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3 of the February
2018 homepage archives.
Tuesday 20
 Bliley Technologies has been manufacturing
oscillators and crystals in Erie, Pennsylvania, since 1930. That's pretty amazing.
Bliley's 64,000 square foot facility is only a few miles from my home. The
Erie Times-News published a feature article on them in today's
edition that has some photos from inside the plant. Note the stack of vintage-looking
test equipment on the benches in the background (high-res). Despite its rather run-down appearance, Erie
and the surrounding area is home a lot of high-tech industries including
plastics, electronics, metal plating, industrial electrical equipment, and
medical paraphernalia. The crime and cost of living are low here...
 ConductRF provides 3 styles of solution for
DAS applications
in Stadiums, Malls, Campuses, Hotels and more. Straight & R/A Low PIM Connectors
are available for 7/16, N, SMA, QMA, 4.1/9.5 and 4.3/10 interfaces. We also
offer Low PIM Adapters and PIM Test Cables for all these series. Utilizing
ConductRF's new Low PIM Direct Solder Attachment Connectors, we provide high
performance solutions for Low PIM interconnect including Straight, Right Angle,
Bulkhead and Panel attachment. Performance better than -155dBc is validated
through 100% testing...
 The
Josephson effect was predicted in 1962 by British physicist Brian
David Josephson. It postulated the possibility of a resistance-less path for electrical
current across an extremely thin insulator sandwiched between two superconductors.
Dr. Juri Matisoo, of IBM, is credited with building the first Josephson junction
switch in 1967, demonstrating sub-nanosecond switching times. Back in the day,
superconducting materials, like graphene, were resources available only to
well-funded research establishments like major corporations, universities, and
government facilities. Now, anyone with an interest can order both...
 Anatech Electronics,
a manufacturer of RF and microwave filters, has published its February
newsletter. In it, Sam Benzacar writes in "The Magic in Sprint's Magic Box"
about how Sprint, which "has always been the Number Four wireless carrier," is
surreptitiously catching up because of the widespread distribution of its
personal cell extenders. Sam has a lot of insight into the wireless business
through decades of keeping his finger on the pulse of the industry, and has
written much about it. These monthly newsletters always provide good tidbits you
likely won't find elsewhere...
 Rohde & Schwarz has published this application
note on eCall. "Emergency Call (eCall) is a service provided in Europe with the goal of reducing
response times for acci- dents or other emergencies on the roadways. This application
note briefly describes the technology behind eCall and presents conformance tests
for eCall using the R&S ® CMW500 RF tester and the R&S ® SMBV100A vector
signal generator. A Test software for eCall makes it quick and easy to perform these
tests with the GSM or WCDMA wireless communications standard. It also shows a test
solution for GNSS performance tests for eCall using..."
 "Back in 1998, who would've predicted the
wireless technology's current ubiquitousness? Can you believe it? Bluetooth is
20 years old. My, my, how time flies. Who would have thought back in 1998 that
this nascent technology would become an important part of our lives? Today BT is
everywhere. Go ahead and count up the number of BT radios you use every day. Be
amazed. Taking inventory, I determined today that I must own about a half-dozen
BT radios. It appears in our smartphones, our hands-free..."
Monday 19
 KR Electronics has released part number 3337+,
which is a 1208
MHz lowpass filter. The filter is a selective elliptic type filter. The
stopband starts at 1292 MHz and is maintained to >6 GHz. The filter is supplied
in a miniature surface mount package measuring 0.20" x 0.30" x 0.18". Other
frequencies and bandwidths are available. Data sheets are available...
 RIGOL Technologies announces a significant
addition to its portfolio of RF Test Instrumentation with the introduction of the
New RSA5000
Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer. The RSA5000 combines the power of a high
performance swept spectrum analyzer with superior Real-time performance
unmatched in this product category. Available in 3.2 GHz and 6.5 GHz models all
RSA5000 Series Analyzers provide Resolution Bandwidth (RBW) down to 1 Hz, a
noise floor as low as...
