Wireless Design & Development articles from August 2004

Wireless Design & Development archives from August 2004

Well, blow my ear off.(Up Front with Ern)(polymer electrolyte membrane )(direct methanol fuel cell )
August 1, 2004... Every now and then I have to take a bit of editorial license and find the humor in, what usually is, serious business. In this particular case, I'm referring to the emerging fuel cell industry. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a big proponent of...

WLAN power amplifier.(What's Hot)
August 1, 2004... Skyworks introduces a high performance power amplifier (PA) for 802.11 b/g WLAN systems. The PA Plus[TM] with on-chip harmonic filtering eliminates the need for additional filtering in the transmit chain. The PA delivers output power at high...

Noise and Interference Generator.(What's Hot)
August 1, 2004... Noise Com announces the E911 Noise and Interference Generator, which provides an expandable, easy-to-use platform for testing the susceptibility to interference of E911 applications on cellular phones, as well as GPS receivers used in airborne,...

MEMS switch.(What's Hot)
August 1, 2004... Dow-Key Microwave announces 6 GHz, 100 million cycle latching MEMS SPDT switches. The switches are available in a sealed SMT package. The M1C06-CDK2 RF MEMS switch has bipolar voltage pulses (+5 V; -5 V) that set and reset the switch. Initial...

Circuit materials.(What's Hot)
August 1, 2004... Rogers introduces the R/flex 3850 double-clad laminate. The laminate offers a low dielectric constant ([D.sub.k] = 29) for controlled impedance. The R/flex 3850 laminate is produced in a range of copper and film thicknesses, and is available in...

Packaging for SiGe transistors.(What's Hot)
August 1, 2004... NEC introduces a flat lead package developed specifically for use with its high breakdown voltage SiGe transistors. The M16 package measures 1.2 x 1.0 x 0.5 mm (including leads). Available in the M 16 package are the NESG2021, NESG2031, and...

900 MHz modems.(What's Hot)
August 1, 2004... AeroComm introduces ConnexLink[TM] packaged transceivers with one watt of output power. The transceivers can talk over distances of 20 miles line of sight. Units can be set up in minutes for cable-free communication between industrial RS232/...

Switched filter.(What's Hot)
August 1, 2004... TRAK introduces a C-Band five channel switched filter assembly used in airborne defense applications. The switch filter features an ultra miniature, low profile design with less than 10 dB passband insertion loss and 60 dB typical stop and...

GSM switch.(What's Hot)
August 1, 2004... TriQuint's TQP4M4010 GSM switch integrates a logic decoder using an E/D pHEMT process optimized for excellent harmonic performance. The logic decoder function eliminates an external CMOS driver chip. Despite increased functionality, this SP4T...

Coaxial cables.(What's Hot)
August 1, 2004... Semflex introduces microwave cable that delivers low attenuation. The series is specifically matched to the maximum frequency ranges of connectors such as N type, SMA, 2.92 mm, and 1.85 mm. The SLA series is suited for instrument grade...

Understanding mixers: what the numbers mean.(Technology Focus / TX/RX)(radio frequency)(intermediate frequency)
August 1, 2004... Often a mixer data sheet does not specify point, so a rule-of-thumb estimate can easily be made by examining the 1 dB compression point. As RF input levels increase, there is a point where the conversion loss will increase. IF output follow in...

GSM/GPRS/EDGE Radio.(Technology Focus / TX/RX)
August 1, 2004... Silicon Labs announces the Aero[TM] EDGE Radio, an integrated radio for GSM/GPRS/ EDGE cellular handsets. The radio provides a turnkey reference design for a quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE radio, providing a solution that enables manufacturers to...

Diplexer.(Technology Focus / TX/RX)
August 1, 2004... K&L Microwave announces the availability of the 5LZ10-00021 cellular/PCS & WLL/WiFi diplexer. The device can be used in in-building/tunnel communication distribution systems for where low loss and high isolation are required. The diplexer...

Power divider/combiner.(Technology Focus / TX/RX)
August 1, 2004... RLC Electronics introduces the series D-0640-2, a two-way in phase power divider/combiner. It uses a multi-section "Wilkinson" type design with good electrical performance over the frequency range. This was accomplished by technology in design...

Source assembly.(Technology Focus / TX/RX)
August 1, 2004... TRAK Microwave introduces a dual crystal based source assembly for airborne defense applications. The source assembly features dual frequency output, RF and DC enabled outputs, low phase noise, and rugged construction. The Model MFS127 operates...

