Homepage Archive - November 2016 (page 2)

These archive pages are provided in order to make it easier for you to find items that you remember seeing on the RF Cafe homepage. Of course probably the easiest way to find anything on the website is to use the "Search RF Cafe" box at the top of every page. About RF Cafe.

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This is Page 1 | 2 of the November 2016 homepage archives.

 

Room Temp ‘Ice-wires' Have Potential for Proton Electronics

Room Temp ‘Ice-wires’ Have Potential for Proton Electronics - RF CafeConfining water inside carbon nanotubes changes its physical properties so much that it can be solid at 100°C. This discovery, while not fully understood, could lead to new advances in nanoelectronics. One of the few scientific facts that everybody knows is that water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C. One of the unusual properties of water is it is a very good conductor of protons: 10 times better than conventional conductive materials ..."

Navy Sharpens AESA Radar for F-18

Navy Sharpens AESA Radar for F-18 - RF Cafe"Raytheon is being awarded a $9.6M Navy contract to provide engineering technical services and field services for the AN/APG-65/65(V)/73/79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, associated systems, and support equipment in support of the F/A-18, EA-18G, and AV-8B aircraft. Many Navy aircraft use AESA radars because of their superior ability . to thwart jamming attempts and reduce the possibility of detection by ..."

Chernobyl New Safe Confinement in Final Construction Stage

Chernobyl New Safe Confinement in Final Construction Stage - RF CafeHard to believe it happened 30 years ago in 1986! "The construction of theNew Safe Confinement at Chernobyl is entering its final stage. The giant structure has been erected over the past four years in a secure area near the damaged reactor in two pieces which are about to be joined together. Meanwhile, a sophisticated ventilation system which will keep the structure corrosion-free during its lifespan is being installed, a technological building as the ..."

Reactance Chart from the October 1952 Radio & Television News

Reactance Chart, October 1952 Radio & Television News Article - RF CafeAs I have said before, there is no such thing as too many reactance charts. This one appeared in a 1952 issue of Radio & Television News. If you do a lot of experimenting with circuit design, then having a chart like this one handy can save a lot of time compared to punching numbers into a calculator. A quick scan of the chart give you a useful overview of where your component value lies within the realm of operating frequency. Smartphone apps and computer programs are nice for calculating exact values, but when you're futzing around with optimizing ...

Master Bond Electrically Conductive Adhesives - Whitepapers

Master Bond Electrically Conductive Adhesives - RF CafeMaster Bond has been around a long time - since 1976 in fact (the year I graduated from high school- yikes!). I remember using their products for electrical assemblies when building U.S. Navy equipment at Westinghouse Oceanic Division in Annapolis, Maryland, during the 1980s. They have many nice white papers, including ones on both electrically conductive and electrically insulative epoxies. "Versatile Epoxy Compounds for Electronic Applications" is an overview of various types and uses.

Powerline Carrier (PLC) Gigabit Home Networking - a Bane to Ham Radio

Powerline Carrier (PLC) Gigabit Home Networking: a Bane to Ham Radio - RF CafeNo mention is made in the article regarding an ongoing battle waged by the Ham radio community against companies who thus far have been unable to conform to unintentional radiation issues that wreak havoc with radio signals. "Nowadays, power line communications (PLC) has become a well-understood and established technology that enables data transfer over your existing electrical cabling; yet, it's a technology that's not ordinarily associated with extending your home network in hard-to-reach ..."

Tuesday

December Youngsters on the Air Event Set

December Youngsters on the Air Event Set - RF Cafe"The annual Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) event takes place during the entire month of December, with YOTA stations attempting to contact many other young radio amateurs around the world. The event offers an excellent opportunity for get radio amateurs in their teens and early 20s to get together on the air. 'The idea of this is to show the Amateur Radio hobby to youth and to encourage youngsters to be active within the hobby,' said International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 ..."

Can America's [RF-]Quietest Town Be Saved?

