (EI) is the recipient of the Illinois Governor's Pollution Prevention Awards (P2) for 2007. The annual P2 awards are presented to Illinois businesses and organizations that have successfully...

Kudos.(the front end)
December 1, 2008... SAN DIEGO, CA -- Dot VN, Inc. has completed the review and analysis of a report regarding the results of a 30-day field test of the E-Link 1000 millimeter-wave communication systems from E-Band Communications Corp. The field test was conducted...

The latest news, in e-mail form.(Product Data Directory PDD)
December 1, 2008... 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 twice each month, this concisely written newsletter features...

Defense Electronics.(COMING IN JANUARY)
December 1, 2008... Penton is launching a monthly digital publication, Defense Electronics, beginning in January. Edited by our own Jack Browne, this publication covers a wide swath of engineering technologies and details their impact on defense developments. The...

Tradeshow video coverage.(Product Data Directory PDD)
December 1, 2008... 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)
December 1, 2008... 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)(Lisa Maliniak appointed at Microwaves and RF)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... 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)
December 1, 2008... Quick polls allow you to regularly share your opinion on a wide range of topics. LATEST POLL RESULTS: Do you feel that you depend too much on using computer simulation for your designs? YES 82% NO 18% NEW POLL: ...

Finding new homes for RF/microwave technology: high-frequency electronics companies are hoping to weather an uncertain economy by exploring opportunities for components, software, and test equipment outside of their traditional markets.(News Report)
December 1, 2008... Emerging applications for microwave and RF technology promise to keep researchers and manufacturers busy for several years. Many of the long-time markets for high-frequency electronics, such as commercial communications, military radar, and...

Vectron's vision of frequency control: Vectron International is the world's leading supplier of high-performance crystal oscillators, but is also a growing force in BAW and SAW products as well as in a wide range of sensors.(News Report)(Company overview)
December 1, 2008... Southern New Hampshire is home to beautiful summers and snow-kissed winters. It is also home to the corporate headquarters for one of the world's leading crystal oscillator suppliers, Vectron International (www.vectron.com). Part of the...

An interview with Joel Levine.(cross talk)(Interview)
December 1, 2008... FIVE YEARS AGO, the US was still trying to recover from the stock-market dip after September 11, 2001. Consumer confidence was down. In fact, the situation was somewhat similar to where the economy is today--except that the current economy is...

UWB firms Staccato and Artimi merge.(financial news)
December 1, 2008... STACCATO COMMUNICATIONS, an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wireless technology company, announced that it has completed a merger with Artimi, Inc., a developer of UWB and wireless-Universal-Serial-Bus (WUSB) software and hardware solutions. Under the...

Giga-tronics, Inc.(CONTRACTS)(teams up with Equipment Management Technology to offer rental services)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Giga-tronics, Inc. -- Has partnered with Equipment Management Technology (EMT) to offer lease and rental of Giga-tronics' RF and microwave test and measurement equipment. Equipment Management has placed a $1M purchase order with Giga-tronics...

Aperto Networks.(CONTRACTS)(Zing Network Inc. uses its wimax equipment)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Aperto Networks -- Zing has chosen Aperto's PacketMAX solution for a multi-state WiMAX network. Initially operating in the lightly licensed 3.65-GHz frequency and eventually in the license-exempt 5.8-GHz frequency, the network will provide...

NXP.(CONTRACTS)
December 1, 2008... NXP -- In collaboration with Phonak, NXP has announced a single-chip, ultra-low-power radio for use in hearing systems. The new ultra low-power radio is being integrated into Phonak's portfolio of CORE-based hearing systems and wireless...

SkyCross.(CONTRACTS)
December 1, 2008... SkyCross -- Has announced that its antennas power the Samsung SWC-E100 ExpressCard, the first client device for the recent WiMAX launch in Baltimore. The WiMAX service, provided through the XOHM division of Sprint Nextel, delivers 4G mobile...

AWR.(FRESH STARTS)
December 1, 2008... AWR -- Has announced that its Finnish R&D facility will conduct research within the European Integrated Circuit/Electro-magnetic Simulation and Design Technologies for Advanced Radio Systems-on-chip (ICESTARS) project. ICESTARS strives to...

Mimix Asia.(FRESH STARTS)
December 1, 2008... Mimix Asia -- Has launched its web site, which highlights the company's product offerings including high-power amplifiers, attenuators, phase shifters, and core chips. Datasheets are available online at www.mimixasia.com with supporting...

Johanson Technology, Inc.(FRESH STARTS)
December 1, 2008... Johanson Technology, Inc. -- Has joined ONE-NET, an opensource wireless networking alliance. The ONE-NET wireless standard is a multi-vendor, open-source wireless control protocol that was optimized for home-control applications. It includes...

Rice University.(FRESH STARTS)
December 1, 2008... Rice University -- Two engineering alumni, John and Ann Doerr, have given their alma mater $15 million to transform the way that engineers are educated. The gift from the Benificus Foundation, a private charitable organization set up by alumni...

