See Page
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 of the September 2018 homepage archives. Friday 21
 Lots of old-time sci-fi movies and TV shows liked
to display
Lissajous patterns on oscilloscopes when an authentic high tech look was
needed in a scene. Every engineer, technician, and physicist in the world - me
included - roll his or her eyes at the sight of such a lame attempt to impress
the public. Of course the truth is the first time I saw a Lissajous pattern
gyrating on an o-scope screen, I was mesmerized. The need to crank on the signal
generator knobs and take control of the electroluminescent object d'art was
overwhelming. Now, in the same manner that watching the first couple Space
Shuttle launches was a thrill not to be missed and then became just another
launch, so, too, is watching a live Lissajous pattern on a scope - it's just
another Lissajous. Except, well, that's not quite so - at least for me. I always
eagerly viewed Shuttle launches...
In the IoT world, time to market is essential
and developing a new product has enough hurdles as such. PulseLARSEN has therefore developed
the (powered by Copper Mountain Technologies) to accelerate the process of
embedding antennas in your product, to evaluate your antenna performance, to compare
to existing PulseLARSEN antennas, and to consult experienced antenna
professionals if any further assistance is required. This kit is extremely
mobile, easy-to-carry, and becomes the ideal toolbox for technical sales or FAE
on the field or engineers in tight spaces. Self installing software is included
and its user-friendly GUI will guide you through the multiple possibilities this
kit offers. View the webinar now...
 Electronically steered phased arrays have largely
replaced
mechanically steered antennas in the last couple decades. In an effort to eliminate
the need for a waveguide rotary joint, which is both expensive and complex when built
for high reliability under harsh operating conditions, Japanese engineers developed an
alternative where a small subreflector is orbited about a central axis to
produce a small scanning angle. The measured half power bandwidth of the central
beam was about 7.5°, while the half power scan width about the main axis
boresight appears per one of the plots to be around 30° or so (if I interpret it
correctly). I assume this scheme was never pursued much beyond the experimental
phase...
NuWaves Engineering, NuWaves Engineering, an international Radio
Frequency (RF) and Microwave solutions provider, announces the release of a new ruggedized,
high-performance low noise amplifier, the HILNA™ GPS C034. The
HILNA™ GPS
C034 is a broadband low noise amplifier designed to achieve high gain while
maintaining low noise and a high third order intercept point, and is
specifically targeted for the L1 (1575.43 MHz) and L2 (1227.6 MHz) GPS signals.
This ruggedized, high-performance module delivers 32 dB of gain across the
frequency range of 1200 MHz to 1600 MHz with an OIP3 of +30 dBm and less than 1
dB of noise figure. The HILNA™ GPS...
 With expertise in PCB assembly, Asian Circuits has grown to become a one-stop
electronic contract manufacturer for complete PCB assembly services.
Corporate headquarters in Sacramento, CA, and manufacturing facilities in Shenzhen, China,
provides the most affordable prices for the procurement of high-quality electronic components
from local suppliers, and the manufacturing of Printed Circuit Boards through highly
efficient production processes. All its processes and operations are in accordance with
ISO9001 standards and in compliance with the IPC-A-600 and IPC-A-610 Acceptability of
Printed Boards Standards. A highly skilled workforce in PCB manufacturing and
circuit
card assembly has assured our continued growth and overall success...
 "HP has unveiled the world's most advanced metals
3D printing platform. New 'Metal Jet' will make 3D printing of final parts cheaper and
faster. HP has launched a new commercial 3D printing platform called
'Metal Jet.' The platform was launched on September 10 at the 2018
International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS). HP envisage their technology to be
used by commercial manufacturers to produce final parts. Metal Jet is already being deployed
by manufacturing leaders GKN Powder Metallurgy and Parmatech for the factory production
of final parts. Volkswagen, Wilo, Primo Medical Group and OKAY Industries are
among GKN clients..."
Thursday 20
 Citizens' Band (CB) radio began in 1945,
just after World War II, in order to provide common folks with a means of both
fixed and mobile radio communications that required only paying a fee to
operate. Amateur radio (Ham radio) did and still does require that the operator
pass a written test to gain transmitting privileges (anyone may receive a
signal). CB was and is used for both fixed base and mobile communications.
Evidently, by 1964 there was enough use and misuse of the airwaves that the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) found it necessary to publish and
enforce a new set of rules for users. CB radio began operations in the
460-470 MHz UHF band, then moved to 27 MHz in 1958 since equipment could be
manufactured in a manner more affordable to a wider segment of the public...
 Here is a very useful concept for providing accessible
test point in RF and microwave circuits - a 0 dB attenuator to insert between stages
for easy probing to a controlled impedance interface. "MMIC Die Testing Made Easy with Ultra-Wideband 0 dB Attenuator (Thru-line)
Dice," by Radha Setty of Mini-Circuits, appears in Microwave Digest magazine.