Can America's [RF-]Quietest Town Be Saved? - RF Cafe"There's a town in West Virginia where there are tight restrictions on mobile signal, WiFi and other parts of what most of us know as simply: modern life. It means Green Bank is a place unlike anywhere else in the world. But that could be set to change. 'Do you ever sit awake at night and wonder, what if?' I asked. Mike Holstine's eyes twinkled like the stars he had spent his life's work observing. 'The universe is so huge,' he began. 'On the off chance we do get that hugely lucky signal, when we look in the right place, at the right frequency. When we get that… can you imagine what that's ..."

The Yagi Antenna

The Yagi, October 1952 Radio & Television News Article - RF CafeThe Yagi–Uda antenna (usually referred to as a Yagi), is a relatively simple to construct multielement structure consisting of a combination of driven (director) and reflective (reflector) diploes. Careful phasing of the configuration results in a directional radiation pattern that is use often for long distance (DX) and direction finding work. It is also useful in a dense signal environment where there is a need to exclude received signals not emanating from a preferred source. Common (or what used to be) rooftop television antennas were of the Yagi type ...

New Optical Device Absorbs Just One Photon

New Optical Device Absorbs Just One Photon - RF Cafe"Physicists in Germany have created a new optical device that can absorb exactly one photon. They say that this device, which exploits the physical properties of giant micron-sized atoms known as Rydberg atoms, could be used in optical quantum computing networks of the future. Sebastian Hofferberth of the University of Stuttgart explains that the device first behaves like a dark sunglasses lens, but once it absorbs its first photon it becomes ..."

evissaP Listing Added to  Cable Assemblies & Connectors Pages

evissaP Cable Assemblies & Connectors - RF CafeevissaP ("Passive," backwards) is the one of the world's leading manufacturer of high performance products such as cable assemblies, adapters, connectors for RF and microwave applications. We work closely with our customers to accelerate the pace of innovation and to create breakthrough and timely solutions that are ahead of what's possible. evissaP is driving a more innovative and connected world for the future. evissaP has been added to RF Cafe's Coaxial Cables and Connector / Adapters vendor pages.

Gravity Measured Using Bose–Einstein Condensate on a Chip

Gravity Measured Using Bose–Einstein Condensate on a Chip - RF Cafe"A new sensor that measures the local acceleration due to gravity using a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) of ultracold atoms has been made by physicists in Germany, the US and Canada. While the prototype device is not as accurate as commercial gravimeters, its makers say it could be made much smaller and much more accurate than existing devices. Atoms can be used to measure the acceleration due to gravity by cooling a gas of them to near absolute zero and ..."

Monday

Engineering Career and Job Hunting Advice for November 2016

Engineering Career and Job Hunting Advice for November 2016 - RF CafePerformance review time has never been one of my favorite parts of career management. Fortunately, my reviews have always been pretty good so there never really has been any trepidation involved, but just the hassle is more than I cared to endure. Most of the managers I've had over the years were pretty ...

- Getting Through Your Year-End

   Job Performance Review

- Where The Tech Jobs Are in

   Europe : Engineers Needed

- Syncing LinkedIn with Your

   Resume for Optimal Impact

- Workplace Negotiating Tips for

   Women     <more>

Super Wi-Fi - NexGen Wi-Fi for Developing Regions

Super Wi-Fi - NexGen Wi-Fi for Developing Regions - RF Cafe"D-Link and Microsoft have collaborated to deliver the next generation of Wi-Fi, known as "Super Wi-Fi," to rural communities across the globe. They are planning to tackle some of the world's greatest technology gaps, and laying down a future network in currently underdeveloped areas. The Microsoft-led mission would give communities a foundation for an enriched digital future. A first-phase pilot is commencing in a US state, with three potential countries for future stages, and is the culmination of years of research and development already invested ..."