Scaling InP transistors for RF and mixed signal applications: Indium Phosphide is maturing as a mainstream technology for both electronic and optical functions.(Gallium Arsenide )(Indium Phosphide)(Silicon Germanium )(Cover Story)
August 1, 2004... Indium Phosphide has compelling properties that make it a useful material for both electronic and optical functions. Material properties of lnP, such as higher electron mobility (~9 times that of SiGe and 2 times that of GaAs) and higher...

Design for embedded components in PCB structures: even as PCBs become denser with additional components, traces, and vias, pressure is still on to place more and more components, even after the PCB is saturated. Welcome to embedded components.(Featured Technology)(printed circuit board)
August 1, 2004... Most electronic products start with the definition of the physical package. This is turned into mechanical diagrams with physical space designated for electronic circuitry. The physical package design is limited by its application. Cell phones...

Simplified lossy filter design: minimax lossy filters are designed with only one data table and two attenuation charts to produce direct-coupled bandpass filters.(Featured Technology)(radio frequency)
August 1, 2004... RF filter designers have always known that all components are lossy all the while developing sophisticated ways to design lossless filters that produce classical responses (1). Most lossless filter designs degrade to unusable response functions...

LDMOS die technology.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... Infineon introduces the next generation of its GOLDMOS[R] LDMOS (laterally diffused metal-oxide semiconductor) die technology for RF transistors. In addition to linear efficiency, ultra-wide-bandwidth performance, and reduced memory effect, the...

MOSFET technology.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... Fairchild announces its PowerTrench[R] MOSFET process technology that yields low values for Miller Charge (Qgd), RDS(on), total gale charge (Qg), and improves gate-drain charge to gate-source charge (Qgd:Qgs) ratio. Two 30 V MOSFETs from...

Diodes.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... Rohm introduces the RFxxl and RFxx3 series of ultra FAST-speed diodes, offering high-speed switching and low [V.sub.F] with small packages. The RFxx3 series deliver a typical trr of 1120 ns. With a capacity range of 3 A to 20 A, the RFxxl...

Schottky diodes.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... M/A COM announces five low-, medium-, and high-barrier Schottky diodes in surface mount packages. Each diode and IC solution delivers improved frequency performance from DC to 26 GHz. The MA4E2508M-1112, MA4E2514L-1116, MA4E2532M-1113,...

Mixers.(Frequency Translators)
August 1, 2004... Mini-Circuits announces the ADEX level 4, 7, and 17 (LO) mixers designed to provide isolation greater than 50 dB typical with conversion loss [+ or -] 0.2 dB typical over the 10 to 1000 MHz band. LO and RF have good matching, typically 15 to 20...

Frequency transverter.(Frequency Translators)
August 1, 2004... Tampa introduces a frequency transverter module, the XTVR-1400-2RU, a bi-directional assembly that provides the tunable down-conversion with gain for the transmit direction and tunable up-conversion with low noise gain for the receive...

Multiplier chips.(Frequency Translators)
August 1, 2004... Hittite introduces two low noise GaAs PHEMT x2 active frequency multiplier chips. When driven with a 0 dBm signal, the HMC448 provides +11 dBm of typical output power and good Fo and 3Fo isolation of 20 dB with respect to the output level. It...

Capabilities brochure.(Books, CDs, Reviews)
August 1, 2004... A foundry service capabilities brochure is available from PolarFab. The 8-page, full color brochure details the company's manufacturing capabilities including an overview of the facility, and the company's turn times. PolarFab Use...

Services brochure.(Books, CDs, Reviews)
August 1, 2004... TRAK Microwave publishes a Build-To-Print and Test Capabilities brochure that introduces TRAK's experience in assembly process, materials control, advanced testing procedures, and quality assurance processes. Using the build-to-print services...

Product catalog.(Books, CDs, Reviews)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... JFW Industries' 2004 Catalog features the company's product lines, including fixed attenuators, RF switches, rotary attenuators, programmables, test systems, test accessories, power dividers and combiners, and matrix switches. The color catalog...

Wi-Fi DVD.(Books, CDs, Reviews)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Berkeley Varitronics presents a Wi-Fi tutorial DVD based on a workshop held in April 2004. The DVD contains the basics of 802.11X as well as the latest technological demonstrations. It also contains technical, theoretical, and practical 802.11...

Quad-band GSM/GPRS transmit module.(Editor's Choice / August 2004 Technology Award)
August 1, 2004... TriQuint Semiconductor's revolutionary quad-band GSM/GPRS transmit module is a small, highly-integrated form factor (6 X 6 X 1.1 mm ) module. The transmit module offers greater system integration and excellent cost-effectiveness for next...