Sez Radha, "Microwave hybrid circuitry is generally built by integrating several
discrete dice via wire bonding. Circuit designers are faced with the task of
predicting the performance of hybrids, which comes with some specific
challenges. Most RF/microwave MMIC dice are built with 'ground-signal-ground'
bonding pads at each of the RF ports to correspond with the terminals of a die
probe and allow accurate extraction of S-parameters..."
Saelig Company announces the availability of the
TekBox TBMDA3 and TBMDA4 Modulated Wideband Power Amplifiers
which have been specifically designed to provide an economical signal source for
immunity testing of electronic circuits and products. While these amplifiers are
intended to increase the output of a spectrum analyzer's tracking generator,
they are also useful as general purpose wideband RF signal amplifiers. The
TBMDA3 and TBMDA4 are ideal for driving near-field probes in order to find
sensitive spots on electronic circuits, or for creating strong electric fields
of up to 550 V/m when driving TEM Cells. With an input power range of -5 dBm to
0 dBm...
 Here for your almost-Friday enjoyment is a collection
of
radio-themed comics from a 1964 issue of Popular Electronics
magazine. The scenario in the first comic is one that an owner of an antiques
store told me happens often with cunning customers. Now that eBay has been
around for so long, shop owners, yard/garage sale holders, Craigslist sellers,
and even places like Goodwill know what their items are really worth and price
accordingly. In fact, about the only things you can find at those venues anymore
is utter junk or stuff too big to sell and ship on eBay - like an area rug or a
night stand. Every once in a while you'll come across a good deal when the
person is not Internet savvy, but not often. We hardly even look anymore...
, a leader in EMC rentals
for over 30 years, announces that they will be offering additional rental inventories
of the complete automotive immunity test system components by EM Test. This complete
immunity setup includes the
VDS200N,
LD200N,
and UCS200N
providing testing to ISO 7637, SAE, GMW and many others. Transient Specialists
conveniently located in the mid-west offers a variety of EMC test equipment
rentals to accommodate your testing needs. Our rentals include technical support
on the equipment, weekly and monthly rentals, and 2 days each way of transit
time free with each rental. With the experience and equipment...
 Reactel
has become one of the industry leaders in the design and manufacture of
RF and microwave filters, diplexers,
and sub-assemblies. Through a continuous process of research and development, they have
established a full line of filters of all types - lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandstop,
diplexer, and more. They offer the generally known tubular, LC, cavity, and waveguide
designs, as well as state of the art high performance suspended substrate models. Established
in 1979. Please contact Reactel today to see how they might help your project...
 "Cubic Mission Solutions (CMS), the business division
of Cubic Corp., has received orders worth more than $55 million to deliver
its
inflatable satellite communication
and networking systems to the U.S. Army. These orders will satisfy the Army's
upcoming fielding need for 1.2- and 2.4-meter GATR systems, associated spares as
well as training and sustainment support. Cubic's GATR satellite communication
and networking systems offer the transportability, high-bandwidth capabilities
and the ease of setup necessary for Army units to execute their mission. The
solution provides robust high-speed links that enable secure network
communications, sustainment support and mission command across the full
spectrum..."
Wednesday 19
 Pardon my gallows humor, but when I first saw this
photo from a 1965 issue of Electronics magazine of this manufacturing plant
being built in Hong Kong, my thought was that maybe those scaffolds in front of the windows
were actually there to prevent despondent, hopeless employees from
jumping onto the sidewalks below. These days, more stylish and socially
acceptable nets are used. The take-away from this story is that while it might
seem the shifting of manufacturing to and/or sourcing of foreign-made products
by U.S. firms from China is not a recent phenomenon. This was half a century ago
before the fall of the Berlin Wall, before the breakup of the U.S.S.R., the
mowing down of student protestors in Tiananmen Square, and other high profile...
Skyworks Solutions,
Inc. (NASDAQ: SWKS), an innovator of high performance analog semiconductors connecting
people, is pleased to introduce our newest family of compact, high performance specifically designed for LPWAN and high-power Industrial,
Scientific, Medical (ISM) applications including the connected home, M2M, tracking and
other emerging IoT platforms. These highly integrated modules support LoRa®, SigFox
and other unlicensed band technologies, occupy minimal board space and are power
efficient, making them ideal for sensors, beacons, smart watches, thermostats,
wireless cameras, medical pendants and smoke and CO detectors...
 "Three U.S. technology companies are helping U.S.
