 Friday 15
 Axiom Test Equipment, an electronic test
equipment rental and sales company has published a new blog to discuss both what
must be tested, and which are the correct instruments to perform DC electrical testing
for the
design and maintenance of UAVs. By performing regular measurements on a UAV,
the efficiency of the UAV's powertrain can be better characterized and optimized.
Especially in all-electric drones, scheduled measurements can help to maintain the
efficiency of an electric UAV's propulsion system. Discover specific instruments
used for maintaining UAV electrical system performance including battery analyzers
and simulators, digital multimeters and voltmeters. Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) are quickly being adopted for commercial and industrial applications, almost
as quickly as they have been accepted as part of the modern battlefield for intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions...
 "You know how you leave space in a water
bottle before you pop it in the freezer - to accommodate the fact that water expands
as it freezes? Most metal parts in airplanes face the opposite problem. At high
altitudes (low temperatures) they shrink. To keep such shrinkage from causing major
disasters, engineers make airplanes out of composites or alloys, mixing materials
that have opposite expansion properties to balance one another out. Scientists at
the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory used x-rays to explore
an unusual metal that expands dramatically at low temperature. The experiments on
samarium sulfide doped with some impurities revealed details about the material's
atomic-level structure and the electron-based origins of its 'negative
thermal expansion.' The work opens..."
 Empower RF Systems
is a global leader in power amplifier solutions. Empower RF Systems is an established
and technologically superior supplier of high power solid state RF & microwave
amplifiers. Our offerings include modules, intelligent rack-mount amplifiers, and
multi-function RF Power Amplifier solutions to 6 GHz in broadband and band
specific designs. Output power combinations range from tens of watts to multi-kilowatts.
Unprecedented size, weight and power reduction of our amplifiers is superior to
anything in the market at similar frequencies and power levels.
 This is pretty cool. If I owned a good receiver
(which I don't), I would definitely give it a try. In 1970 when this Popular
Electronics article was written, a lot of Hams were still using tube receivers
so the recommendation to let the equipment warm up for several hours prior to making
the fine frequency adjustments was good advice. Nowadays the warm-up time and stability
of receivers should permit 30 minutes or so to suffice (even ovenized frequency
references need time to stabilize when first powered up). Unless I missed it, the
author does not explicitly state that the frequency change measured over time is
due to gravity acting on the mass of the crystal reference, but I suspect that is
his intention since part of the experiment involves disconnecting the antenna and
shielding the receiver from outside interferers. Over a lunar month period (29.5
days) we experience a leap tide and a neap tide which maximizes and minimizes, respectively,
the vector sum...
 Teledyne e2v HiRel, part of the Teledyne
Defense Electronics Group, today announced a new family of
10 GHz RF Gain Blocks using space-qualified InGaP amplifier technology.
Spearheaded by an 18.4 dB gain model, this new group of Gain Blocks, TDGB010,
is based on an indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) technology suitable for both space
and, optionally, defense applications. It achieves this through its ceramic packaging
and space qualification. Teledyne e2v HiRel customers now have a standard amplifier
solution that stretches from L-band through X-band. Since a standardized amplifier
solution reduces the number of new qualified components that flight programs typically
require, it greatly simplifies the procurement process for components. The X-band
Gain Blocks are available in configurations of 13.6, 16.5 and 18.4 dB which
enable RF design...
 MPDevice (MPD) has become a trustworthy
and reliable company in the global RF market as a manufacturer of
passive RF Devices. Included
are attenuators and terminations, coaxial connectors, adapters, and cable assemblies,
DC blocks, surge arrestors, power combiner / dividers, and directional couplers.
The Korean Telecommunication market is now entering into the era of hyperconnected
society. With continuous enhancement in R&D capabilities and quality control,
MPD will continue in an effort to become the No. 1 technologically innovative
company with a focus on the emerging 5G marketplace.
