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3 of the April 2017
homepage archives.
Thursday 20
 The
TTRM1090 GaAs amplifier operates at a frequency range of 5700
MHz to 5900 MHz and has a power output of 25 Watts, while still maintaining a compact
form factor of 5.3 x 3.25 x 0.57 inches. This unit also features internal protection
against over/under voltage and excessive temperature conditions, which coupled with
its rugged construction, ensure fault-free operation in even the most extreme environments.
This class A GaAs module is designed for both military and commercial applications.
It is capable of supporting any ...
 Significant advances in electronics - and
all other kinds of technology for that matter - occurred during World War II,
which in conjunction with the U.S. government selling surplus equipment at the end
of that war at very low prices, cause a boom in consumer electronics markets. The
established radio business and the fledgling television markets were abetted by
quickly expanding numbers of
broadcast stations. This chart from early 1948 show the number
of currently licensed AM, FM, and TV stations, with projections out 20 years to
1968. I don't have ..."
 "NASA Langley Research Center has developed
a wireless, connection-free, open-circuit technology that can be used for developing
electrical devices such as sensors that need
no physical contact with the properties being measured. At the
core of the technology is the SansEC (Sans Electrical Connections) circuit, which
is damage-resilient and environmentally friendly to manufacture and use. The technology
uses a NASA award-winning magnetic field response ...
 As EW warfighting requirements continue to
evolve in their complexity and interdependency, it is clear that future EW systems
must work collaboratively with other air, ground, surface space and cyberspace systems.
The need for multi-purpose, multimode, flexible software defined EW systems is being
clearly and widely communicated by the DOD EW community.
Empower RF has developed the world's first software definable
high power RF amplifiers, an essential element for adaptable multi-mode EW systems.
Come visit us to learn more at the Point Mugu Electronic Warfare ...
 "Pulsed signals are widespread in radar and
other electronic warfare (EW) applications, and they must be accurately measured
for manufacturing, design of countermeasures, and threat assessment. Pulse measurements
are an especially challenging area for signal analysis due to a combination of factors.
Fortunately, many of the improving signal processing and analog-digital conversion
technologies behind the generation of complex pulse environments also enable new
techniques for effective
pulse analysis. A real-time spectrum measurement of a multi-emitter ..."
 "NASA Langley Research Center has developed
a novel
negative dielectric constant material based on ion conducting materials. A negative
dielectric constant material is an essential key for creating metamaterials, or
artificial negative index materials (NIMs). NIMs have generated great attention
due to their unique and exotic electromagnetic properties, and could be used for
unique optical and microwave applications, including new methods of electromagnetic
cloaking and extremely low loss communications ..."
Wednesday 19
 "Infineon Technologies has joined the
5G Automotive Association (5GAA), to contribute towards the creation
of a 5G standard for cars. The association is working on the introduction of new
communication solutions enabling connected automated driving and on intelligent
transport systems. Infineon will provide key 5G technologies required for the autonomous
car, and for electromobility. Secure communication with practically zero time delay
is a critical requirement ..."
 "For the first time, researchers have been
able to deposit an ultra-thin oxide ferroelectric film onto a flexible polymer substrate.
The research team used the flexible ferroelectric thin films to make non-volatile
memory devices that are wearable and resilient. 'Ferroelectric materials are capable
of storing charge, which makes them ideal for non-volatile memory devices,' says
Jacob Jones, a professor of materials science and engineering at North Carolina
State University and co-author of a paper on the work ..."
 Triacs are not a component often used in RF
and microwave circuit design, but being conversant in its operation could make you
popular at nerd parties. A triac is basically the equivalent of two SCRs connected
back-to-back, allowing it to conduct on both the positive and negative half-cycles
of an AC connection. Both devices are most commonly used in switching applications.
The unique feature of an SCR and triac is that once the gate voltage is sufficiently
high to begin conduction between the anode and cathode, it can be removed and conduction
will continue until the anode-cathode voltage is removed ...
 "Keysight experts will be at
WAMICON 2017 (April 24–25), an annual IEEE Wireless and Microwave
Conference, to discuss everything from circuit-level modeling to system verification
for general RF, microwave, millimeter wave for 4G, emerging 5G communications, and
aerospace & defense. Keysight also will be demonstrating the latest ADS 2016,
EMPro and SystemVue software, as well as a range of RF and microwave tools that
include the ENA network analyzer, MXG X-Series RF vector signal generator and MXA
multi-touch signal analyzer ...