Ken-Rad Radio Tube Advertisement

Ken-Rad Radio Tube Advertisement, April 1947 Radio News - RF CafeAchieving what we consider relatively simple results with electronics indicators used to be cutting edge technology. This 6AL7-GT Electron-Ray Indicator Tube by Ken-Rad (a division of General Electric) provided a dual-channel electrofluorescent (i.e., cathode ray) display of relative signal strength or tuning the new-fangled FM radio stations. The tube could also be used, of course, for many other applications where signal strength from any measured process: fuel level, voltage, temperature, stock price, phase angle, sound volume, speed, etc. Today, we have electrochemical indicators so ...

VidaRF Intros 2 to 18 GHz, 32-Way Power Divider

VidaRF Intros 2 to 18 GHz, 32-Way Power Divider - RF CafeVidaRF offers a new 32-Way Power Divider, model VPD-20180A32. Frequency range from 2 to 18 GHz and providing 30 W power as splitter with low insertion loss. This model also provides high isolation port to port and low amplitude and phase balance. Operating temp -55 to 85 C. Sealed and painted to meet IP65 standards ...

48 Organisations That Know Your Entire Online Browsing History

48 Organisations That Know Your Entire Online Browsing History - RF Cafe"The police, NHS and the tax man will now be able to hack into your phones and check your browsing history after the Snoopers' Charter was passed by Parliament last week. The bill, officially called the Investigatory Powers Bill, forces electronic data to be stored by internet providers for 12 months, which can be subsequently collected by law enforcement. Now a blogger has created a list of all the people who will be able to request to view your internet history if the bill ...

Iridium Launches Next-Generation Satcom Communications

Iridium Launches Next-Generation Satcom Communications - RF CafeSide Note: The Iridium system was thusly named because it originally was to consist of a constellation of 77 satellites. 77 is the atomic number of elemental iridium, hence an allusion to the Bohr model of electrons orbiting a nucleus. "Iridium Satellite has been awarded a potential five-year, $8M contract to support commercial satellite-based network services for the Department of Defense in the areas of satellite, ground node, user equipment / terminal software and hardware development, integration ..."

Antennas Crossword Puzzle

Antennas Crossword Puzzle for November 27, 2016 - RF CafeThis week's crossword puzzle contains the usual collection of science, math, engineering terms, amateur radio, but also has many words specifically relating to antennas (those are the clues marked with an asterisk *). As always, you'll never be 'challenged' to know terms relating to movie stars, leaders of obscure countries, or archaic pottery making terms. Enjoy ...

Friday

Anatech Electronics Newsletter for November 2016 - RF Cafe

Anatech Electronics Newsletter for November 2016 - RF CafeAnatech Electronics, a manufacturer of RF and microwave filters, has published its November 2016 newsletter. As always, it includes both company news and some tidbits about relevant industry happenings. This month, Sam Benzacar discusses the topic of "Coming: The Small Cell Invasion," which is a big part of the coming 5G tidal wave of information broadcasting. Anatech's business is to make certain that system and circuit designers have capable filters available to assure successful implementation ...

Do Physicists Avoid Reading Papers with Lots of Equations?

Do Physicists Avoid Reading Papers with Lots of Equations? - RF Cafe"Including large numbers of mathematical equations in a research paper could impede the effective communication of the physics it describes. That is the controversial conclusion of a study of citation numbers by researchers from the University of Exeter in the UK, who advocate for the more accessible reporting of theoretical research. However, some physicists disagree with their analysis and conclusion. Mathematics plays a fundamental role across the ..."

Electro-Photonics Intros 800-2200 MHz Directional Coupler Series

Electro-Photonics Intros 800-2200 MHz Directional Coupler Series - RF CafeElectro-Photonics, a market leader in RF and Microwave components has released a new series of surface mount directional couplers featuring frequencies from 800 - 2200 MHz. Our new directional couplers have nominal values of 10, 15, and 20 dB and can dissipate from 50-80 Watts of power in a small 0.283 x 0.197 inches (7.19 mm x 5.00 mm) package. These SMT couplers offer excellent directivity, coupling flatness and low insertion loss for the most critical applications ...

