Microwaves & RF articles from February 2007

Microwaves & RF archives from February 2007

Wireless Devices.(feedback)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... IT WAS WITH MUCH INTEREST that I read Nancy Friedrich's editorial on wireless power transmission ("Energy-Harvesting Solution Powers Wireless Devices," Breaking News, January 2007 Microwaves & RF Notepad.) This time they did it at 900 MHz! This...

New Product correction.(Correction notice)
February 1, 2007... THERE IS AN ERROR in a New Product listing from Elcom Technologies that was titled "26.5-GHz Down-converter Offers 500-MHz Bandwidth" in the January 2007 issue of Microwaves & RF Notepad. The last sentence in the listing reads, "The...

Ultra wideband takes to the road.(from the editor)(Editorial)
February 1, 2007... Everywhere one turns, wireless technologies are increasingly being used for safety, entertainment, convenience, and other measures. In the automotive arena, for example, wireless applications range from remote-keyless-entry (RKE) systems to...

Software-defined radio is expected to find strong acceptance in mobile phones.(the front end.)(iSuppli Corp.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Mobile phones are increasingly evolving into all-in-one devices, combing communications, computing, and entertainment functions that require support for multiple RF standards, including Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and audio and video...

Strong growth seen for video services.(the front end.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... MORGAN HILL, CA -- Video is seen as a big boon for both cable operators and carriers, states a report from Anritsu. From a wire-line perspective, it is the evolution of video, stretching from conventional video services to video-on-demand (VoD)...

QUALCOMM expresses disappointment over jury verdict.(the front end.)
February 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO, CA -- QUALCOMM, Inc., a developer of code-division multiple access (CDMA) and other advanced wireless technologies, stated that a federal jury in San Diego has found that Broadcom did not infringe two of QUALCOMM's patents related to...

Kudos.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... MOORESTOWN, NJ -- Syscom Tech has announced that it has become the first integrated custom electronics manufacturer in the United States to achieve and implement both the IECQ HSPM QC Q80000 (RoHS) and ISO 9001:2000 certifications. ROGERS,...

Microwave modules increasing integration: as the sophistication of commercial and military systems grows, RF/microwave designers are being asked to supply more functions in smaller modules.(News Report)
February 1, 2007... Integration packs multiple microwave functions into a single housing. Military requirements, and to a less degree commercial systems, are driving increased integration of microwave functions into smaller and smaller footprints, often to...

An interview with iTerra's Peter Walters.(dialogue with Peter Walters of iTerra Communications)(Interview)
February 1, 2007... MRF: Two years ago, you told us about iTerra, its products, and technologies. What has happened since then? Walters: We're continuing our focus in the telecommunications transport infrastructure markets in the 10-Gb/s physical layers....

Telecom growth is tied to broadband.(financialnews)
February 1, 2007... In 2006, the US telecommunications market grew at its fastest rate since 2000, showing that the drive toward convergence continues to stimulate the telecommunications industry, according to TIA's 2007 Telecommunications Market Review and...

Nokia.(Nokia expansion contract )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Nokia -- Has won a major GSM/GPRS/EDGE network-expansion contract from Russian operator MegaFon that will see it deliver both radio and core equipment as well as a range of services, helping MegaFon deliver mobile solutions to its fast-growing...

Herley Industries, Inc.(US defense contract)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Herley Industries, Inc. -- Announced that its Herley Lancaster facility in Lancaster, PA, has been awarded a $1.8 million contract from a major US defense contractor. The Herley division will manufacture core integrated microwave assemblies for...

Motorola, Inc.(Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Motorola, Inc. -- Announced an agreement with Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (MTNL), for the supply of a Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) cellular network for Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). Under the agreement,...

Inphi Corp.(planning to hire 60 engineering, marketing, sales, and administrative positions )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Inphi Corp. -- Announced a hiring initiative designed to fill nearly 60 engineering, marketing, sales, and administrative positions in its Westlake Village, CA offices during 2007.

Val Jackson + Associates, Inc.(location)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Val Jackson + Associates, Inc. -- Has relocated within the Pacific Northwest area of the US, moving from Scotts Valley, CA to Port Angeles, WA. Val Jackson + Associates specializes in value-added, high-end RF/microwave and millimeter-wave...

VXI Technology (VTI).(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... VXI Technology (VTI) -- Announced the formation of a new business unit focusing on the design and fabrication of custom RF/microwave assemblies. Activities will range from buildto-print fabrication to complete subassembly design, layout, and...

CSR.(CSR acquired Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd. and NordNav Technologies AB )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... CSR -- Has acquired NordNav Technologies AB and Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd. These acquisitions will allow the company to provide software-based, low-cost GPS suitable for mass-market mobile phones and PNDs (Personal Navigation Devices)....