 "The 'Porcupine' is out, and it's making
its debut in all its shiny grandeur. Nicknamed 'Porcupine' within AT&T, a new millimeter-wave channel sounder
was introduced this week as a first-of-its-kind device. Looking a bit like something
that might be walking and talking in a Star Wars movie, the sounder was developed
with the help of National Instruments (NI) to capture how wireless signals are affected
in a given environment. It can be used to measure how signals reflect off of, or
are blocked by, objects like trees ..."
 "Radio waves, microwaves and even light itself
are all made of electric and magnetic fields. The classical theory of
electromagnetism was completed in the 1860s by James Clerk Maxwell.
At the time, Maxwell's theory was revolutionary, and provided a unified framework
to understand electricity, magnetism and optics. Now, new research led by LSU Department
of Physics & Astronomy Assistant Professor Ivan Agullo, with colleagues from
the Universidad de Valencia, Spain, advances knowledge of this theory. Their recent
discoveries have been published in Physical Review ..."
Tuesday 18
 "Sensor firm, VStar Systems, has completed
a successful flight test of its modular Signal Intelligence Sensor,
MA-C/lite, aboard the Martin UAV V-Bat aircraft. Over the duration
of 35 minutes at an altitude of 400 feet above ground level, the MA-C/lite sensor
collected radio signals from as far as 20 miles, according to VStar. VStar's goal
for the MA-C/lite sensor was to build a light-weight signal detector small enough
to be carried on UAVs used by military and private security clients. 'Radio detection
systems are large. It's hard to find ..."
 Woo-hoo, I have finally achieved Ham radio
license Nirvana! Reporting this on World Amateur Radio Day seems appropriate. On
Saturday, April 15, 2017, I passed my
Amateur Extra exam in the presence of three VEs at the Wattsburg
Wireless Association meeting room in Erie, PA. Nearly 7 years have transpired since
I took the Technician test in the same room in 2010. My General license test was
taken at the Forsyth Amateur Radio Club meeting room in Winston Salem, NC, in, 2015.
Until the FCC updates my record in the online Universal Licensing System (ULS),
my call sign will be KB3UON/AE. Motivation for pursuing the Ham radio license goal
was ...
 The March 1951 issue of Radio & Television
News had just two
television-themed comics. The first one might have been pushing
on the edge of acceptability, but these types of magazines were directed almost
exclusively toward men. The easily-offended special snowflake generation was far
in the future. Television at that time was building a huge presence in homes worldwide,
and there was a huge amount of interest in the technology. It hadn't really been
all that long since the public got used to hearing sound (i.e., 'talkies') in the
movie theater, so the mystique ...
 "Static, like the
poor, will always
be with us." - John Renshaw Carson, inventor of single sideband (SSB) modulation.
His mathematical analysis 'proved' that frequency modulation (FM) offered no improvement
in noise over amplitude modulation (AM). The well-known Carson Rule of FM, BW = 2(Δf + fm),
came out of that work. Major Edwin H. Armstrong, a contemporary of Carson's, invented
wideband FM, hence rendering the prediction void. The rest, as
they say, is history Armstrong also invented the regenerative and heterodyne circuits
prior to his FM work.
 "The International Amateur Radio Union Region
1 (IARU-R1) Monitoring System (IARUMS) March newsletter reports that the
Russian 'buzzer' on 6,998.0 kHz has disappeared. For a long time
the system interfered with the lower edge of the 40-meter band. In addition, a Russian
F1B transmission on 7,193 kHz - believed to be emanating from Kaliningrad - has
ceased. IARUMS credits German telecoms authorities for submitting complaints and
the Russian military. The IARUMS March newsletter further reports that a Chinese ..."
 "Pasternack, a leading provider of RF, microwave
and millimeter wave products, has released four new
1.0 mm flexible VNA test cables that are designed to deliver precision
testing results for Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) testing, semiconductor probe testing,
automotive radar testing and military radar testing. They are ideal for applications
such as test benches, radar, microwave radio and millimeter wave radio. Pasternack's
four new high-performance, flexible VNA test cables operate at up to 110 GHz and
deliver precise results for testing ..."
Monday 17
 "Nanjing Electronic Devices Institute in
China has used fin structures to improve the linearity of aluminium gallium nitride/gallium
nitride (AlGaN/GaN) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) [Kai Zhang et al,
IEEE Electron Device Letters, published online 24 March 2017]. The team comments:
'To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of superior power
performance of high-linearity GaN finFETs, indicating significant advantages of
tri-gate configuration over planar HEMTs for microwave ..."