Heavy Screen Time Rewires Young Brains, for Better and Worse

Heavy Screen Time Rewires Young Brains, for Better and Worse - RF Cafe"There's new evidence that excessive screen time early in life can change the circuits in a growing brain. Scientists disagree, though, about whether those changes are helpful, or just cause problems. Both views emerged during the Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego this week. The debate centered on a study of young mice exposed to six hours daily of a sound and light show reminiscent of a video game. The mice showed 'dramatic changes everywhere in the brain ..."

Thursday

Electronics-Themed Comics from the 1950s & 1960s

Here in the USA, it is Thanksgiving Day when this is posted, so most people reading today are probably concentrating on sharing a nice turkey dinner and all the trimmings with friends and/or family. Many also take off Black Friday as well to make it a four-day weekend. Work is not on the top of priority list right now. Perhaps the only holiday more anticipated is Christmas. While waiting for those last few minutes to pass until you can check out for the day, enjoy these electronics-themed comics from a vintage editions of Electronics World and Radio & Television News magazines. Have a nice holiday!

Thomas Edison Photo on New York Times Meeting Room Wall

Thomas Edison Photo on New York Times Meeting Room Wall - RF CafeA headline news story appeared today that reported on president-elect Donald Trump's meeting with the New York Times editorial board. My eye was immediately drawn to the large photograph of Thomas Edison on the wall behind Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway. Many other recognizable people of note are there as well. From what I can find out, those are all autographed pictures of people who have visited the boardroom. I have identified ...

Wednesday

Greensboro Martial Arts Academy (GMAA) Diorama

Greensboro Martial Arts Academy Diorama - Airplanes and RocketsMany RF Cafe visitors are avid craftsmen and have appreciated my posting of projects over the years, so here is another you might find interesting. Sometime around the year 2000, while we were living in Fairfield, Ohio, our daughter, Sally, made a diorama of a Tae Kwon Do martial arts dojo that was inspired by the school she was attending at the time. Unbeknownst to Sally, Melanie and I had kept the diorama in a cardboard box for lo these many years. We decided to make a nice wood and Plexiglas display case for it and present it to her for her birthday. The case is made from some scrap walnut given to me by a friend. Korean, Chinese, and Japanese versions of "Greensboro Martial Arts Academy" and a few ...

VidaRF Offers Wide Selection of Isolators & Circulators

VidaRF Offers Wide Selection of Isolators & Circulators - RF CafeVidaRF offers a wide selection of Isolators and Circulators designed to cover 80 MHz to 60 GHz. Configured for Coaxial, Drop-In, Surface Mount or Waveguide. Standard connector SMA female, other connectors available upon request. Magnetically shielded, clockwise or counter-clock wise rotation, Low IMD of -80 dBc, reflected power from 1 W to 250 W on pending models, single or double junction. RoHS compliant ...

Biggest Spike in Traffic Deaths in 50 Years? Blame Apps

Biggest Spike in Traffic Deaths in 50 Years? Blame Apps - RF CafeI rarely use a cellphone - almost never while driving (only if someone else does the dialing). Even glancing at the dashboard GPS display can require more attention than I deem truly safe. My dedication to events outside the car allow me to see many instances of other drivers being oblivious to their surroundings while driving (or stopped at a light). Accordingly, this NY Times story is no surprise. Airplane pilots flying on instruments (IFR) must have visual contact with the runway within the legal decision height or abort the landing because he/she cannot properly fly the plane and concentrate on instruments inside the cockpit at the same time. Sometimes you get lucky when ignoring the rules; other times you damage yourself and/or innocents ..."

Many Thanks for Alliance Test Equipment's Support!