Thursday 14
 Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit
Emphasis (SPICE)
has been around since 1973. The basic computational engine has always been open
source. It began as a simple analog circuit simulator that took a structured text
file as the input net list and provided a text file output that contained the calculated
values that the user specified such as DC bias points, transient analysis, and AC
analysis. Online simulators are now going through the same kinds of growing pains
that the earlier iterations of PC-based SPICE simulators experienced. Most are really
clunky and always seem to be missing key features and/or easily accessed features
- like rotating components on the schematic or routing interconnect lines. Aspen
Labs, in a partnership with Digi−Key, has a free online analog circuit simulator
called PartSim that seems to have conquered most of the basics. Being able to save
and recall your work is a huge benefit...
 "By chemically forming multilayered, microscopic
copper tubes on a sapphire substrate, then using capillary action to fill them with
iron nanoparticles, a research team was able to fabricate high-impedance
on-chip microinductors. Creating a basic indicator on a substrate sounds easy
- just metallize the substrate, preferably with a spiral, serpentine, or other pattern.
While traditional microchip inductors are relatively large 2D spirals of wire, a
team at the University of Illinois Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory
boosted the performance of its previously developed 3D inductor technology by up
to three orders of magnitude using a more sophisticated technique..."
 TotalTemp Technologies has introduced a
new, larger model of their industry-leading thermal testing platform line. The
SD450-N Thermal Platform offers 450 square (18" x 25") inches of even, wide
range, precise thermal testing from 200°C to -100°C. Extended range options, safety
features and alternate cooling methods available. New design allows more accessibility,
custom fixturing and clamping choices. Great for MPUs, amplifiers, radios, and other
large devices with a flat thermally conductive surface. Advanced programmable Synergy
Nano temperature controller can monitor and log one or many points on the device(s)
allowing advanced temperature control optimization. We have many new custom covers
and other options.
 After seeing the recently posted Radio-Electronics
article entitled "G−String
Transmission Line and Helical Wave Coils," RF Cafe visitor and contributor,
Bob D., reminded me of AT&T's
Project AirGig
5G system which appears to be a form of the G−String surface wave data communications
system. AirGig launches 24 GHz and 60 GHz waves along power lines and
then distributes signals locally to wireless access points in (Wi-fi routers, cellphones,
etc.). AC/DC power for the AirGig node is inductively obtained from the distribution
lines. Initial deployment is planned for 2021. The ARRL in 2016 posted a news item
entitled "AT&T's New 'AirGig'
Not Your Father's BPL," which alludes to Dr. Goubau's G−String technology.
Kevin A. referenced a 1974 QST article entitled "Putting the G-Line to Work."
AirGig is not likely to interfere with Amateur Radio activities because of its mm−wave
operation. Time will tell.
 Cadence® AWR Design Environment® Version 15 (V15),
which includes AWR® Microwave Office, AWR Visual System Simulator™ (VSS) and AXIEM®
and Analyst™ electromagnetic (EM) simulators, has been released and is now available
for download by current customers and evaluators. This latest release brings RF/microwave
design solutions to the Cadence software portfolio for monolithic microwave integrated
circuit (MMIC)/RFIC, package/module, and printed circuit board (PCB) designs. The
release provides key new features, add-on modules and enhancements driven by 5G,
automotive and aerospace and defense applications. V15 improves engineering productivity
with new analyses, faster and higher capacity...
 Exodus Advanced Communications is a multinational
RF communication equipment and engineering service company serving both commercial
and government entities and their affiliates worldwide. Power amplifiers ranging
from 10 kHz to 51 GHz with various output power levels and noise figure
ranges, we fully support custom designs and manufacturing requirements for both
small and large volume levels. decades of combined experience in the RF field for
numerous applications including military jamming, communications, radar, EMI/EMC
and various commercial projects with all designing and manufacturing of our HPA,
MPA, and LNA products in-house.
Wednesday 13
 Sangamo Electric Company was a "heap" big
name in capacitors in the realm in the middle of the last century. The company always
featured an American Indian in its electronics magazine advertisements, and usually
also included some form of "indian-ese" statements as part of the sales pitch. Of
course such marketing schemes would be vehemently raided and those responsible figuratively
"scalped," if you will pardon the gratuitous expressions. As with using names like
the Washington Redskins, the Atlanta Braves, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Cleveland
Indians to appropriate and celebrate the bravery and might of the named peoples,
Sangamo implied quality, durability, and reliability of its products through an
association with American Indians. That does not matter to people who seek to create
discord amongst the population while, in many cases, seeking notoriety and financial
gain for themselves. Sangamo Electric was located in Marion, Illinois, an area where
a few other uses of Sangamo are used, but I could not find any direct reference
to a Sangamo tribe...