 On Tuesday, April 18, NI/AWR will sponsor
a Microwave Journal RF / microwave training webinar titled, "Introduction to Radar." Presented by Scott Bullock, noted researcher
and developer of radar simulators and spread spectrum receivers, the webinar covers
radar detection and ranging, pulse versus continuous wave applications, radar modulation,
radar path budget (basic radar equation), radar range equation, range ambiguity
and mitigation, maximum and minimum detectable range and plan position indicator
(PPI) and A-scope ...
 MDA Information Systems LLC has an immediate
opening for a Senior RF Engineer in Reston, VA. This is a full-time customer-site
position providing support to a U.S. Government agency. MDA is an industry leader
in earth observation remote sensing technology and image processing. We build satellite
ground systems that enable users to acquire and process imagery form the most sophisticated
Earth-observing satellites in the world: Much of the satellite imagery that you
see on Google Maps was generated ...
This back-page advertisement by
Model Rectifier Corporation (aka MRC)
appeared in the January 1972 issue of American Aircraft Modeler magazine.
Note the cool collection of [now] vintage test equipment
shown in support of testing the R/C system. The advertisement shows a rhombic antenna,
the Dana 8015 RF frequency counter, Tektronix 7904 oscilloscope, HP spectrum analyzer,
RF communications synthesizer RF generator, Anritsu precision field strength meter.
I was 13 years old at the time, and anxiously watched for in the mailbox each month ...
 LOL! Read that headline carefully. Does it
mean that American men have less luck
finding a job than they do finding women, or that American men
have less luck finding a job than women do? You'll have to read the article to find
out ...
 "Diamonds with minute flaws could play a
crucial role in the future of quantum technology. For some time now, researchers
at TU Wien have been studying the
quantum properties of such diamonds, but only now have they succeeded
in coupling the specific defects in two such diamonds with one another. This is
an important prerequisite for the development of new applications, such as highly
sensitive sensors and switches for quantum computers. The results of the research
will now be published in the journal Physical ..."
Friday 14
 I just ran a report for RFCafe.com's
website visitor statistics for March 2017. The trend is going
up relative to January's numbers. Nowadays with all the competition coming online,
even holding even is considered good, so I'm happy. The chart and table are unaltered
from by web hosting service provider (Hostek.com).
Dips in the charts are weekends.
• Page Views = 1,674,669
• Visits = 554,806 (17,870 visitors/day)
• Bandwidth = 74,800.5 MB ...
 Communications System Laboratory offers an
integrated approach to communications system teaching. Inspired by his students'
expressed desire to read background theory explained in simple terms and to obtain
practical computer training, Dr. Kumar has crafted this textbook, ideal for a first
course in communication systems. The book merges theory with practical software
and hardware applications. Each chapter includes the following components: a brief
theory that describes the underlying mathematics and principles, a problem-solving
section with a set of typical ...
 OK, I am ashamed to admit that with just
a quick guess I thought Rx in question 6 would be 180 Ω rather than the
correct value of 20 Ω. I knew the ratio of 150 Ω to 50 Ω (3:1) would
be the same as for 60 Ω to Rx, but stupidly went the wrong way. In order for
the
bridge to be balanced, the voltage division between the left and
right arms of the bridge had to result in the voltages on both sides of the meter
to be 0 V. I did manage to get the equivalent resistances of Q8 ...
 ConductRF's
Site-Flex
RF field test cables have been designed to support Handheld RF & Microwave Analyzers.
The ruggedized construction includes anti-torque connectors that are firmly attached
to the cables external armor. ConductRF offer a various solutions in support of
precision Vector Network Analyzer testing. many application focuses. Alternative
constructions various by Armor style and flexibility features. NMD Connector heads
or adapters are available for most connector configurations ...
 "Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania
have developed a new technique to study the surface of different types of glass.
Using this technique, they discovered a surprising property of the top layer of
glasses, which could pave the way to developing better
glass materials. The research was led by Yue Zhang, a graduate
student in the Department of Chemistry in Penn's School of Arts & Sciences.
Zhang received an APS Padden Award for the research, which recognizes excellence
in polymer ..."
 "Qorvo, a leading provider of innovative
RF solutions that connect the world, continues to advance 802.11ax migration as
customers implement its recently released portfolio of Wi-Fi front-end modules (FEMs).
