|
Today in Science History -
 Air Route Traffic Control Centers, now using
the acronym ARTCC rather than ARTC as used in this 1960 article, were and still
are the human and computer command and control facilities responsible for safe and
orderly flow of air traffic in the U.S., and a worldwide network of Area Control
Center (ACC) handles everything else in a massive coordinated effort. The advent
of radar during World War II and the ensuing evolution of it and electronic
computers in the following years struggled to keep pace with the equally rapidly
evolving aircraft design and capability. A simple control tower with air traffic
controllers using binoculars and a radio mike could not handle the volume of airplanes
and helicopters traversing the skies and patronizing busy terminals. Many forms
of electronic navigation aids were developed including very high frequency omnidirectional
range (VOR), direction finders (DF) using antenna nulling for finding radials to/from
FM radio transmitter, long range navigation (LORAN) …
 VidaRF, a manufacturer of high performance
RF and microwave high performance circulators, isolators, couplers, power dividers,
and other passive components, is proud to introduce a series of broadband
Power Dividers covering 698 MHz through 2.70 GHz for all wireless
applications from cellular through UMTS. Available in 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8-way with
SMA, N, QMA or alternative connector configurations. VidaRF is focused on being
a solution provider by building to customer specs and offering zero days lead time
for custom parts through stock and ship program …
 Chapter 16 of the "Electricity - Basic Navy
Training Courses" introduces concepts of
alternating current (AC) motors, their
electric supply, and controls. It is part of the NAVPERS (Navy Personnel) 10622
series which is highly regarded both in and out of the military. The manuals were first
written in the middle of the last century and have been upgraded a few times since
then, but if you compare the sections like this one on AC motors in both the original
and most modern versions, not much - if anything - has changed. If you have an
interest in motors and want to understand the basics of how they work both as
motors and generators (AC and
DC), then there is not a much better source from which to start …
 Nova Microwave is
a leader in technically differentiated electronic and radio frequency Ferrite
Circulators and Isolators that connect, protect
and control critical commercial and military wireless telecommunications systems. Our staff is dedicated
to research and development of standard and custom design quality Ferrite Circulators and Isolators
from 380 MHz to 26.5 GHz. Please visit Nova Microwave today ...
 Jeffrey Kahler's "Complete Filter Design with Discrete Elements Made
Easy" article on the MW&RF website reviews some of the filter design
software tools currently available both as free apps from component vendors and
as a subset of big-name simulator suites. Says Jeffrey, "In an era of a myriad of
design tools developed to “save” the filter designer time and effort, it’s exactly
time and effort that may be lost due to learning curves, cumbersome workflows, and
limitations of the design process itself. Powerful design tools may thus be rendered
effectively useless by any one of these problems. For example, a tool that provides
powerful synthesis may fall …"
 "By drilling holes into a thin 2-D sheet
of hexagonal boron nitride with a gallium-focused
ion beam, University of Oregon scientists have created artificial atoms that generate
single photons. The artificial atoms - which work in air and at room temperature
- may be a big step in efforts to develop all-optical quantum computing, said UO
physicist Benjamín J. Alemán, principal investigator of a study published in the
journal Nano Letters. 'Our work provides a source of single photons that could act
as carriers of quantum information or as qubits. We've patterned these sources,
creating as many as we want …"
 ConductRF is continually innovating and developing
new and improved solutions for RF Interconnect needs. See the latest
TESTeCON RF
Test Cables for labs. ConductRF makes production and test coax cable assemblies
for amplitude and phased matched VNA applications as well as standard & precision
RF connectors. Over 1,000 solutions for low PIM in-building to choose from in the
iBwave component library. They also provide custom coax solutions for applications
where some standard just won't do. A partnership with Newark assures fast, reliable
access. Please visit ConductRF today to see how they can help your project!