 Usually, when I read about yet another launching
of rockets from Gaza into Israel, what comes to mind is the barrage of
V1 Buzz Bombs and ultimately the V2 rockets that Germany terrorized London with
during World War II. Although overall not very effective individually, they
did cause brief spells of horror for the localized group of people that were affected
through maiming, killing, or property destruction. The difference between the Nazi's
weapons and Hamas' weapons is that the Germans didn't depend on other terrorist
entities to supply them with their weapons of destruction; they were brilliant people
who had evil intentions of world domination. Hugo Gernsback writes here that the
initial plan for the V2 was to deliver an electromagnetic impulse that would disable
all electrical and electronic systems within 8,000 feet of its detonation point
- what we nowadays call an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon. BTW, the 'V#' designation
stood for...
 Centric RF is a company offering from stock
various RF and Microwave coaxial
components, including attenuators, adapters, cable assemblies, terminations,
power dividers, and more. We believe in offering high performance parts from stock
at a reasonable cost. Frequency ranges of 0-110 GHz at power levels from 0.5-500
watts are available off the shelf. Order today, ship today! Centric RF is currently
looking for vendors to partner with them. Please visit Centric RF today.
 Thanks to the COVID-19 virus which originated
in Wuhan China and was allowed to spread throughout the world by CCP officials,
our idiotic state governors have assumed warden status over millions of Americans
who are being denied the opportunity to go to work and earn an honest living. Instead,
politicians want to magnanimously issue government checks so people can barely eke
out an existence, while being effectively sentenced to house arrest with excursions
outside requiring the wearing of a face mask (the new-world ankle bracelet). Scare
tactics have caused many folks to willingly accept the orders. This short video
by Kevin James (never heard of him) entitled "Out of Touch"
perfectly captures the outrageousness of the situation. Hitler's
Brownshirts would be
proud.
 "Just because it's futuristic doesn't mean
it's practical." - Crow T.
Robot, MST3K, 'Design
for Dreaming,' Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). MST3K was a TV series in
the 1980s-1990s where a human was forced by evil scientists to watch B movies, with
automatons  Crow T. Robot and Mike Servo provided for comfort.
Their silhouettes are seen in the theater's front row as they make wise cracks about
and gestures toward the movie as it plays. One of my favorite clips is from the
"Space Mutiny"
film, where Crow, Mike, and Servo roll out a long string of insulting names for
the 'hero' character. You'll definitely get a laugh out of it.
 Withwave manufactures an extensive line of
metrology quality coaxial test cable assemblies, connectors (wave-, end-, vertical-launch,
board edge, panel mount), calibration kits (SOLT), a
fully automated 4-port vector network analyzer
(VNA) calibrator, between- and in-series connector adaptors, attenuators, terminations,
DC blocks, torque wrenches, test probes & probe positioner. Special test fixtures
for calibration and multicoax cable assemblies. Frequency ranges from DC through
110 GHz. Please contact Withwave today to see how they can help your project
succeed.
Tuesday 12
 Syzygy is a great word for a Scrabble game.
If you use it on a Triple Word Score (TWS) space where the "Z" sits on a Double
Letter Score (DLS) space, it will net you 105 points. About the only way to do better
is to use all 7 letters on a TWS play, where you earn 50 bonus points added to your
word score (I've done it twice in the last year).
Syzygy is an astronomical term referring to an alignment of three or more celestial
bodies - not necessarily in exact alignment, but within a few degrees. Astrologers
(not to be confused with astronomers) have since their knuckles no longer dragged
on the ground exploited such scenarios to predict various events both good and bad.
That was even before they knew those "wandering" orbs (planet means "wanderer")
were different than the (seemingly) stationary points of light. Until Galileo turned
his rudimentary telescope on the planets, the only celestial objects with a discernable
disk shape were the sun and moon, and possibly the earth. But I digress. It was
long thought that the vector sum of gravitational influences was responsible for
certain phenomena on our planet, including weather, tides, and earthquakes...