Elcom Technologies, Inc.(Elcom Technologies Inc. partnership with Frequency Electronics Inc. )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Elcom Technologies, Inc. -- Announced a strategic partnership with Frequency Electronics, Inc. (FEI). FEI has acquired an approximate 20-percent interest in Elcom, which includes preferred stock, a convertible note, and 10-year warrant to...

E2G Partners, Inc. (doing business as Tampa Microwave).(Signal Intelligence Receiver)(Morrow Technologies Corp)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... E2G Partners, Inc. (doing business as Tampa Microwave) -- Announced that on November 30, 2006 it completed the acquisition of the spectrum-analyzer, carrier monitoring, and Signal Intelligence Receiver (SIGINT) assets of Morrow Technologies...

Zebra Technologies Corp.(WhereNet Corp.'s contracts)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Zebra Technologies Corp. -- Has agreed to acquire all of the shares of WhereNet Corp., a global provider of active RF identification (RFID)-based wireless solutions to track and manage enterprise assets, for $126 million in cash.

Adhesives Research names Bennett as new president.(Geoff Bennett, appointed)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Adhesives Research, Inc. has promoted GEOFF BENNETT to the position of president. Bennett succeeds Karen M. Olson. Most recently, Bennett assumed the role of COO with responsibility for the Arcare[R], Arclad[R], and Armar[TM] divisions.

RF Magic.(Angleo Stephano, appointed)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... RF Magic -- ANGLEO STEPHANO to the position of senior vice president of marketing; formerly held executive and senior marketing positions at Conexant Systems, GlobespanVirata, and Rockwell Semiconductor Systems.

National Technical Systems, Inc.(John F. Lichtig, appointed)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... National Technical Systems, Inc. -- JOHN F. LICHTIG to senior telecommunications consultant; continues with Lichtig EMC Consulting.

Geotest-Marvin Test Systems, Inc.(appointment of Michael Frey)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Geotest-Marvin Test Systems, Inc. -- MICHAEL FREY to senior business development manager; formerly employed EADS, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, and General Dynamics.

Sonus Networks, Inc.(appointment of Vikram Saksena)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Sonus Networks, Inc. -- DR. VIKRAM SAKSENA to the position of chief technology officer (CTO); formerly chief scientist.

Parelec, Inc.(appointment of Jonathan Potter)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Parelec, Inc. -- JONATHAN POTTER to the position of marketing manager; formerly employed at Mainline Holo-graphics, The Creative Label, Solvay, and Renolit. Also, RICK BUSCH to R & D chemist; formerly employed at Sun Chemical, Lawter...

CTIA-The Wireless Association.(appointment of Bob Honold)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... CTIA-The Wireless Association -- BOB HONOLD to director of public affairs; formerly policy director for New Jersey US Senate candidate Tom Kean Jr.

Remtec, Inc.(appointment of Walt Dollman)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Remtec, Inc. -- WALT DOLLMAN to vice president of sales and marketing; formerly senior manager at CeramTec North America.

Zebra Technologies Corp.(appointment of Steve H. Park)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Zebra Technologies Corp. -- STEVE H. PARK to vice president and general manager for the RF-identification (RFID) operation; formerly director of worldwide product management at Dell, Inc.

Nextreme Thermal Solutions.(appointment of Phil Deane)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Nextreme Thermal Solutions -- DR. PHIL DEANE to the position of senior technology fellow; formerly the director of packaging for the Advanced Optoelectronic Components Group at JDS Uniphase.

Imago Scientific Instruments.(appointment of Barbara McPherson)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Imago Scientific Instruments -- BARBARA MCPHERSON to CFO; formerly held the position of vice president of finance and administration.

China Wireless Communications, Inc.(appointment of Iouri Onoufrienko and Robert McElhinney)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... China Wireless Communications, Inc. -- IOURI ONOUFRIENKO to the board of directors; continues as owner of Onuffer Flooring. Also, ROBERT MCELHINNEY to the board of directors; continues serving in a supervisory role at Sky-west Airlines.

Elcoteq SE.(appointment of Carsten Barth)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Elcoteq SE -- CARSTEN BARTH to director for corporate strategy and global marketing; formerly worked in marketing leadership positions with General Electric in Germany.

Soitec.(appointment of Paul Boudre)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Soitec -- PAUL BOUDRE to executive vice president of sales for marketing and customer support; formerly vice president and general manager for US and Europe field operations as well as vice president of the yield management group and field...

Education.
February 1, 2007... SHORT COURSES Besser Associates Short Courses RF CMOS Design February 26-27 (San Diego, CA) Applied RF Techniques I February 26-March 2 (San Diego, CA) May 14-18 (Burlington, MA) RF Transceiver Architecture,...

MEMS switches make slot antennas reconfigurable.(R & D roundup)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... SINCE THEIR EMERGENCE IN the late 1990s, several research groups have studied RF-microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) antennas. To achieve multiple octave tunability, emphasis was placed on reconfigurable aperture (recap) and microstrip...