Alliance Test EquipmentAlliance Test sells used / refurbished test equipment, we offer short- and long-term rentals. We also offer repair, maintenance and calibration. Prices discounted up to 80% off list price. Agilent/HP, Allied Test Equipment Products - RF CafeTektronix, Anritsu, Fluke, R&S and other major brands. A global organization with ability to source hard to find equipment through our network of suppliers. Please visit Allied Test Equipment today to see how they can help your project ...

Tuesday

Nanoantenna Changes Direction of Light for Optical Computing

Nanoantenna Changes Direction of Light and the Prospects of Optical Computing - RF Cafe"Russian and U.S. researchers have developed a technique whereby the direction of light can be manipulated using a novel optical nanoantenna. The researchers believe that this nanoantenna could help lead to a new era in optical information processing in telecommunications systems. Of course, replacing electrons with photons is the basis of optical computing. However, realizing this switch is fraught with difficulties — not the least of which is the fact that because a photon ..."

WindFreak Technologies / Saelig Company Cyber Week Sale

Windfreak Technologies and Saelig are offering Special Sale Prices on the very popular SynthUSBII and SynthNV RF frequency synthesizers during Cyber Week 2016, running from November 21 through December 4, 2016. The Windfreak SynthUSBII is a 34.4 MHz to 4.4 GHz software tunable RF signal generator controlled via USB port. The SynthNV is a 34.4 MHz to 4.4 GHz software tunable RF signal generator, sweeper and RF power detector controlled via software ...

Survey of Transistor Development, October 1952

Survey of Transistor Development, October 1952 Radio & Television News Article - RF CafeWhen this article was published in 1952, the transistor was not quite five years old, and the first commercially available transistor had been on the market for a year. Germanium was the semiconductor of choice at the time since silicon had not been refined enough yet. The term 'point contact' refers to the manner in which early transistors were built where the emitter and collector connections with the base material were metal pieces pressed against a doped germanium slab. The obvious mechanical weaknesses ...

Nokia Files to Demo 5G at 28 GHz

Nokia Files to Demo 5G at 28 GHz - RF Cafe"Based on an application for Special Temporary Authority (STA) filed with the FCC, it looks like Nokia wants to demonstrate its 5G gear at 28 GHz for Charter Communications at Charter's Englewood, Colorado, facility. The application didn't name Charter, but it included an address to demonstrate 5G wireless equipment 'to one of our customers located in Englewood Colorado.' The STA period would be from ..."

Saelig Intros 5½ Digit High Performance Bench/Portable Multimeters

Saelig Introduces 5½ Digit High Performance Bench/Portable Multimeters - RF CafeSaelig Company has announced the 1908 and 1908P Digital Multimeters - high accuracy, high resolution dual-measurement benchtop instruments with USB and other optional interfaces. Additional features include frequency, capacitance, and temperature measurements, as well as a wide range of math and data logging functions. Unlike most high performance bench multimeters, these DMMs include internal rechargeable batteries for 'use anywhere' versatility. This enables ...

13 College Engineering Programs for Under $20,000

13 College Engineering Programs for Under $20,000 - RF CafeCharles Murray, over at Design News, posted an interesting piece on where to earn a for-real engineering degree without going broke. The thumbnail image here is instantly recognizable as the interior of the chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs. There, as with the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis), the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (New London), a duly appointed person can earn not only a highly respected engineering degree, but get paid for doing it to boot. None of the four academies has ever made the Top Party Schools list, but as with Ivy League colleges will gain you favor by many alumni in industry and government who favor fellow travelers ...

Monday

SpaceX Wants to Launch 4,425 Satellites for Super-Fast Internet

SpaceX to Launch 4,425 Satellites for Super-Fast Internet - RF Cafe$5B in government subsidies can buy a lot of innovation: "Elon Musk's SpaceX wants to launch thousands of satellites into space with the aim of providing super-fast global internet coverage, according to a regulatory filing. SpaceX – the company on a mission to colonize Mars – outlined plans to put 4,425 satellites into space in an FCC filing from earlier this week. That's 3x the 1,419 satellites that are currently in space, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a not-for-profit group made up of scientists ..."