 Good news - another excuse to blasting your
brain with electromagnetic waves! "It's going to get a lot easier to
wirelessly
charge earbuds and smart watches following the release of upgraded specifications
for Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The NFC Forum announced Tuesday the
adoption of new standards that will permit the wireless charging of small battery-powered
consumer devices using a smartphone and other NFC-capable devices. The new standard,
called Wireless Charging Specification (WLC), can transmit both data and power wirelessly
to NFC-equipped devices. Charging capacity will be capped at 1 watt, which is sufficient
for small devices such as earbuds, security fobs, fitness trackers and digital pens.
Larger devices such as smartphones and laptops require greater charging capacity
and would not benefit from the new specifications. For those devices, QI wireless
technology that provides up to 14 watts of power..."
 If you think government bureaucracies meddling
in the affairs of private business is a relatively new phenomenon, think again.
Elected and unelected persons and agencies have since the inception of control over
the populace made it their business to dictate which pursuits of technology are
sanctioned and which are not. Often, the motivation lies in who within those bureaucracies
stands to benefit monetarily from the decision. In this story lamenting the painfully
and, in the author's opinion, unnecessarily long time experienced in bringing commercial
broadcast television to the marketplace - in 1935. One of the primary stumbling
blocks was the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) preventing companies from
televising paid commercials during programs because, in the FCC's view, picture
quality was not good enough to serve advertisers' interests. In the process...
 NI (National Instruments) has made their
LabVIEW Student Edition software product available as a free download for students
needing it for school projects. The license is good for 6 months. You can always
download a trial of standard LabVIEW, but it only has a 30-day license. The LabVIEW
Student edition includes most of the same features as the full LabVIEW suite but
adds a watermark on the front panel and block diagram. The download screen requires
some personal information if you do not already have a NI account set up, but that
is not unusual or unreasonable when a company is offering you trial software. I
did the download and was going to set it up and get some screen shots, but after
15 minutes or so it was still installing (and that's on a solid state drive, SSD),
so I killed the process and figured I'd find a video that someone else had done.
If I had a use for the program I would have let it go ahead and complete the installation,
but otherwise I didn't want that much new stuff on my SSHD. Even though it is called
Student Edition, there is no requirement that you prove that you are a student...
 RF Cascade Workbook 2018 is the next phase in the evolution
of RF Cafe's long-running series, RF Cascade Workbook. Chances are you
have never used a spreadsheet quite like this. It is a full-featured RF system cascade
parameter and frequency planner that includes filters and mixers for a mere $45.
Built in MS Excel, using RF Cascade Workbook 2018 is a cinch and
the format is entirely customizable. It is significantly easier and faster than
using a multi-thousand dollar simulator when a high level system analysis is all
that is needed. An intro video takes you through the main features...
 TotalTemp Technologies has more than 40 years
of combined experience providing thermal platforms.
Thermal Platforms are
available to provide temperatures between −100°C and +200°C for cryogenic cooling,
recirculating circulating coolers, temperature chambers and temperature controllers,
thermal range safety controllers, space simulation chambers, hybrid benchtop chambers,
custom systems and platforms. Manual and automated configurations for laboratory
and production environments. Please contact TotalTemp Technologies today to learn
how they can help your project.
Monday 11
 Who says engineers and scientists have no
sense of humor? This is not an April Fools joke or an attempt to punk you into reading
the story. An Internet browser with strict parental control settings enabled might
even prevent this page from even being displayed. In actuality, the term "G−String
Transmission Line" was so dubbed by its inventor, Dr. George Goubau, as
a tribute to his own name - both first and last. Out of an abundance of caution,
I reference the Library of Congress' "G−String" entry for the good doctor and the
device's legitimacy. A drawing similar to Fig. 1 in this 1951 issue of
Radio-Electronics magazine can be seen on the chalkboard behind Dr. Goubau
in the LoC photo. To be honest, I do not recall ever having heard of the G−string
transmission line. Its enthusiastically, nearly evangelically extolled virtues must
not have panned out in real-world practice because we do not find G−strings...