Feeding system gives systematic approach to Vivaldi-antenna design.(R & D roundup)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... AMONG THEIR DIVERSE USES, Vivaldi antennas have been utilized in Ultra Wideband (UWB) designs and in less traditional fields, such as microwave imaging. Yet little work has delved into the theoretical aspects of Vivaldi antenna design and...

Artificial neural network determines consistency of paper stock.(R & D roundup)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... MICROWAVE SENSORS CAN BE applied to a variety of industrial measurement problems. Often, however, it is necessary to sift through large amounts of data in order to extract the parameter of interest from a given sensor's output. At Baylor...

Tackle wideband RF switching with PIN diodes: both bulk and Epi PIN diodes can satisfy RF-switching applications with their fast response times, long lifetimes, high linearity, and the simplified cascading of switches.(Design Feature)
February 1, 2007... Costly mechanical switches can be justified when used in precision test equipment, such as vector network analyzers. For mass-produced consumer products like cable- or satellite-television (CATV/SATV) delivery systems, however, less-expensive...

Reviewing RoHS compliance for harsh environments: for environmental reasons, the world is adopting RoHS compliance for electronic circuit boards, although recommended materials may not be ideal for demanding applications.(Design Feature)(Restriction of Hazardous Substances)
February 1, 2007... Pressures to eliminate materials deemed hazardous throughout the world have led to uncertainties about the long-term reliability of replacement materials, especially in hazardous environments. Initiatives such as the Restriction of Hazardous...

Bluetooth bolsters UWB performance: the pure data speed and bandwidth of UWB can be better harnessed when energy-efficient Bluetooth is added as part of a front-end radio control scheme.(Design Feature)
February 1, 2007... Data transfer speeds are important to most, although the cost in terms of power consumed must also be considered. Communications systems designers normally choose a single technology to transfer and control the flow of data. For example,...

Radio-frequency measurements target DVB-T and DVB-H.(applications notes)(digital video broadcast terrestrial)(digital video broadcast handheld)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... EFFICIENT USE OF AVAILABLE spectrum is a driving factor for increasingly advanced digital modulation of RF channels. Those modulation formats can be classified in numerous ways. For example, modulation can be considered as being over a single...

Measuring and troubleshooting for IEEE 802.16e OFDMA.(applications notes)(orthogonal frequency division multiple access)(Agilent Technologies Inc.)
February 1, 2007... THE MEASUREMENT AND troubleshooting of orthogonal-frequency-division-multiple-access (OFDMA) or mobile-WiMAX signals, components, and systems is not limited to digital demodulation or modulation-quality analysis. In fact, some of the most...

Speedy synthesizers shoot for low noise: these miniature frequency synthesizers employ dynamic optimization to reach the best combination of fast switching speed and low phase noise over wide bandwidths.(SYNTHESIZERS)(Synergy Microwave Corp.)
February 1, 2007... Frequency synthesizers come in many forms, depending upon the needs of an application. For the price of banks of filters and large bulk, direct analog frequency synthesizers offer unmatched frequency switching speed, although usually with...

LNA line extends coverage through 20 GHz: a company well known for its power amplifiers has developed a line of GaAs pHEMT LNAs with narrowband and broadband versions as well as several gain options.(Product Technology)(low noise amplifiers)(pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor)
February 1, 2007... News is made when a firm associated with a particular product line branches out into uncharted territory. Such is the case with longtime power-amplifier supplier CTT, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA) that recently announced an extensive line of low-noise...

Combiners span UHF, VHF, and 746 To 869 MHz.(editor's choice)(Bird Technologies Group)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... CONTROL CENTERS are the backbone of all cellular networks. To simplify cable installation and antenna mounting in these centers and mobile command vehicles, the TX RX Control Station Combiner (CSC) product line has been spawned. These products...

High-Q inductor saves board space.(editor's choice)(Murata Electronics North America Inc.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... BY LEVERAGING ADVANCEMENTS in micro-fabrication technology and internal coil formation, a mini-inductor has been created. Measuring just 0.4 x 0.2 x 0.2 mm, the RoHS-compliant LQP02TN offers high Q characteristics. In addition, inductance is...

T/R switch handles 50-W CW power.(editor's choice)(Hill Engineering Division)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... BY RELYING ON a proprietary multi-octave technology, a family of high-power transmit/receive (T/R) switches promises to be compatible with the latest gallium-nitride (GaN) and LDMOS solid-state amplifiers. The switches cover the 20-to-2500-MHz...

2-W amplifier covers 800 to 1000 MHz.(editor's choice)(M/A-COM Inc.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... A NEW POWER AMPLIFIER (PA) promises to satisfy applications ranging from RF-identification (RFID) readers to cellular infrastructure. Specifically, the 2-W MAAP-007649-000100 covers the 800-to-1000-MHz frequency band. At 900 MHz, its typical...