 A decade after
tunnel diodes were first invented by Nobel Laureate Leo Esaki,
grand plans for the unique device never played out. Predictions included its use
for computer solid state memories to replace magnetic core arrays. Tunnel diodes
benefitted from the aura surrounding their exploitation of the quantum mechanical
tunnelling phenomenon, which had a futuristic ring to it. Conventional diodes,
having a relatively wide depletion region, require the current carriers
(electrons and holes) to overcome a potential hill in traveling from the valence
band to the conduction band of energies. Since high doping levels are used in
the tunnel diode, a narrow depletion region is formed at the junction. This
allows electrons...
 On many occasions in both the lab and on installed
equipment I have run into "unexplainable" problems of signal leakage and/or crosstalk
that ended up being poor
ground issues. Ground loops can be particularly frustrating.
This new book written by the highly experienced and regarded H. Ward Silver,
with degrees from both universities and The School of Hard Knocks, will be a
valuable resource for your own situations. A mere $23 investment could be
invaluable...
 Triad RF Systems announces their new
TTA1007 is a 500 - 2800 MHz, 5 W Amplifier designed for use in
many general purpose applications where a small size and light weight are
preferable. This amplifier supports any signal type and modulation scheme,
including 3G, 4G, WLAN, OFDM, DVB, and CW/AM/FM. This class A GaAs module is
designed for both military and commercial applications. It is capable of
supporting any signal type and modulation format, including but not limited to
3-4G telecom, WLAN, OFDM, DVB, and...
 "A mobile hotspot network will deliver
1.25 Gbps WiFi to subway customers allowing them to stream HD videos without
interruption while underground, thanks to a newly-developed mm-wave wireless
backhaul technology. The first commercial service using this technology will
debut on the Seoul subway system later this year. The technology was developed
by ETRI, Korea's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute The
network transmits..."
Sunday 18
 At least 10 clues with an asterisk (*)
in this technology-themed crossword puzzle are pulled from this past week's
(2/12 - 2/16) "Tech Industry Headlines" column on the RF Cafe homepage (see the
Headline Archives page for help). For the sake of all the avid cruciverbalists
amongst us, each week I create a new technology-themed crossword puzzle using
only words from my custom-created related to engineering, science, mathematics,
chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc. Enjoy...
Friday 16
 "The
gallium-nitride HEMT-LED lets voltage control light, replacing
typical LED support circuitry A new device could make upcoming microLED displays
easier to engineer and visible light communications systems, like LiFi, faster.
As IEEE Fellow Kei May Lau sees it, the problem with conventional LEDs, which
are current controlled devices, is that turning them on and off rapidly to
control brightness or using them for Li-Fi takes careful engineering and a bunch
of circuitry. 'Most IC designers would rather work with voltage control device,
but LEDs are..."
 "Operation of modern-day technology
requires an ever-increasing use of broadband frequency signals. This, in turn,
has grown the demand for reliable, efficient methods of signal transmission that
prevent interference and are more efficient in their use of the scarcely
available frequency spectrum. These requirements are constrained, however, by
reciprocity - a law of physics that forces the transmission of light to be
identical in opposite directions. In past decades, scientists and engineers
have..."
 A series of three articles appeared in 1973
issues of Popular Electronics that conducted a high-level review - or introduction
if you've never seen it before - of DC circuit analysis. In this first installment,
Professor Arthur Seidman, of the Pratt Institute, covers a variety of subjects starting
with
direct current (DC) circuit theory. Ideal current and voltage
sources, units and notations, Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's law, resistors, capacitor
and inductor charge and discharge curves, series and parallel circuits, power
calculations, conductance, and other good stuff is covered. There is even (gasp)
a bit of calculus presented...
 JFW Industries announces the availability
of
Model 50MS-367 2.9MM is a 4 X 4 Blocking Matrix Switch
operating DC-40 GHz with 50 Ohm, 2.9mm female connectors. This unit is remotely
controlled via Ethernet or RS-232, and it utilizes our 3.X.X firmware command
set. All unused input and output ports are self-terminating at 50 Ohms, and the
current IP settings and serial baud rate are displayed on the front panel which
can be updated using...
 Saelig has introduced the patented
Sol Chip Saturn802 Energy Harvester IC - a unique photovoltaic
(PV) cell which can produce output voltage levels of 0.75 V, 1.5 V, 2.25 V,
3.0 V, 4.5 V, and 9 V, which existing solar cells cannot do. The
maximum power which can be obtained in full daylight is around 10 mW, or 55 uW
in office lighting, so the Saturn802 IC is targeted at low-power applications.