Air Force researchers develop new enabling technologies for next-generation electro-optical
(EO) and
radio-frequency (RF) sensors, communications, information processing,
imaging, and signals intelligence (SIGINT) applications. Officials of the Air Force Research
Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are working with Defense Engineering
Corp. in Beavercreek, Ohio; optX Imaging Systems LLC in Lorton, Va.; and
Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Louisville, Colo. on the Research and
Development of Electro-Optical and Radio Frequency Sensors (RADERS) project.
Defense Engineering won a $3.9 million RADERS contract..."
 Although less than a decade had passed since NASA
launched its first satellite (Explorer 1), planners there were already dreaming
of the day when direct satellite-to-home and
satellite-to-car signals would be broadcast on a commercial basis. This 1965 issue
of Electronics magazine notes an intention to begin with FM radio station airing akin
to what we know today as satellite radio. Then, by 1977 the country would be treated
to satellite-to-home television programming powered by a space-borne SNAP-8 (Space Nuclear
Auxiliary Power) generator. Sirius XM Radio made its debut in 2001, while home satellite
TV service began in 1976. Also mentioned is the USSR's fourth failed attempt to safely
land an instrument package (Luna 8, aka Lunik 8) on the Moon...
Electro-Photonics is a global supplier of
RF & Microwave components.
Their products include SMT hybrid and directional couplers, wire bondable passive components,
mounting tabs, filters, transmission lines, and very useful test boards for evaluating
components (spiral inductors, single-layer capacitors). The Electro-Photonics team can
support your small R&D design requirements with RF & Microwave test fixtures
and save you valuable design and characterization time. Please take a moment to visit
Electro-Photonics' website and see how your project might benefit...
 "UL, a leading global safety science company, has
announced that UL Verification Services, Inc. is the first
Bluetooth Qualification Test Facility
(BQTF) in the world to be recognized by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group
(SIG) under the new qualification process. UL helps manufacturers improve user
experiences and minimize their return rates by testing the market readiness of
their Bluetooth products. Bluetooth is a global wireless standard for Internet
of Things (IoT) devices. Nearly 4 billion Bluetooth devices are expected to ship
in 2018 across consumer, commercial, and industrial markets. From pairing a
mobile phone to a car's infotainment system to connecting headphones to a smart
television, consumers want..."
Tuesday 18
 The introduction of
field-effect transistors (FET's) into the electronics world was a major benefit to
designers needing lower power consumption and perhaps more importantly, high input impedances
for active circuits. The two most fundamentally distinct type of FET's are the metal-oxide-semiconductor
field-effect transistor (MOSFET) and the junction field-effect transistor (JFET). Both
FET types are voltage-controlled devices and do not require a bias current (hence the
high input impedance) like a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) does. Neither FET type
has a PN junction. A JFET uses a high resistance semiconductor channel region between
the source and drain with an ohmic contact to the gate, whereas the MOSFET has a insulative
oxide layer...
 National Instruments' Ashish Chaudhari and David
Squires collaborated with DARPA's Paul Tilghman to give an update on the government's
Colosseum program, billed as the "world's most powerful emulator
of radio-signal traffic." It is on the Microwave Journal website. "Over
the last four decades, the use of wireless technology has become so pervasive,
both militarily and commercially, that we have come to rely upon its
never-ending, and seemingly unbounded, ability to carry more and more
information. Despite our ever-increasing appetite, the fundamental principles
for managing access to the spectrum, established over a century ago, by and
large still hold. Today, the wireless spectrum is still divvied up through a
manual and time-intensive process of assignment and licensing..."
 ConductRF VNA series provides customers with reliable
ruggedized solutions
for Lab and Production Vector Network Analyzer testing. With options for 18 GHz,
26.5 GHz, & 40 GHz these cables offer cost leading alternatives to original
OEM VNA cable solutions. VNA Series cables are enhanced with a stainless steel spiral
armor, providing protection from excess bending and crushing forces. A black non- conductive
outer cover completes the product. These cables are phase stable during flexing and have
an operating life cycle of up to 5,000 matings when correctly operated and
maintained. Connector options available for male and female interfaces include
2.4mm, 3.5mm, SMA, N...
 France's A-1 (aka "Astérix")
satellite launch in November of 1965 made it the sixth country to place a satellite in
orbit - behind Russia, USA, the UK, Canada, and Italy, respectively. Astérix's
primary mission was to test the booster rocket, and verify the ground tracking
networks. Onboard were a radar transponder, a tracking beacon, and a telemetry
transmitter. Due to a presumed damaged antenna, received signals from the beacon
were very weak and only lasted for two days. Although initially France relied on
U.S. contractors for much of its hardware (mechanical and electronic), it
endeavored to develop and produce the majority of the required technology
in-country...