YL News and Views

YL News and Views, November 1953 QST - RF CafeFinding current information on the ARRL's Brass Pounders League (BPL) is difficult, and in fact a search on the ARRL.org website does not get you to a page with a date more recent than around 2012. I don't know whether the BPL has been 'obsoleted' or just does not enjoy the promotion level it once did. This article in The Dipole publication reviews a bit of the history of the Brass pounders League, and even mentions Mae Burke, who is featured in this 1953 QST article. If I wasn't so busy, I would do some research to find out what the percentage of licensed female Hams was in 1953 compared with today. I wouldn't ...

Rah, Rah, Sis-Boom-Bah!

Sis-Boom-Bah (December 2016 QST) - RF CafeYou have heard the referenced cheerleading call but do you know its origin? Me neither, until last night when I read about it in the December issue of QST magazine. That makes it a legitimate RF-related topic for consuming column space here. ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher wrote in "Cheers for College Amateur Radio: Sis-boom-bah!," "Dating back to 1867, the onomatopoetic phrase 'sis-boom-bah' imitates the sound of a skyrocket flight (sis), the burst of the fireworks (boom), and the reaction of the crowd (ah)." You're welcome.

Internal Magnetic Structure of Permanent Magnet Materials

Internal Magnetic Structure of Permanent Magnet Materials - RF Cafe"A research team in Japan developed a technique to quantitatively evaluate the internal magnetic structure of permanent magnet materials using a neutron beam. A research team led by postdoctoral researcher Tetsuro Ueno, Elements Strategy Initiative Center for Magnetic Materials (ESICMM), Research Center for Magnetic and Spintronic Materials (CMSM), National Institute for Materials Science ..."

Many Thanks Once Again to Skyworks Solutions for Long-Time Support!

Skyworks SolutionsSkyworks Solutions is empowering the wireless networking revolution. Our highly innovative analog semiconductors are Skyworks Solutions communications building blocksconnecting people, places and things spanning a number of new and previously unimagined applications within the automotive, broadband, cellular infrastructure, connected home, industrial, medical, military, smartphone, tablet and wearable markets. Skyworks is Hiring! View current openings for SOI and RF Design Engineers today! Careers at Skyworks

Thanksgiving Day 2016 Crossword Puzzle

Thanksgiving Day Crossword Puzzle for November 20, 2016 - RF CafeThis week's RF Cafe crossword puzzle contains the usual assortment of engineering and science related words and clues, but there are also a few specific words commemorating our Thanksgiving Day holiday (indicated by a asterisk *) that is celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday of November. Macy's 90th Thanksgiving Day Parade occurs on the morning of November 24th and follows a route along Central Park West and 6th Avenue. Interestingly, the parade was cancelled during the World War II years of 1942, 1943, and ...

Friday

Peregrine Semi Intros 100-Watt RF SOI Power Limiter

Peregrine Semiconductor Introduces 100-Watt RF SOI Power Limiter - RF CafePeregrine Semiconductor Corp., founder of RF SOI (silicon on insulator) and pioneer of advanced RF solutions, announces the UltraCMOS® PE45361, a monolithic 100-watt power limiter. The next generation in Peregrine's power limiter product family, the PE45361 builds on the success of the award-winning 50-watt UltraCMOS power limiters and adds higher pulsed power handling, a lower limiting threshold and positive threshold control. UltraCMOS power limiters provide a monolithic alternative to discrete, PIN-diode ...

Please Thank KR Electronics for Helping Deliver RF Cafe!

KR ElectronicsKR Electronics designs and manufactures high quality filters for both the commercial and military markets. KR Electronics KR Electronics filter types - RF Cafemanufactures all filter types and individually synthesizes filters for special applications. State of the art computer synthesis, analysis and test methods are used to meet the most challenging specifications. Please visit their website today to see how they might be of assistance ...

