Microwaves & RF articles from October 2006

Microwaves & RF archives from October 2006

Differentiating between CMOS, Pin-Diode, and GaAs Switches.(application notes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... RF SWITCHES are often chosen because of their speed, size, and cost. In addition, switches are evaluated according to performance parameters like insertion loss, isolation, linearity, and voltage control. In "CMOS Switches vs. Pin Diode and...

Understanding the basics of MIMO systems: one of the main challenges faced by MIMO is the separation and equalization of all of the signal paths.(application notes)(multiple input multiple output systems)(Rohde and Schwarz GmbH und Company KG)
October 1, 2006... THE PROLIFERATION OF WIRELESS services has forced the industry to find a way to increase spectral efficiency. By using antenna arrays, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems have enhanced the efficiency in the bandwidth that is used....

Signal generator melds speed with low phase noise: these high-performance frequency synthesizers employ a novel single-loop architecture for fast switching speed with low phase noise and spurious content through 40 GHz.(Giga-tronics Inc.)(Cover story)
October 1, 2006... Test-instrument manufacturers are faced with trying to provide performance that is one step ahead of emerging technologies. As difficult as this task may appear, many measurement equipment suppliers succeed by working closely with their device...

Spread-spectrum modules: communicate at 2.4 GHz: these frequency-hopping board-level radios provide high performance and versatility for secure military or government applications from 2.372 to 2.400 GHz.(product technology of FreeWave Technologies, Inc)
October 1, 2006... Spread-spectrum technology was developed during World War II for the military, as a means of providing secure and reliable communications even in hostile environments. By 1980, the technology was approved by the FCC for use in industrial,...

Real-time analyzer captures elusive RF signals: these broadband signal analyzers combine capture bandwidths to 110 MHz with simultaneous SFDR of 73 dB to display even microsecond-duration events.(Product Technology)(Tektronix Inc.)
October 1, 2006... Spectrum-analyzer designers are faced with increasingly complex signals in modern radar and communications systems. As a result, today's spectrum analyzer is becoming more like an oscilloscope than the traditional swept-tuned instrument of...

Design tools target specific markets.(editor's choice)
October 1, 2006... FOR ENGINEERS WHO are not always involved in computer-aided design (CAD) processes, general-focused software solutions can involve quite a learning curve. To save time and enhance productivity, solution-focused toolkits have been created for...

Laminate hits loss tangent of 0.0012 at 10 GHz.(editor's choice)
October 1, 2006... TECHNOLOGY advancements in laminates enable many product developments. A new laminate, dubbed CLTE-XT, is set to continue this trend with a loss tangent of 0.0012 at 10 GHz. This micro-dispersed ceramic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composite...

Wideband VCO covers 800 to 1600 MHz.(editor's choice)
October 1, 2006... NUMEROUS APPLICATIONS DEMAND signal stability, tuning linearity, and low-phase-noise performance across a wide frequency range. Now, such applications can turn to the UMZ-1601-A16-G lead-free, RoHS-compliant, wideband voltage-controlled...

Use of images.(feedback)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I JUST WANTED to bring to your attention that several of the illustrations and diagrams included in the article "Simulation Spices RFID Read Rates" by Tudor Breahna and David Johns (March, p. 66) are images of the Alien Squiggle[TM] inlet...

Microwave legends.(feedback)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... THANKS FOR the moment of fame. I appreciated my inclusion in "Microwave Legends"(August, p. 62). I should point out that my name was spelled incorrectly. My name is spelled Allen, not Allan as it appeared in the "Microwave Legends" section. ...

Article corrections.(feedback)(Correction notice)
October 1, 2006... THERE WERE TWO small errors in my article in the August issue ("Understanding Mismatch Effects In Power Combining Circuits," p. 79). The errors are with Equation 16 (p. 91), in which some negative signs were omitted, and Fig. 3 (p. 80), where...

Website correction.(feedback)(Correction notice)
October 1, 2006... THE WEBSITE address of Elcom Technologies was listed incorrectly on p. 34 of your September issue in the article "Frequency Synthesizers Supply Stable Signals." The correct website address is www.elcom-tech.com. Orli Fabian-Feinsod ...

Gallium Nitride finds its niche: Gallium nitride's fanbase may be surprised to hear that GaN and LDMOS are basically equal when it comes to price and performance.(lateral double-diffused MOSFET)
October 1, 2006... Over the past few years, more and more research and development has been devoted to gallium nitride (GaN). Many see GaN as the driver for next-generation high-frequency, high-power transistors--especially because it can operate at high...