 An excellent short history on "The Discovery of Radio Waves" was published by
George Steber in the Jan/Feb 2019 issue of Nuts & Volts magazine. "When
the concept of electromagnetic waves was first proposed around 1864, it was met
with great skepticism. As a result, the idea languished for a long time. This is
understandable since the foundations of the theory were complex and the conceptual
ideas were at odds with physical thinking. It took several decades for a handful
of dedicated persons - infatuated with the mysteries of electricity and magnetism
- to finally put the theory on a solid footing …"
Improving Object Detection with
Low-Bandwidth Radar
 "Researchers at Tel Aviv University have designed
a new type of radar ranging system that requires virtually no bandwidth to operate
successfully. This new method does not have the bandwidth limitations of traditional
methods, meaning it can be used in a vast array of different applications - particularly
when it comes to the automotive industry Traditionally,
radar resolution was believed to be proportional
the bandwidth use. Essentially, the wider available range of frequencies, the better
the radar will be at detecting objects in its path. The new method devised by researchers
seeks to change all that …"
 EE Times has an interesting piece
on their website regarding how modern engineering methods might be used to restore
the fire-ravaged
Notre−Dame church to its original condition.
Some interesting observations are made, one regarding how cleaning and replacing
stained glass tiles will affect lighting to the 13th century conditions vs. as it
was two weeks ago. Another suggests ultrasonic analysis of mortar joints to structural
integrity, use of drone photos and laser measurement to construct a detailed 3D
model of the building for work planning. It also suggests a call to social media
for obtain as many of the millions of photographs taken by visitors from all perspectives
and times of day for recreating damaged or destroyed components.
 If you happen to be Estonian, you might think
of something entirely different than most of us do when we hear the word "getter."
In fact, you probably capitalize the word since it is the name of a pop singer from
your country, Getter Jaani. If you are a child living in Japan, you would probably
think of Getter Robo, an anime from a popular cartoon series. I, and I dare say
just about everyone else that visits RF Cafe, knows getter as that silvery deposit
(typically barium) that resides inside vacuum tubes for the purpose of helping to
maintain the vacuum and to absorb pesky random molecules that might otherwise cause
electrical noise in the circuit. This article from a 1958 edition of Radio-Electronics
discusses the purpose of getter. BTW, I had never heard of either of the other two
Getters due to OGS (old guy syndrome) …
 Rohde & Schwarz has published a white
paper entitled, "The Future of EMC Test Laboratories," which addresses
the increasingly difficult to meet EMI and EMC certification requirements in today's
extremely crowded electromagnetic spectrum. "The growing complexity of electronic
devices within both military and commercial products has lead to a significant increase
in failure rate of EMC conformance testing. Product design cycle times continue
to decrease due to competitive pressure in the market. Product design companies
are spending more money on multiple iterations of product EMI compliance testing
at EMC test laboratories, and this comes at a significant …"
 Res-Net Microwave has a complete line of
precision RF & microwave components including attenuators, terminations,
resistors, and diode detectors for commercial, military, and space applications.
Products range from the small flange type to large 2,000 watt connectorized power
attenuators and/or terminations at frequencies up to 26.5 GHz. In-house photo
etch and laser trim capability. Please check out Res-Net Microwave's website to
see how they can help with your current project ...
 Since 2000, I have been creating custom
technology-themed crossword puzzles for the brain-exercising benefit and pleasure
of RF Cafe visitors who are fellow cruciverbalists. The jury is out on whether or
not this type of mental challenge helps keep your gray matter from atrophying in
old age, but it certainly helps maintain your vocabulary and cognitive skills at
all ages. A database of thousands of words has been built up over the years and
contains only clues and terms associated with engineering, science, physical, astronomy,
mathematics, chemistry, etc. You will never find a word taxing your knowledge of
a numbnut soap opera star or the name of some obscure village in the Andes mountains.
You might, however, encounter the name of a movie star like Hedy Lamarr or a geographical
location like Tunguska, Russia, for reasons which, if you don't already know, might
surprise you …
 There's not a much better way to finish up
a hard week at the office than reading a new episode of John T. Frye's "Mac's
Radio Service Shop." Mac McGregor and his trusty sidekick technician Barney tackle
nearly every issue associated with an electronics sales and service establishment
back in the heyday of radios and televisions. You might recognize the title of "Pride
and Prejudice" as being borrowed from Jane Austin's classic, which, to summarize,
deals with, well, pride and prejudice based on one's social status, and how it results
in lost opportunities. To be honest, I have not read the book (Melanie's the designated
book reader in our household) but I did see the movie version starring Keira Knightly.