Gold Nanospheres Confine Light to Smallest Volume Ever

Gold Nanospheres Confine Light to Smallest Volume Ever - RF Cafe"Light has been confined to volumes smaller than the size of a single atom for the first time. The feat, which seemed completely impossible even just a few years ago, has been achieved by researchers in the UK and Spain. They say that the "picocavity" that confines the light can be thought of as the world's smallest magnifying glass. It could be used to study how light and matter interact at tiny ..."

The Broken U.S. Patent System

The Broken U.S. Patent System - RF CafeThe U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is constantly advertising for examiners. Its workload is overwhelming and the consequences are significant. Based on information on an extremely well-written and researched article in the July/August 2016 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine titled "The Greatest American Invention," the situation is practically out of control. Similar to many other pieces published in the last few years, author Scott Eden meticulously outlines the systematic failures of the current patent bureaucracy and how, as is typical, mostly unqualified lawmakers in an attempt to 'reform' it pass regulations that make matters ...

Scientists Just Measured The Smallest Fragment of Time Yet

Scientists Just Measured The Smallest Fragment of Time Yet - RF Cafe"Physicists successfully measured time in zeptoseconds while watching an electron escape from an atom. This is now the smallest observed span of time. A team from the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics led the research. They used lasers to hit a helium atom. They were able to observe Einstein's photoelectric effect in full swing. Einstein proposed the effect in 1905 and said it happens when light particles (photons) hit an atom's ..."

SK Telecom, Ericsson Demonstrate 5G Connected BMW at 28 GHz

SK Telecom, Ericsson Demonstrate 5G Connected BMW at 28 GHz - RF Cafe"SK Telecom and Ericsson are claiming a first after conducting 5G trials with BMW at a BMW driving center in Yeongjong Island, Incheon, South Korea, using the 28 GHz band. The companies said the trial showed that 5G performance will support V2X (Vehicular Connectivity) services that require low latency and consistent high bi-directional throughput. SK described it as the world's largest millimeter wave 5G trial network using the 28 GHz band. Known as “T5,” the 5G-based vehicle was ..."

Thursday

Swinging Tabletop for Notebook Computer

Swinging Tabletop for Notebook Computer - Airplanes and RocketsWay back around 1996, I slipped on an icy sidewalk in Colorado Springs, landing on my back and whacking my head on the concrete. Ever since then, I have had recurring nerve-related issues in my right arm and hand due to cartilage damage in the C4-C5 cervical vertebrae region. It is strange to experience a pain that seems to originate in my fingers, upper arm...    The design is neither elegant nor sophisticated; it's even a little embarrassing. Why embarrassing, you might ask? If you look at the labeled assembly photo, you will see that the bottom and top mounting components are ...

Light-Driven Motors to Power Nanorobots of the Future

Light-Driven Motors to Power Nanorobots of the Future - RF Cafe"Scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICP RAS), and Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (ISC NASU) have proposed a model nanosized dipole photomotor based on the phenomenon of light-induced charge redistribution. Triggered by a laser pulse, this tiny device is capable of directed motion at a record speed and is powerful enough to carry ..."

Skyworks Announces Advanced SPDT Switch for WLAN Applications

Skyworks Announces Advanced SPDT Switch for WLAN Applications - RF CafeSkyworks has released the SKY13592-689LF, a new single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) switch for mode switching in WLAN applications such as ISM band radios, smartphones and connectivity modules. This 1.0-6.0 GHz device uses advanced switching technologies to maintain low insertion loss and high isolation for all switching paths. It also delivers high-linearity performance, making it an ideal choice for low-power transmit/receive applications. Integrated DC blocking capacitors ...

Modern Capacitors

Modern Capacitors, May 1963 Electronics World - RF CafeCapacitor science has evolved at a very rapid rate since the beginning of electronics and electrical circuitry. Since the early Leyden jar (named after the city where it was invented by Ewald Georg von Kleist) type capacitor, continual advancements in materials for electrolytes and metal plates, as well as in packaging, have led to incredibly high storage density, miniature size, high voltage and current, mounting configuration ...