CalAmp.(FRESH STARTS)
December 1, 2008... CalAmp -- Has teamed with CalAmp Corp. to enable ZigBee and IP-based wireless networks to work together for automated-meter-reading, peak-energy-demand response, and other smart-grid applications. CalAmp has integrated Ember's EM250 ZigBee SoC...

Endicott Interconnect Technologies.(FRESH STARTS)
December 1, 2008... Endicott Interconnect Technologies -- Has received Trusted Accreditation by the Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) as a trusted source to the Department of Defense and all other US government agencies. EI has been awarded Category 1A...

Azimuth Systems.(FRESH STARTS)(International Wireless Industry Consortium )(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Azimuth Systems -- Has joined the International Wireless Industry Consortium (IWPC), which is an international community of wireless and RF product OEMs and suppliers. The consortium was formed to facilitate communication across the entire...

Elbit Systems.(FRESH STARTS)
December 1, 2008... Elbit Systems -- Has signed an agreement to purchase a minority interest in Azimuth Technologies Ltd. Under the purchase agreement, Elbit Systems will purchase 13,739,400 shares, representing approximately 19.48 percent of Azimuth's voting...

Motorola, Inc.(FRESH STARTS)
December 1, 2008... Motorola, Inc. -- Motorola Technology Sdn Bhd (Motorola Penang) has set up a new MMU-Motorola Wireless Broadband Technology Lab at Multimedia University (MMU), Cyberjaya. This lab provides a conducive wireless-network environment for students...

Richardson Electronics Ltd.(FRESH STARTS)
December 1, 2008... Richardson Electronics Ltd. -- Will now sell W.L. Gore & Associates' line of surface-mountable EMI shielding materials including the GORE-SHIELD Supersoft SMT EMI gaskets and grounding pads as well as the GORE snapSHOT board-level EMI shield.

Nieland heads KSW Microtec AG R&D.(people)(Carsten Nieland)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... CARSTEN NIELAND will head the company's R&D division for high-security products. He is responsible for KSW's inlay and Thinlam products used in the fast-growing access and e-government market segments for access cards, driver licenses, and...

BitWave Semiconductor, Inc.(people)
December 1, 2008... BitWave Semiconductor, Inc. -- DR. GREGORY W. SHEETS appointed Vice President of Engineering; formerly responsible for managing a global team of engineers developing mixed-signal ASICs at LSI Logic.

Northrop Grumman.(people)
December 1, 2008... Northrop Grumman -- BRUCE S. GORDON elected to the Board of Directors, which totals 14 members-13 of whom are non-employee directors. Gordon completed a 35-year career in the telecommunications industry in 2003, retiring as the President of the...

Raytheon Company.(people)
December 1, 2008... Raytheon Company -- Retired US Army MAJ. GEN. GALEN B. JACKMAN appointed Vice President--Army Programs, US Business Development; formerly the Army's Chief of Legislative Liaison at the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill.

WCAI.(people)
December 1, 2008... WCAI -- Presented Government Leadership Award to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman KEVIN MARTIN for helping to transform the wireless broadband industry and tripling the wireless spectrum.

Staccato Communications.(people)
December 1, 2008... Staccato Communications -- MARTY COLOMBATTO maintains the role of Chief Executive Officer after the merger with Artimi; ANDREW VOUGHT, previously Chief Executive Officer of Artimi, will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer.

ip.access.(people)
December 1, 2008... ip.access -- PHILIP RIMELL appointed Chief Operating Officer; formerly with jacobs Rimell, which he co-founded in 1997. He succeeds outgoing Chief Operating Officer Alan Hewit, who is retiring after establishing ip.acess' femtocell delivery...

Lockheed Martin Corp.(people)
December 1, 2008... Lockheed Martin Corp. -- BRIAN D. DAILEY, Senior Vice President, Washington Operations, will retire on April 1, 2009; formerly served as the Principal Liaison with government customers in the Executive and Legislative branches. GREGORY R....

Avo Photonics.(people)
December 1, 2008... Avo Photonics -- TODD RIXMAN appointed Technical Engineering Manager reporting to DR. TOM HASLETT, CTO of the company; formerly performed optical and mechanical design at Princeton Lightwave, JDSU, and Kulicke & Soffa Industries.

OnRamp.(people)
December 1, 2008... OnRamp -- RALPH PHILLIPS promoted from President of TECOM (and a few other SMITHS companies) to President of SMITHS Interconnect.

Short courses.(education)(Calendar)
December 1, 2008... BESSER ASSOCIATES SHORT COURSES Applied RF Techniques 1, Course 001 Feb. 23-27, 2009 (San Diego, CA) Register by Jan. 19 and pay $1995, otherwise pay $2195 For more information, contact Besser Associates, 480 San Antonio Rd.,...

Reflectarray Cells operate beyond 100 GHz.(R & D roundup)
December 1, 2008... RECENTLY, IT WAS PROVEN that the phase of signals in the microwave and millimeter-wave bands can be modulated by exploiting the physical response of liquid-crystal molecules to an applied electric field. Several prototype devices have emerged...

ICP etching reduces mm-wave substrate loss.(R & D roundup)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... FOR GALLIUM-ARSENIDE (GAAS) coplanar passive devices, the design methods used in centimeter-wave frequencies have been proven to work for millimeter-wave frequencies up to W-band (75 to 110 GHz). Those same methods can be applied to CMOS...