The company's new 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz FEMs, and bulk acoustic wave (BAW)
filters, provide the high throughput and extreme thermal efficiency that are central
to high-density 802.11ax Wi-Fi connectivity. Brad Shaffer, senior analyst, Mobile
Devices & Networks at IHS Markit, said, 'Qorvo's Wi-Fi FEM and BAW filter products
are examples of the RF components which ..."
 "Bell correlations - a hallmark of an entangled quantum system
- have been spotted in an ensemble of 500,000 rubidium-87 atoms. The atoms
were prepared in spin-squeezed states by physicists at Stanford University in the
US and the correlations measured to a whopping statistical significance of 124σ.
In quantum mechanics, entangled particles have much stronger correlations than are
allowed in classical physics - a property that can be exploited in quantum ..."
Thursday 13
 Innovative Power Products introduces their
new model
IPP-8090, a 200 watt, 32 dB, Surface Mount Dual Directional
Coupler that operates from 500 - 3000 MHz. The IPP-8090 is a unique broadband
design which provides separate coupled ports for both forward and reflected signals
with internal Terminations. This coupler is produced in a Surface Mount (SMD) package
size of 1.00 x 1.00 inches. Insertion Loss is less than 0.30 dB, main line
VSWR is less than 1.30:1, coupled flatness is +/- 1.0 dB ...
 "The world's top 20 richest engineers come
from a variety of backgrounds. If you search for the highest-paid jobs or what industry
will earn you more money you would definitely find engineering at the top of any
list. Scroll down and see for yourself - engineers do indeed become wealthy! So
who are the top 20 richest engineers in the world? Let's have a look. None of us
should be surprised about the STEM revolution that ..."
I might make the 10 poorest list :-(
 I have been scanning and posting Radio Service
Data Sheets like these featuring the Sonora Model TW-49 radio and Stewart-Warner
03-5A Senior Varsity Radio receivers for many years. There
 are still a lot of people who restore and
service these vintage radios, and often it can be difficult or impossible to find
schematics and/or tuning information. The November 1939 issue of Radio News
published these schematics ...
 Elma Electronic has expanded its award-winning
iD-Box enclosure line with the iD-Case 18. The new enclosure uses
a combination of magnetic connections and hidden screws that provides simple access
to internal electronics through an easily removable top panel. This reduces system
integration complexity as well as hassles with upgrades and maintenance. Walter
Podbelski, Director of E & C Sales for Elma Electronic, noted, 'Electronics
systems have moved back room ..."
 See lots of cool
statistics maps by BoA/Merril Lynch. "Ever wonder what your home
country exports out to the world the most? What about a neighboring country or political
ally? The put together this comprehensive map showing what each country is best
known for exporting. The information comes from 2014 data collected by the
CIA World Factbook. The map does not include services exported
to other countries. The color coded nature of the map lets us visually identify
some pretty important global market ..."
 "Verizon conducted its latest engineering
flight tests using a 'flying cell site' aboard a drone, and while it didn't share specific
results, it's another indication that the carrier is progressing with the prospect
of using drones to supply an LTE network if severe weather knocks out more traditional
cellular network components. The 17-foot-long drone was piloted by American Aerospace
Technologies Inc. (AATI) during the trial run at Woodbine Municipal Airport
in Woodbine, New Jersey, on April 5. The test was designed to simulate ..."
Wednesday 12
What's up with Google, Verizon, Nokia
3.5 GHz CBRS Band?
 "It's somewhat remarkable how far the 3.5
GHz sector has come in one year. The FCC finalized rules for spectrum sharing in
the
Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band in April 2016, making
150 MHz available for mobile broadband and other commercial uses. But before any
of that spectrum can be shared, a seemingly complex framework needs to be put into
place, one that includes three tiers: one for incumbents, a Priority Access tier
and a General ..."
 "CRFS, a leader in real-time RF spectrum monitoring
solutions, has released its
RFeye Toolbox for MATLAB and Simulink. This new feature means
that IQ and spectrum data can be imported from RFeye receivers and used with MATLAB
signal processing toolboxes and the user's own signal processing algorithms. MATLAB
is used quite widely across the science and engineering world. Many users otherwise
unfamiliar with software development are accustomed to using MATLAB in some form.
The RFeye toolbox for MATLAB is a valuable resource in addition to
CRFS's C ..."