Nokia and Motorola boost chip spending.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Leading mobile-phone makers Nokia and Motorola, Inc. will increase their semiconductor spending by the highest percentage among the world's top 10 OEM chip buyers in 2005 and 2006, according to a report by iSuppli Corp.'s...

Worldwide Mobile CAPEX to exceed $150 billion by 2012.(Capital expenditures of cellular communications industry)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... LONDON, ENGLAND -- In 2006, GSM is the dominant cellular technology, but by 2012, WCDMA will receive the highest CAPEX investment by mobile operators, according to a study from ABI Research. By 2012, worldwide mobile CAPEX will exceed $150...

Cardinals Stadium kicks off with in-building wireless solution.(the front end)
October 1, 2006... MANCHESTER, NH -- Cellular Specialties, Inc. [CSI] (www.cellularspecialties.com), a company involved in the design and implementation of in-building wireless solutions, announced the successful installation of a technology-neutral distributed...

Lowell, MA--M/A COM, a business unit of Tyco Electronics and a provider of wireless RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave components, announced that it has awarded an antenna research grant to the University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for Advanced Sensor and Communications Antennas (CASCA) to facilitate the design and development of advanced antenna technologies for the communications industry.(Kudos)(Tyco Electronics Corp.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... LOWELL, MA -- M/A COM, a business unit of Tyco Electronics and a provider of wireless RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave components, announced that it has awarded an antenna research grant to the University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for...

Geneva, Switzerland--KEMET, a firm involved in the design, manufacture, and supply of tantalum, ceramic, and solid aluminum capacitors, has named TTI Europe as its European Distributor of the Year for FY 2006.(Kudos)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... GENEVA, SWITZLERLAND -- KEMET, a firm involved in the design, manufacture, and supply of tantalum, ceramic, and solid aluminum capacitors, has named TTI Europe as its European Distributor of the Year for FY 2006. The 'KEMET Charged' award...

Bensenville, IL--Magnetic Shield Corp., a company which provides solutions to the problems of electromagnetic interference, is marking its 65th anniversary.(Kudos)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... BENSENVILLE, IL -- Magnetic Shield Corp., a company which provides solutions to the problems of electromagnetic interference, is marking its 65th anniversary. Founded in 1941 and initially named the Perfection Mica Co., it later became Magnetic...

Austin, TX--Silicon Laboratories, Inc., a firm involved with analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs, is celebrating its 10th anniversary.(Kudos)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... AUSTIN, TX -- Silicon Laboratories, Inc., a firm involved with analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Founded by Nav Sooch, Dave Welland, and Jeff Scott in 1996, the company's initial product was and analog...

Share your thoughts with quick polls.
October 1, 2006... Quick Polls allow you to share your opinions on a wide range of topics. These informal surveys are updated on a regular basis and visitors to the Microwaves & RF website can freely view poll results and even review the results of previous Quick...

Passive components stay on path of re-invention: designers of passive components are taking advantage of the latest materials, technology, and manufacturing techniques to satisfy RoHS requirements while supporting new wireless applications.(News Report)
October 1, 2006... Passive components are the old, taken-for-granted workhorses of the high-frequency-electronics industry. The tasks that they perform, such as filtering and signal routing, are essential to both circuits and systems. Yet many are surprised to...

Making the most of millimeter waves: GigaBeam Corp. is putting available millimeter-wave bands through 95 GHz to good use for carrier-grade, high-data-rate, "last-mile" communications links.(News Report)
October 1, 2006... Millimeter-wave frequencies have long represented untapped bandwidth. The cost of producing the components needed for transmitters and receivers, of course, has traditionally been one of the chief barriers to using millimeter waves for...

Freescale reaches merger agreement.(Freescale Semiconductor Inc., merges with consortium is led by The Blackstone Group, The Carlyle Group, Permira Funds, and Texas Pacific Group)
October 1, 2006... Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., a firm involved in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for the wireless, networking, automotive, consumer, and industrial markets, announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement...

Vodacom Tanzania Ltd.(contract with Cambridge Broadband Ltd.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Vodacom Tanzania Ltd.--Has awarded a major radio-transmission-equipment contract to Cambridge Broadband Ltd. Vodacom Tanzania will be using Cambridge Broadband's VectaStar equipment to backhaul traffic from both mobile and data networks,...