The size of the die is approximately 1 cm by 1 cm, and the stable voltage levels
are available from separate pins of the device. The IC can be used with or
without a back-up...
 "Two Waterloo chemists have made it easier
for manufacturers to produce a new class of
faster and cheaper semiconductors. The chemists have found a
way to simultaneously control the orientation and select the size of
single-walled carbon nanotubes deposited on a surface. That means the developers
of semiconductors can use carbon as opposed to silicon, which will reduce the
size and increase the speed of the devices while improving their battery life.
'We're reaching the limits of what's physically possible with..."
Thursday 15
 This is Part 3 of a series of articles on
atomic radiation that appeared in Electronic World magazine
in 1969. It deals with measurement techniques and equipment. Shippingport Atomic
Power Station, the first full scale nuclear power plant in the U.S., went
operational in 1957. It marked the dawn of a new era of electric power
generation that was filled with grandiose predictions of limitless,
non-polluting, dirt cheap power. Everything was going to be powered by
electricity - air heating and cooling, lighting, automobiles, water heating.
Atomic power was going to be a figurative and almost literal beating of swords
into ploughshares as the destructive energy...
 "At DESY's X-ray source PETRA III, scientists
have followed the growth of tiny wires of gallium arsenide live. Their observations
reveal exact details of the growth process responsible for the evolving shape and
crystal structure of the crystalline nanowires. The findings also provide new approaches
to tailoring nanowires with desired properties for specific applications. The scientists,
headed by Philipp Schroth of the University of Siegen and the Karlsruhe
Institute of Technology (KIT), published..."
A growing order book and plans for future development of the business means leading
microwave engineering company Flann Microwave is to
increase its workforce in Bodmin, Cornwall, UK, by 10%. With a
current team of 60 based in Bodmin, Flann has grown over six decades to secure a
global reputation and market leading position in the design and manufacture of
precision microwave communications equipment, for example, in radar and to allow
internet and mobile data to be carried between mobile phone...
 Are you old enough to remember when
Reader Service Cards were inserted into the binding of magazines?
One of these circa 1969 tech-themed comics has the husband anxiously telling his
wife to hurry and send in a Reader Service Card for his radio system that was spewing
parts. The fact is
 that was not the purpose of Reader
Service Cards; they were for getting product information, not for requesting
repairs or replacement parts. Reader Service Cards were the old world version of
website URLs and QR scan codes...
By Rogers Corporation, Microwave Journal magazine. "Millions of cell
phones trying to connect voices and download unimaginable numbers of files worldwide
point to the inevitability of Fifth Generation (5G) wireless communications networks.
5G is coming, and it will require the right
circuit materials for many different types of high-frequency
circuits, including power amplifiers (PAs). 5G may represent the latest and
greatest in wireless technology, but it will be challenging to design..."
 "Astronomers at the National Astronomical
Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) using the HINODE spacecraft observed the
strongest magnetic field ever directly measured on the surface
of the Sun. Analyzing data for 5 days around the appearance of this record
breaking magnetic field, the astronomers determined that it was generated as a
result of gas outflow from one sunspot pushing against another sunspot.
Magnetism plays a critical role in various solar phenomena such as flares, mass
ejections, flux ropes, and coronal heating. Sunspots are areas of concentrated
magnetic..."
Wednesday 14
 Have you ever started a relatively simple
investigation into a trivial matter, only to find yourself going down the metaphorical
"rabbit hole" even after finding the original answer? Such was the case for me when
someone sent me an e-mail with a signature that included his
amateur radio call sign. The first three characters, KB3,
matched mine and that got me wondering on what date his call sign was granted
compared to mine. Let us say for example* the writer's call sign was KB3PGM and
mine is (actually) KB3UON. I looked them up in the FCC's ULS self-serve
license...
 "University of New Mexico and University of
California Santa Barbara in the USA have been studying the effect of crystal orientation
on the
modulation bandwidth of indium gallium nitride (InGaN) light-emitting
diodes (LEDs). In particular, the researchers sought high bandwidth at lower current
injection where the efficiency of InGaN LEDs is higher, reducing 'droop'
effects. The non-polar m-plane (10-10) orientation was found to have the largest
3 dB (half-power) bandwidth, with a value of more..."