 Nova
Microwave is a leader in technically differentiated electronic and radio frequency Ferrite
Circulators and Isolators
that connect, protect and control critical commercial and military wireless
telecommunications systems. Our staff is dedicated to research and development
of standard and custom design quality Ferrite Circulators and Isolators from
380 MHz to 26.5 GHz. Please visit Nova Microwave today...
 "The European Parliament passed sweeping
copyright legislation
Wednesday that, much like its privacy regulations, could have impact far beyond
Europe. Critics argue that the most controversial part of the proposal will
effectively force all but the smallest website operators to adopt 'upload
filters' similar to those used by YouTube, and apply them to all types of
content, to stop users from uploading copyrighted works. That could pose
problems, given how expensive such filters could be to develop, and the high
likelihood of false positives. The legislation will also require site owners to
pay for displaying snippets of content. Critics have called this a 'link tax,'
though links and search engine..."
Monday 17
 In this final installment of an All about IC's
trilogy that appeared in Radio-Electronics magazine in 1969, author Bob Hibberd
discusses how
passive components are fabricated in silicon as part of an integrated circuit. MOS
and junction capacitors and diffusion resistors were cutting edge technology in the day.
Although not discussed here, small value inductors could be made with printed metal on
the die. The relatively low frequencies of IC's (a few MHz at best) meant that most inductive
components had to be realized in the form of a gyrator because there was not enough area
available to print a useful wire inductor. Hibberd also describes the dicing process,
aka singulation, for breaking individual IC's off the composite wafer. Processes
have changed fairly significantly, but the fundamentals are still the same...
 Arun Mulpur has an article on the Microwaves &
RF website titled "5G Hype vs. Reality: Overcome These Challenges to Achieve 'Real' 5G Deployment"
that discusses some of the major technology hurdles that need to be overcome to truly
achieve the 5G paradigm. Few people even really know what criteria need to be met in
order to qualify as having transitioned into the 5G era. Says Arun: "Many
questions surround 5G communications. Here are answers to 5G 'FAQs' that can
shed some light on the matter. Several telecommunications carriers, wireless
equipment manufacturers, and smartphone makers have burst out of the gates this
year with plans to accelerate 5G deployment and adoption. Greater emphasis at
major trade shows like the Consumer Electronics Show and Mobile World Congress
have further fueled the 5G hype machine..."
 European
Microwave Week 2018 is a six day event running from Sunday, September 23 through
Friday the 28th. The venue is Madrid, Spain. It includes three cutting edge conferences
and a trade and technology exhibition featuring leading players from across the globe.
"EuMW 2018 provides access to the very latest products, research and initiatives
in the microwave sector. It also offers you the opportunity for face-to-face
interaction with those driving the future of microwave technology. 3 major
conferences, associated workshops, tailored courses and seminars for
industrialists, academics and researchers." Exhibitor workshops and seminars
will also be provided by several top organizations with superior expertise in
microwave, RF, wireless and radar...
 As with a lot of things, when you have been around
test equipment for a long time and new equipment with new features evolve over time,
you might forget how things used to be as you come to take the modern stuff for granted.
Displaying more than one channel's trace at a time is a good example. When Tektronix
introduced the "Automated
Display Switching" feature on their model 547 oscilloscope with the 1A1 time
base plug-in, its ability to show two sweeps simultaneously was ground-breaking.
Prior to that, the user needed to manually switch between input time base units
to get the waveform displayed. Monitoring two waveforms at a time required
separate oscilloscopes, which, given the massive size of their vacuum tube-based
electronics, meant occupying a lot of lab space...
everything RF is now offering
website development services! Get a new website or upgrade your existing
website - All for only $99/month (can go up to $299/month based on the
number of products). There is no design or development charge, nor is there a
lock-in or contract. There is a simple monthly cost which includes everything -
design, development, hosting, backups, data porting and anything else. You do
not need to hire an agency and spend thousands of dollars to create a website...
 "The recycling process developed by the DOE turns
discarded
hard disk drive magnets
into new magnet material in just a few steps. We generally imagine the world's
landfills to be piled up with food, paper, and plastic waste. But the reality is
that 'e-waste,' or electronic devices and components at the end of their useful
lives, is also becoming a problem. Discarded computers and their hard drives,
portable devices, and other electronics often contain valuable materials like
rare earth minerals, but in such minute quantities that the costs to retrieve
and recycle them often exceed their value. Better solutions are required to
recover materials from e-scrap in a more cost-effective way to help advance the
cause of closed loop manufacturing..."
Sunday 16
 This video of a Weather Channel (TWC) reporter
in Wilmington, NC, has gone mega viral. The fool is apparently fighting to keep from
getting blown away by
Hurricane Florence's winds. Then, a couple guys casually stroll by
in the background. TWC spinmeisters say their reporter had a hard time due to standing
on wet grass while the other guys were on pavement (wet). However, a moment later in
the video the other two guys end up walking on the grass, too, unaffected by the winds.
Busted!...
|