WPCS International, Inc.(CONTRACTS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... WPCS International, Inc.--Announced that it has recently been awarded a variety of new contracts totaling $5.6 million. Some of the contracts awarded to WPCS include projects to be completed for Mohegan Sun Casino, National Oceanic and...

Northrop Grumman.(Northrop Grumman Corp. recieved contract from New York City's Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications )(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Northrop Grumman--Has been awarded a five-year, $500 million contract from New York City's Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications to provide the city's broadband public-safety wireless network, the most comprehensive...

Paratek Microwave.(opens a center in Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Paratek Microwave--Has opened a new engineering 'Design Center' in the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake, IL and has named Keith Manssen, vice president of engineering for commercial products, to run the operation. Crystal Lake joins other...

Plexus Corp.(FRESH STARTS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Plexus Corp.--Announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase an additional manufacturing facility in Penang, Malaysia. The new facility will be Plexus' third plant in Malaysia and will provide 364,000 sq. ft. of...

IPC Association Connecting Electronics Industries.(FRESH STARTS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... IPC Association Connecting Electronics Industries--Announced that six positions on IPC's Board of Directors will be up for election at the end of this year. Candidates are currently being sought to fill these spots. The IPC Nominating and...

Cascade Microtech.(partners with Philips' MiPlaza research center and Agilent Technologies Inc.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Cascade Microtech--Announced a partnership agreement with Philips' MiPlaza research center and Agilent Technologies to create a new Electronic Measurement Laboratory on the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The laboratory will...

Elcoteq SE and Andrew Corp.(signed manufacturing supply agreement)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Elcoteq SE and Andrew Corp.--Have signed a global, long-term manufacturing supply agreement, which further strengthens Elcoteq's position as a strategic partner to Andrew Corp. in Europe and the Americas. The agreement is expected to increase...

Agilent Technologies, Inc. and Remcom, Inc.(announced licencing agreements)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Agilent Technologies, Inc. and Remcom, Inc.--Announced that Agilent has licensed 3D electromagnetic (EM) simulation technology from Remcom. Financial details were not disclosed. Remcom will continue to develop, sell, and support XFDTD, which is...

Fujitsu Microelectronics promotes Horn to COO.(promotes Keith Horn as Chief operating officers)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA) has named KEITH HORN as its new COO. Horn will manage the day-to-day operations of FMA. He previously served FMA as senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Wide Band Systems, Inc.(promotes Frank Padula)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Wide Band Systems, Inc.--FRANK PADULA to president/COO; formerly vice president for operations.

Excellon Automation.(appoints Son Nguyen)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Excellon Automation--SON NGUYEN to systems specialist and the service team in the Southern California area; formerly employed in various roles at Excellon.

Newark InOne.(appoints George Goodwin)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Newark InOne--GEORGE GOODWIN to vice president of design and engineering; formerly director of marketing for Insight Electronics (Memec).

QUALCOMM, Inc.(appoints executives)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... QUALCOMM, Inc.--KANWALINDER SINGH to senior vice president; continues as president of QUALCOMM India Ltd. Also, DR. SUNG W. (S.W.) KIM to senior vice president; continues as president of QUALCOMM Korea Ltd. In addition, WILLIAM BOLD to senior...

CTIA-The Wireless Association.(appoints Jot Carpenter)(Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association )(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... CTIA-The Wireless Association--JOT CARPENTER to vice president for government affairs; formerly vice president for government affairs at AT&T.

D2 Technologies.(appoints Doug Makishima)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... D2 Technologies--DOUG MAKISHIMA to vice president of marketing; formerly vice president of marketing at Intertoto.

Tower Semiconductor Ltd.(appoints Amnon Ben-Yishai)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Tower Semiconductor Ltd.--AMNON BEN-YISHAI to senior vice president of operations, responsible for Tower's Fabs, operations, and manufacturing services; formerly a vice president at Applied Materials Corp.

Celerity, Inc.(appoints David Shimmon, John Murphy)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Celerity, Inc.--DAVID SHIMMON to executive chairman; formerly CEO. Also, JOHN MURPHY to president and CEO as well as membership on the board of directors; formerly president and COO.

Cree, Inc.(appoints John T. Kurtzweil)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Cree, Inc.--JOHN T. KURTZWEIL to executive vice president and CFO; formerly senior vice president and CFO of Cirrus Logic, Inc.

Synopsys, Inc.(appoints Joe Logan)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Synopsys, Inc.--JOE LOGAN to senior vice president of worldwide sales; formerly head of North American sales and support at Avant! Corp.