 Mini-Circuits announces the availability
of four new devices in its lineup of RF and microwave components. Included are a high pass filter
with a passband of 8 to 24 GHz, an ultra-high dynamic range MMIC amplifier
matched to 50 Ω from 30 MHz to 2 GHz, an absorptive solid state SP4T switch
controlled by USB and I2C connection, and an LTCC band pass filter having
a pass band from 4620 to 6640 MHz...
 The transition from vacuum tubes to semiconductors,
and from black and white to color televisions was in full swing by 1973. Accompanying
the change in components was a re-thinking of the most effective and profitable
method of manufacturing and servicing the new equipment.
Modularization was thought to be key to future success even
though production costs were slightly higher. Reliability improvements were
already reducing the need for service calls and highly trained technicians who
could troubleshoot failures down to the component level. Swapping out suspect
modules with known-good modules, in Mac's words, results in "a quickly trained
module swapper who knows only 'how' and not..."
ByRob Rutkowski, Microwaves & RF
magazine. As
small satellites become more prevalent, the GPSDO can function
as a timing solution to enable successful missions. This post explains the
importance of timing before diving into GPSDOs. "Small satellites have grown
dramatically over the past decade—and they are still growing fast and furiously.
In this post, you'll learn about how to achieve mission success for satellites
and how GPS disciplined oscillators (GPSDOs) can do the trick. A Growing Space
The initial surge of small satellites has been attributed to the curiosity of
R&D. Much of this..."
Please welcome
Joseph "Pat" Dunagan
to our exclusive list of former and current USAF radar techs. Pat is the first officer
amongst us, so that unofficially makes him the ranking member on the page - not
including 5CCG commander Col. John Kopsick, who did not actually maintain
equipment. Along with time in the regular Air Force, he also did time as Chief
of Maintenance in the Reserve 55th CBCS mobile combat outfit at Robins AFB where
I was stationed. He had responsibility for MPN-13/14 and TPN-19 radars...
 "Living life in the fast lane can be tremendously
exciting, giving us the 'time of our lives' but how long does it really last? Experiments
at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai have answered this
question for a bunch of electrons traveling
faster than light (fasten your seatbelts!) through a piece of
glass. This study, done in collaboration with the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
in the UK and Centre for Intense Laser Studies and Applications (CELIA) in
France has appeared..."
Tuesday 13
Comparing Narrowband and Wideband
Channels
By Jack Browne, Microwaves & RF
magazine.
Narrowband and wideband communications channels make use of
available bandwidth in different ways—so employ them according to the
requirements of a particular application. "Bandwidth is limited at all
frequencies. This holds true whether we're discussing those in the kilohertz
range used for amplitude-modulated (AM) radio broadcasting; microwaves and
millimeter waves for commercial and military radar systems; or those frequencies
bands with the shortest-wavelength electromagnetic (EM)..."
 Rigol's
product line includes
spectrum analyzers and RF signal generators, digital and mixed
signal o-scopes, arbitrary waveform generators, sensitive measurement products,
and data acquisition systems. Their test solutions combine superior product performance,
quality, and advanced product features; all delivered at extremely attractive price
points. Applications include technical education, WiFi integration, EMC, and manufacturing.
Rigol delivers unprecedented value for your investment, reduced overall cost of
test, and help speed time to completion of designs or projects...
 When I first began designing circuits in
the 1990s using
active filters, the upper frequency was limited to a few tens
of kHz because of the gain-bandwidth product of the available amplifiers. That
made them useful in baseband circuits, but that was about it. There were also
issues with the noise figure and intercept points and intermodulation product
levels. Today, you can get fully integrated and programmable active filters
which operate at tens of MHz and beyond, and with much better RF-type
specifications. That makes them useful in low intermediate frequency (IF)
circuits as well as at baseband. BTW, this article is one of about ten dealing
with filter types in...
 EDI CON China 2018, a conference that brings
together engineers working on high-frequency analog and high-speed digital designs,
taking place March 20-22, 2018 at the China National Convention Center (Beijing,
China), announces registration is now open and the technical program is now live
at www.ediconchina.com.