 The
50BA-025-62 2.9MM from JFW is an Ethernet-controlled RF attenuator
system specifically developed for testing mm-wave and 5G radios in a laboratory
environment. Ultra-wide bandwidth of 100 MHz - 40 GHz and attenuation
from 0-62 dB in 1-dB steps makes this system ideal for receiver testing and
network emulation of fixed 5G and mobile 5G network components. An easy to use Ethernet/RS-232
interface with front-panel control and standard 2.9 mm RF connectors make ...
 "Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
(HKUST) and Harvard University in the USA have reported progress on direct epitaxy
of III-V quantum dot (QD) materials on silicon, producing 1.55 μm
microdisk lasers (MDLs). The 1.55 μm wavelength is used
in long-distance telecomms over low-attenuation optical fibers. Normally such devices
are grown on indium phosphide (InP). Electrically driven III-V quantum dot laser
materials on silicon have recently been realized for shorter, non-optimal 1.3 μm
wavelengths. Integrating lasers with silicon would allow more compact ..."
 The title of the first article listed might
have a couple decades ago, had you suspecting it might be some sort of April Fools'
gag. After all, who would think there would be any possibility of an oscilloscope
performing functions historically reserved for spectrum ... But, then I read
Rick chapman's article on transcendental resistors ...
•
What's the Difference Between Signal Analyzers and Oscilloscopes for
Frequency Analysis?, P. Mannion
•
Transcendental Resistors Simplify Precision Design, R. Chapman
•
Frog Legs Probably Won't Charge Your Phone, D. Bogdanoff <more>
 "Every April 18, radio amateurs worldwide
take to the airwaves in celebration of
World
Amateur Radio Day. It was on that day in 1925 that the International Amateur
Radio Union was formed in Paris. Amateur Radio experimenters were the first to discover
that the short wave spectrum - far from being a wasteland - could support worldwide
propagation. In the rush to use these shorter wavelengths, Amateur Radio was 'in
grave danger of being pushed aside,' the IARU's history has noted. Amateur Radio
pioneers met in Paris in 1925 and created the IARU to support ..."
Tuesday 11
 NuWaves Engineering,
an international Radio Frequency (RF) and Microwave solutions provider, has completed
the Independent Research and Development (IR&D) phase for their miniaturized
VHF/UHF RF bidirectional amplifier (BDA), and has finished manufacturing the first
20 units for initial qualification testing and preliminary demo units. The NuPower™
Xtender™ VU4GX02 model features high linearity performance, small size and weight,
high adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR), broad supply ...
 "The Navy is implementing enhanced interferometer-based
technology that can covertly assess threats and jam enemy electronic systems as
part of full production of Block 2 of the
Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) for the
AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare (EW) system. Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission
Systems is conducting the final examination of options regarding the full-rate production
of SEWIP Block 2 through a $98.484 million contract ..."
 Teenage amateur sleuths, cum amateur radio
operators, cum high-tech pranksters, cum serious electronics experimenters
Carl Anderson and Jerry Bishop save the day once again with a
cleverly devised device for erasing the contents of a tape recording. Their assignment,
done at the behest of a secretive government agent, might have been made easier
if they had had access to the super-strong rare earth magnets of today since a stereo
speaker magnet would not do the job. Instead, the pair was forced to resort to a
more challenging solution. As is author Frye's style, he educates you on the workings
of tape recorder ...
 Triad RF Systems has published their 2nd-quarter
2017 newsletter. It includes announcements on 3 new products: An SSPA for CubeSat
and NanoSat systems (TA1181), a 40 watt bi-directional amplifier for UAV data and
video link applications (TTRM1116), and a dual channel C-band bi-directional amplifier
for MIMO r (TTRM1008D). Triad RF Systems will be at the Xponential 2017 show for
May 8th-11th, and EDI-CON 2017 for Sept 11th-13th ..."
 Anatech Electronics manufactures and supplies
RF and microwave filters for military and commercial communication systems, providing
standard and custom RF  filters, and RF products. StandardRF filter and cable assembly
products are published in their website database. Custom RF filters designs
are used when a standard cannot be found, or the requirements dictate a custom approach.
Please take a moment to visit Anatech's website to see how they might be able to
assist with your current project ...
 "T-Mobile USA is asking the FCC for permission
to conduct tests in the
3550-3700 MHz band, also known as the 3.5 GHz band, to evaluate
the technical performance of pre-commercial Nokia equipment. It's the latest sign
of operators' interest in using the 3.5 GHz band. Last month, Verizon confirmed
its interest in deploying small cells—both low power and high power—using the 3.5
GHz / Citizens Broadband Radio Services (CBRS) band, saying it would ..."
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