Leadis Technology, Inc.(appoints Paul Novell)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Leadis Technology, Inc.--PAUL NOVELL to vice president of sales and marketing; formerly vice president of worldwide sales and marketing for Staccato Communications.

TRU Corp.(appoints Robert ST. Pierre)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... TRU Corp.--ROBERT ST. PIERRE to director of sales; formerly employed at Ultra-Source, Inc.

FKI Logistex.(appoints Tim Fedrigon)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... FKI Logistex--TIM FEDRIGON to vice president of human resources for the North American operations; formerly director of human resources for Cabot Corp.

MFG Ratech.(appoints Carmen Jones)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... MFG Ratech--CARMEN JONES to the position of senior program manager; formerly project manager for Mission Support Services.

Invarium.(appoints Dr. Franz Zach)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Invarium--DR. FRANZ ZACH to vice president of applications; formerly employed at IBM SRDC.

Short courses.(education)
October 1, 2006... R.A. Wood Short Courses Introductory RF and Microwaves November 6-7 (Philadelphia, PA) RF and Microwave Receiver Design November 8-10 (Philadelphia, PA) RF Power Amps Class A-S November 13-14 (Philadelphia, PA) ...

Meetings.(education)
October 1, 2006... COMSOL Users Conference 2006 October 22-24 (Cambridge, MA) Hyatt Regency Cambridge October 26-27 (Las Vegas) J.W. Marriott Las Vegas Internet: www.comsol.com/conference2006 IGG User Conference November 1-2...

Microfluidic coupling provides wideband RF functions.(R & D roundup)
October 1, 2006... MAN'S QUEST FOR BANDWIDTH has motivated a search for new ways to achieve broadband circuit functions for telecommunications, radar, and other high-frequency electronic systems. L. Le Cloirec and fellow researchers from the Institute of...

Active filter boasts low passband distortion and wide dynamic range at 2 GHz.(R & D roundup)
October 1, 2006... ON-CHIP FILTERS have been the goal of many semiconductor process engineers for some time. Because of the trade-off between spiral inductor quality factor (Q) and inductance and the size of a device fabricated with a monolithic process, most...

Practical approach yields Class C PA: a straightforward method of developing input and output matching networks can simplify the design of a practical Class C power amplifier for communications applications from 225 to 400 MHz.(Design Feature)
October 1, 2006... Broadband Class C power amplifiers (PAs) are useful in certain communications bands. Although now integrated into the Advanced Design System (ADS) simulation software from Agilent-EEsof (www.agilent.com), the Touchstone simulation software at...

Simplify the calculation Of microstrip dimensions: the classic equations used to predict the dimensions of microstrip lines can be greatly simplified without a significant sacrifice in the accuracy of those predictions.(Design Feature)
October 1, 2006... Circuit traces on microstrip printed circuit boards (PCBs) form the interconnections between components in addition to the components themselves. These controlled-impedance lines are typically designed with a characteristic impedance of 50...

Traffic Management performs testing for triple-play services: as data, voice, and video services emerge, their efficient deployment and proper operation will depend on FPGA-based traffic-management functions for emerging Internet protocols and QoS capabilities.(Design Feature)
October 1, 2006... Triple-play telecommunications services data, voice, and video-will add to the complexity of testing next-generation wireless system architectures. To handle this latency-sensitive traffic, emerging protocols and new hardware are needed that...

Develop advanced designs for RFID transponders: the selection of technology greatly impacts the performance and functionality that can be expected from an integrated-circuit UHF RFID transponder.(Design Feature)(Radio-frequency identification)(Ultra high frequency )
October 1, 2006... Radio-frequency identification (RFID) transponder design techniques were introduced last month, in the opening installment of this two-part article series. This month more advanced methods will be explored for enhancing the performance of UHF...

Design directional couplers for high-power applications: these guidelines show how to design and analyze asymmetrical rectangular directional couplers that are suitable for handling high power levels at microwave frequencies.(Design Feature)
October 1, 2006... Directional couplers are invaluable components for measuring the power levels of signals in microwave systems. Especially when high power levels are involved, a properly designed directional coupler provides a lower-power coupled signal that is...

Improve the accuracy of amplifier ACLR and ACPR measurements.(MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS SERIES)(adjacent-channel leakage)(adjacent-channel power)
October 1, 2006... Digital wireless-communications systems employ complex modulation formats to transmit voice, data, and multimedia services over limited-bandwidth channels. Wireless networks using GSM and WCDMA offer high performance with good reliability, but...