In its sixth year, EDI CON China 2018 includes technical conference sessions as
well as workshops, panels, keynotes, poster sessions, and demonstrations from
industry leading exhibitors in the RF, microwave, and high-speed digital
industries...
"In an effort to further increase the capacity
of wireless equipment, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and Fujitsu Laboratories
Ltd. have developed a CMOS wireless transceiver chip that can process signals at
high speeds across a broad range of frequencies, from 70 to 105 GHz, using their
own
bandwidth-increasing technology. With these developments, they
succeeded in achieving wireless transmission speeds of 120 gigabits per second
(Gbps), the fastest in the world. There has been an increase in research and
development activities with the aim of developing..."
 Why rent test equipment from Axiom? Get
test equipment without a capital budget. Tax benefits - the
expense of a rental can be deducted immediately. Protects you against product
obsolescence. Save time and money with quick delivery. Try equipment out before
committing a lot of money to a purchase. Save time and money on maintenance
costs (which are the responsibility of the rental company). Please contact Axiom
today for your rental needs...
 "Using 3D printers, researchers have created
a
metamaterial from cubic building blocks that responds to
compression forces by a rotation. Usually, this can only be achieved by
transmission using a crankshaft, for example. If a force is exerted from above
onto a material, the latter deforms in various ways. It may be bulged,
compressed, or bent; however, according to the rules of mechanics, it will not
rotate. The researchers designed a filigree cubic structure that reacts to
loading by a rotation around its axis. Using computer simulation, a design..."
Monday 12
 Mobile World Congress is the world's largest
gathering for the mobile industry, organised by the GSMA and held in the Mobile
World Capital, Barcelona, February 26 - March 1 2018. Industry leaders will
gather, network, showcase, and exchange ideas - and you don't want to miss it.
The mobile world connects in Barcelona. Discover the future of mobile as top
companies give an exclusive first look at the latest innovations. Make plans
now...
 Here is a unique type of article from a 1974
issue of Popular Electronics. Author Ralph Tenny presents a
poor-man's environmental test chamber constructed with a
Styrofoam picnic cooler, a dry ice sump, a heater, a thermocouple, and a bunch
of input/output ports for making electrical measurements. While working on my
senior project at college - an electronic remote weather station - I needed to
verify functionality up to 150°F and down to 0°F. Having the Torture Box would
have been handy, but instead I used the kitchen oven and freezer with the
interconnect cable mashed between the door gasket and frame. Unfortunately I
don't have any...
 Microwaves & RF magazine published their
2017 Salary & Career Report last fall, but it didn't
appear in print until the January(?) issue. It is a very comprehensive
collection of data based on geographical location, years in the profession, time
at present company, job title, and much more. I count about 27 different
statistics with charts, tables, and maps. Oddly for an engineering magazine,
there does not seem to be info on the number of participants or what the error
is for sample size. I downloaded the PDF version and don't see it there,
either...
 Anatech
Electronics, Inc. offers the industry's largest portfolio of high-performance
standard and customized
RF
and microwave filters and filter-related products for military, commercial,
aerospace and defense, and industrial applications up to 40 GHz. Anatech has
introduced three new filters for your convenience: a 3000 MHz stripline highpass
filter with SMA connectors, a surface mount low-loss 100 MHz IF SAW filter, and
a 4700 MHz cavity bandpass filter with N connectors...
 "As contemporary electronics embrace light
weight, increasing efficiency, and high speed, each link of the manufacturing process
also conforms to this philosophy, including printed circuit board (PCB) assembly.
Soldering has played an essential role in determining the success of electronic
products, since electrical connections derive from precise soldering. Compared with
hand soldering,
automatic soldering has been widely selected due to its merits
of high accuracy and speed, and the demands of large volume..."
Sunday 11
 At least 10 clues with an asterisk (*)
in this
technology-themed crossword puzzle are pulled from this past
week's (2/5 - 2/9) "Tech Industry Headlines" column on the RF Cafe homepage (see
the Headline Archives page for help). For the sake of all the avid
cruciverbalists amongst us, each week I create a new technology-themed crossword
puzzle using only words from my custom-created related to engineering, science,
mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy...
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