Anywho, you'll need to read the second half of the story to get to the actual pride
and prejudice part …
 This is part 3 of a 5-part series of articles
by Farron Dacus. You can access this and the previous two articles and "Noise and its Shaping in Ultra-Low-Noise Synthesizer
Design" on the MW&RF website. "This third part in our low-noise synthesizer
design series is the medium-length online version. In print are the abridged versions,
while full-length versions are available at
www.longwingtech.com.
Part 1 (Dec. 2018) covered basic design for functionality and stability. Part 2
(Feb. 2019) covered the many noise sources in the synthesizer outside of the actual
synthesizer IC. This third article looks into synthesizer IC noise, the closed-loop
shaping of noises, and related issues such as optimum bandwidth. Here, a key metric
for characterizing synthesizer IC noise is developed. This material also leads directly
to analysis of optimum loop bandwidth …"
 Antennas have been deployed in difficult environments
using many ingenious methods over the years both by professionals and amateurs.
The process typically involves first propelling a lightweight string or wire across
and/or up to a supporting structure (a tower, tree, building, whatever) and then
using that lead line to draw the antenna and its accompanying coaxial or twin lead
cable into its final position. Sometimes simply tying a line to a rock and tossing
it over a tree branch does the trick, but usually deployment requires a more powerful
launch such as a a bow and arrow or even a model rocket. Many years ago R/C
Modeler magazine reported on a large radio controlled airplane (Senior Telemaster)
that towed a lead line across a wide gulch …
 Skyworks Solutions, an innovator of high performance
analog semiconductors connecting people, places and things, today unveiled its newest
family of mini circulators for
5G infrastructure. Circulators, which play a critical role in protecting RF
elements from excessive signal reflection, help eliminate performance risks and
safeguard vital equipment. Given footprint constraints in 5G, solution size is also
a key factor. Leveraging proprietary materials and processes, Skyworks' ultra-small
circulators occupy up to 50 percent less board space than competitive products without
compromising functionality - making them ideal for 5G massive MIMO and small cell
applications. Skyworks' mini circulator family represents just one segment of the
company's expansive 5G …
 "This new
memristor mimics the activity of neural networks, but can be
thrown into water and dissolved if data is at risk of falling into the wrong hands.
Neurons are remarkable. Simply by firing in certain patterns and at particular frequencies
in concert with one another, they endow us with something incredibly valuable: memory.
It's no wonder that scientists have long sought to mimic neural networks, which
are both compact and efficient, with electronic devices. One way is with the development
of memristors, devices that retain a 'memory' of the direction and amount of electrical
charge …"
 Rohde & Schwarz develops, produces and
markets
test & measurement, information and communications
technology. Focus is on test and measurement, broadcast and media, cybersecurity,
secure communications, monitoring and network testing. Markets serviced are wireless,
the automotive industry, aerospace and defense, industrial electronics, research
and education, broadcast and media network operations, consumer electronics, cybersecurity
for business and governments, communications and security solutions for critical
infrastructures and the armed forces, reconnaissance equipment for homeland and
external security, and much more …
 According to the Oxford English dictionary,
the definition of an anagram is: a word or phrase made by using the letters of another
word or phrase in a different order; e.g. "Neat" is an anagram of "a net." Therefore,
the title of this puzzle appears to be misnamed. Sometimes an anagram crossword
puzzle is created in which the clues are in the form of anagrams, but even that
is not the case here. With any due apologies to author Comstock, I hereby re-title
this a "High-Fidelity
Crossword Puzzle." The "high-fidelity" part is entirely appropriate since it
refers to the musical nature of the clues and words. As mentioned previously, the
late 1950s through the early 1980s was a major era for interest in high fidelity
radio receivers and playback gear. It represented the transition from powerful vacuum
tube amplifiers to hybrid amplifiers, clear through to high power transistorized
amplifiers. "Man caves" of the day were outfitted with the latest …
|
-