Better Tracking, Resilience Needed for Milsats

Better Tracking, Resilience Needed for Milsats - RF Cafe"The latest edition of an annual space security index emphasizes that it's getting congested up there, that space debris is a growing problem and new space situational awareness tools are needed to detect and track a growing constellation of satellites used for military and commercial purposes—often both. Along with crowding at prime slots in geosynchronous orbits, the annual index released this week warns ..."

NSA Spy Hub in New York, Hidden in Plain Sight

NSA Spy Hub in New York, Hidden in Plain Sight - RF CafeCodename "Titanpointe," commissioned in 1974, pales in comparison to the spy centers built in the last 8 years, but is still looms mysteriously in downtown lower Manhattan. "They called it Project X. It was an unusually audacious, highly sensitive assignment: to build a massive skyscraper, capable of withstanding an atomic blast, in the middle of New York City. It would have no windows, 29 floors with three basement levels, and enough food to last 1,500 people two weeks in the event ..."

Wednesday

Berkeley Nucleonics 27 GHz Wideband Receiver for Real-Time Signal Analysis

Berkeley Nucleonics - 27 GHz Wideband Receiver Provides Real-Time Signal Analysis - RF CafeThroughout the design process of the RTSA 7500 series Wideband Receivers, Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation's focus on end-user functionality was paramount. On a platform that supports Real-Time measurements—with the ability to be daisy chained for multi-channel phase coherence—BNC has shown the world once more that big things come in small packages. With BNC's Wideband Receivers, a solution is now available for any ...

EO-79/FUNcube-3 Now Available for Amateur Radio Use

EO-79/FUNcube-3 Now Available for Amateur Radio Use - RF Cafe"The EO-79/FUNcube-3 satellite has transitioned to Amateur Radio service, now that its primary mission has been completed. AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL have announced that the FUNcube U/V transponder on the 2U CubeSat QB50p1 has been activated with a regular schedule. Due to power budget constraints, the transponder cannot be operational 24/7, and an orbit-specific schedule has been developed. The transponder will commence operation 27 minutes ..."

Specialized Tool for Optimized Simulation of 5G MIMO Systems

Specialized Tool for Optimized Simulation of 5G MIMO Systems - RF Cafe"Remcom has announced the release of Wireless InSite MIMO, a new version of its site-specific radio propagation software that simulates the detailed multipath of large numbers of MIMO channels while overcoming the increased level of computations required for traditional ray tracing methods. With a tremendous increase in the number of connected devices and mobile data demand predicted over ..."

Packaged Radar

Packaged Radar, October 1952 Radio & Television News Article - RF CafeRyan Aeronautical Company was founded in 1934, and became part of Teledyne in 1969, and eventually being owned Northrop Grumman in 1999. Ryan, which produced many airplanes and drones, was perhaps most famous for building the Spirit of St. Louis (Ryan NYP) used by Charles Lindbergh on his historic transatlantic flight. Ryan also dabbled in jet engines and electronics. The 'packaged radar' concept described in this 1952 article was the precursor to modular ...

Portable Terahertz Scanner Made from Carbon Nanotubes

Portable Terahertz Scanner Made from Carbon Nanotubes - RF Cafe"Terahertz radiation can peer through objects to spot hidden items and analyze their chemistry, but today's THz detectors are typically inflexible and bulky. Now scientists in Japan have for the first time created a portable, flexible, wearable terahertz scanner in order to better image objects with curves, including the human body. Terahertz rays, which lie between the infrared and microwave bands ..."

NavCube Could Support X-Ray Communication Test in Space - RF Cafe"Two proven technologies have been combined to create a promising new technology that could meet future navigational challenges in deep space. It also may help demonstrate - for the first time - X-ray communications in space, a capability that would allow the transmission of gigabits per second throughout the solar system. The new technology, called NavCube ..."