CMOS LNA operates in subthreshold region.(R & D roundup)
December 1, 2008... BECAUSE THE LNA IS THE FIRST STAGE of a receiver system, an LNA's noise figure will dominate a receiver's overall performance. The LNA should therefore add little noise to the next stages while providing 50-[omega] impedance match for maximum...

UWB antenna assists Ground-Penetrating Radar: a GPR system designed to locate land lines requires a specially developed transverse-electromagnetic (TEM) horn antenna capable of extremely broadband coverage.(Design Feature)
December 1, 2008... Landmines are buried and forgotten, so often that an estimated total of 110 million landmines are buried in over 60 countries around the world. Statistics show that hidden and forgotten landmines kill or injure approximately 70 people each day,...

Test Radio receivers with recorded signals: test instruments capable of recording and playing back RF communications signals are practical solutions for testing receivers under signal fading and multipath conditions.(Design Feature)
December 1, 2008... Channel impairments can be disruptive on RF-based communications devices. Impairments such as fading and multipath, which are often unpredictable, can hinder wireless communications. Because channel impairments are often unpredictable and not...

Equalize RF amplifiers with bandpass filters: the amplitude response of a broadband RF transmit amplifier can be dramatically flattened by using the complementary characteristic of a bandpass filter.(Design Feature)
December 1, 2008... Filters and amplifiers can make a powerful combination, especially when the filter is used to equalize the amplifier. What follows is an approach to apply the complementary response characteristics of a bandpass filter to flatten the amplitude...

Nonlinear models aid PI-limiter design process.(application notes)
December 1, 2008... CIRCUIT AND ELECTROMAGNETIC (EM) simulators now offer many capabilities to make software prototyping successful, including accurate models. To provide an example of how such models can assist the design process, Modelithics, Inc. offers a...

RFID tag mounts directly on PCB.(application notes)
December 1, 2008... GENERALLY, ULTRA-HIGH-FREQUENCY (UHF) radio-frequency-identification (RFID) tags are applied to a piece of equipment once the assembly is complete. Yet a new approach allows the implementation of the RFID tag directly on the printed-circuit...

Miniature VCOs shrink wideband synthesizers: shrinking the size of planar resonators has led to extremely compact oscillators that are the building blocks for tiny, high-performance, PLL-based frequency synthesizers.(Cover Story)
December 1, 2008... Compact frequency synthesizers fill many needs in modern communications systems. To achieve full-sized performance in miniature packages, Synergy Microwave (www.synergymwave.com) has developed a line of compact frequency synthesizers that...

Top products of 2008: this past year has brought many outstanding products that represent practical, high-performance solutions in the form of software, components, and test equipment.(Product Technology)
December 1, 2008... Great minds think alike in the microwave industry as they do elsewhere. Take, for instance, the plethora of impressive synthesizers that debuted over the past 12 months. These instruments boast the outstanding switching speed, low noise, and...

Spread-spectrum clocks cut EMI: leveraging MEMS resonator technology and spread-spectrum techniques, these programmable clock oscillators handle rugged environments with minimal generation of EMI.(Product Technology)
December 1, 2008... Electromagnetic interference (EMI) can emanate from the smallest of sources, even from a system clock source. For that reason, oscillator designers at SiTime Corp. (www.sitime.com) turned to spread-spectrum technology as a way to literally...

Software/scope combination scrutinizes complex waveforms: by adding this vector signal analysis software to a family of high-speed digital oscilloscopes, the result is a fast signal analyzer with real-time bandwidths to 20 GHz.(Product Technology)
December 1, 2008... Oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers are sometimes found on the same test bench. Each brings its strengths and limitations, with a scope's triggering capabilities ideal for time-domain analysis and a spectrum analyzer's sweep functions well...

Video amplifiers consume less than 12 mA.(editor's choice)
December 1, 2008... AT 0.60 [[.sub.N]V/(Hz).sup.0.5] input voltage noise performance, a new pair of high-speed video amplifiers claims to provide 30 percent less noise than the closest competitor in their class. Dubbed the CLC1001 and CLC1002, these amplifiers...

ULP 2.4-GHz chip fits 4-x-4-mm package.(editor's choice)
December 1, 2008... ON A SINGLE CHIP, a new solution for the ultra-low-power (ULP) wireless market runs both the RF protocol stack and application layer. The nRF24LE1 system-on-a-chip (SoC) integrates the nRF24L01+2.4-GHz transceiver core along with a...

Packaged MMICs cover X-band systems.(editor's choice)
December 1, 2008... THE 8-TO-12-GHz X-BAND is home to many communications and radar technologies. To support those ever-evolving application areas, some packaged high-power-amplifier, monolithic-microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) provide moderate output power...

Customizable OCXOs span 30 to 130 MHz.(editor's choice)
December 1, 2008... TO MAINTAIN SYSTEM INTEGRITY in extreme environments, one approach is to optimize basic crystal design and circuit vibration isolation. This thinking is behind a line of oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXOs) that provides...