 Dr. Gary Giust has an article on the
High Frequency Electronics website entitled, "Solving
the Tough Timing Challenges of 5G Wireless Infrastructure." He begins: "Timing
is the heartbeat of any electronic system and 5G networks will be particularly dependent
on the accuracy, stability and reliability of their clock sources. Traditional quartz
timing devices used in 4G networks are faced with new challenges to support higher
bandwidths and narrower channels of coming 5G networks. MEMS technology solves these
problems, meeting all timing requirements while performing significantly better
than quartz solutions in the presence of dynamic environmental stressors such as
shock, vibration, and rapid temperature changes. In addition, a 100% semiconductor
supply chain inherently provides MEMS solutions with superior quality and reliability
compared to quartz, which is critical to supporting the quality-of-service planned
for 5G applications..."
 Tom Cruise has been one of my favorite actors
ever since "Top Gun." He is one of the few that do their own stunts, and
he is a real-life pilot, even owns a
P−51 Mustang. "NASA
said Tuesday it is working with Tom Cruise to film a movie on the International
Space Station, but details on the arrangements are scarce. The news that Cruise
was in talks with to shoot an action-adventure film on the space station was first
reported Monday by Deadline, which said the actor is working with SpaceX on the
project. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted Tuesday that the agency is 'excited
to work Tom Cruise on a film aboard the space station. We need popular media to
inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make NASA's ambitious plans
a reality.' Cruise, the 57-year-old star of Top Gun and the 'Mission: Impossible'
film franchise, has performed daring stunts before. NASA did not confirm Tuesday
whether Cruise would himself fly to the space station as part of the film. SpaceX
has not confirmed its role in the film project, but Cruise could fly to the space
station on the company's Crew Dragon spaceship..." Hopefully, China won't be involved
and be able to force the exclusion of a Taiwan patch from Cruise's uniform as in
"Top
Gun: Maverick."
 "Filter
design software from Nuhertz Technologies® provides fast, easy to use, and high
powered solutions to electrical engineering challenges in synthesizing, analyzing,
and simulating complex filter designs. Originally released in 1999, the flagship
program, FilterSolutions® has continued to incorporate and introduce new and useful
features and topologies. The program features 'Quick' and 'Advanced' user design
panels for maximum design flexibility and a built-in skills upgrade path. The interoperability
of FilterSolutions software is being continuously enhanced with "best-in-class"
industry applications. Included in the linked capabilities are: artwork generation
tools; circuit simulators; physical measurement models; S-Parameter and Spice component
models and electromagnetic analysis programs."
 Wi−Fi 6 is a familiar term, but it is
not as well defined or understood as 5G - not that 5G is all that well understood.
Richard Edgar has a piece on the Electronic Design website entitled, "2020's
Perfect Storm: Wi−Fi 6, BLE, and AI?," which helps unmuddy the waters a bit
for Wi−Fi 6. He begins, "The innovations of connectivity and AI are about to
shift into full gear as new advances - edge computing, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth Low
Energy (BLE) v5.2, to name a few - arrive in full force. These developments are
quite significant. Wi-Fi 6 will improve robustness and performance, while Bluetooth
audio sharing will make it possible for multiple consumers to personally enjoy the
audio of a single device. In addition, edge computing will give a significant boost
to the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT). This is a win-win for those wishing
to utilize these technologies, but not everyone will feel like a winner in 2020.
The year could bring hardship to AI hardware startups that have risen up after years
of long-term and highly intensive R&D. In many ways, this process has led to
incredible results, including complex..."
 Qorvo / Custom MMIC is a
fabless RF and microwave MMIC
designer entrusted by government and defense industry OEMs. Custom and off-the-shelf
products include switches, phase shifters, attenuators, mixers and multipliers,
and low noise, low phase noise, and distributed amplifiers. From next-generation
long range military radar systems, to advanced aerospace and space-qualified satellite
communications, microwave signal chains are being pushed to new limits - and no
one understands this more than Custom MMIC. Please contact Qorvo / Custom MMIC today
to see how they use their modern engineering, testing and packaging facility to
help your project.
Sunday 10
 Since 2000 - that's 20 years - 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...
|