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4 of the December 2019 homepage archives. Friday 13
 Here is an interesting article by Murray
Slovick entitled, "Space Radiation and Its Effects on Electronic Systems." With 10s
or even 100s of 1000s of Internet-connectivity satellites being launched by SpaceX's
Starlink constellation and others, collisions with space junk
could soon be a bigger concern than radiation. "Increased demand for connectivity
to high-speed data networks is leading to increased deployment of space platforms
for services ranging from GPS to military intelligence to commercial high-speed
data for home internet applications. Outside the Earth's atmosphere, though, the
solar system is filled with radiation that can damage electronic devices. The effects
range from degradation in performance to leakage currents, lowering the gain of
a device, upsetting timing characteristics ..."
 Even if you have no use for building a "twin
lamp" standing wave indicator for a twin lead transmission line (solid
or open ladder type), this article makes an interesting read for its theoretical
description of how the device works based on current phases in the circuit. A pair
of flashlight bulbs and couple feet of wire is all that is needed. When operating
properly, the "twin lamp" indicator indicates by virtue of whether one or both bulbs
are illuminated whether there is a significant standing wave present on the line.
Author Charles Wright warns that the VSWR level cannot be reliably determined based
on relative brightnesses of the two bulbs; it is meant for use as a best case indication
for tuning and/or as a gross fault indicator...
 "If you're not certain as to the differences
between
nanosats and cubesats, or how these tiny satellites are launched
and what they do, then read on. Tiny satellites have made space accessible to a
new generation of university students, private companies and even helped cash-strapped
government agencies like NASA. Generally known as nano-satellites (nanosats) or
cube-satellites (cubesats), this technology has been made possible by the semiconductor
driven miniaturization of electronic and electro-mechanical systems. In recognition
of the trend, the IEEE has even launched a new journal on, 'Miniaturization for
Air and Space Systems (J-MASS).' Mass is a premium consideration when placing anything
into space. That's why the names of tiny satellites ..."
 Windfreak Technologies designs, manufactures,
tests and sells high value USB powered and controlled radio frequency products such
as RF signal generators, RF synthesizers, RF power detectors, mixers, up / downconverters.
Since the conception of WFT, we have introduced products that have been purchased
by a wide range of customers, from hobbyists to education facilities to government
agencies. Worldwide customers include Europe, Australia, and Asia. Please contact
Windfreak today to learn how they might help you with your current project.
Thursday 12
 At the end of World War II, the U.S.
government demonstrated an appreciation for the extreme sacrifices made by its citizens
by making
surplus materiel available for purchase at very low cost. Companies
sprang up as distributors after bidding on and buying large lots of items at auctions.
Herschel Radio Company was one of many. This 2-page advertisement on a 1948 issue
of Radio-Craft is typical of what was seen in all sorts of technology publications
in the late 1940s. A complete Fairchild model SCR 269/F airborne radio compass
was offered at a mere $75 ($814 in today's money). A Hallicrafters model SX-28 communications
receiver could be picked up for $129. Miscellaneous components sold for pennies
- resistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers, vacuum tubes, indicator lamps,
wire, switches, hardware, tools, enclosures, motors...
 "Slightly bending semiconductors made of
organic materials can roughly double the speed of electricity flowing through them
and could benefit next-generation electronics such as sensors and solar cells, according
to Rutgers-led research. 'If implemented in electrical circuits, such an enhancement
- achieved by very slight bending - would mean a major leap toward realizing next-generation,
high-performance organic electronics,' said senior author Vitaly Podzorov, a professor
in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the School of Arts and Sciences at
Rutgers University - New Brunswick. Semiconductors include materials that conduct
electricity and their conductivity can be tuned by different external stimuli, making
them essential for all electronics.
Organic semiconductors are made of organic molecules (mainly consisting
of carbon and hydrogen atoms) ..."
 Teledyne e2v HiRel, producer of the longtime
industry-leading
PeeWee high voltage cable assembly, this week unveiled a major
new addition to the high voltage product line called Ruggedized PeeWee, or "PWR."
Built on decades of experience developing subminiature, high voltage connectors,
the PWR's new robust design also benefits from Teledyne's extensive experience designing
Space-level products. The new Ruggedized PeeWee line is fully compatible and inter-matable
with all push-pull PeeWee assemblies. Download the Ruggedized PeeWee datasheet.
With this new product, Teledyne has surpassed all previous industry standards for
testing...
 Triad RF Systems designs and manufactures
RF power amplifiers
and systems. Triad RF Systems comprises three partners
(hence 'Triad') with over 40 years of accumulated
knowledge of what is required to design, manufacture, market, sell and service RF/Microwave
amplifiers and amplifier systems. PA, LNA, bi-directional, and frequency translating
amplifiers are available, in formats including tower mount, benchtop, rack mount,
and chassis mount. "We view Triad more as a technology partner than a vendor for
our line-of-sight communications product line." Please check to see how they can
help your project.
 This article by science fiction writer
Arthur C. Clarke, of 2001: A Space Odyssey fame, suggested the
use of surplus German V-2 (Vergeltungswaffe 2; i.e., Retribution Weapon 2) rockets
for launching scientific payloads into space rather than for launching terrorizing
attacks on European cities. The October 1945 publishing date was after Germany had
surrendered in the spring of that year and Allied forces were rounding up war criminals
and confiscating documents and equipment. Clarke describes how an "artificial satellite"
could be caused to circle the earth "perpetually" and was published in the October
1945 edition of Wireless World magazine. The pilot-less V-2, along with the V-1
"Buzz Bomb," were launched from within Germany and caused massive structural damage
and human death and suffering. For war progenitor and aggressor, Germany, to call
it a retribution weapon was a gross misnomer...
 Modelithics is pleased to announce the release
of version 19.4.2 of the
Modelithics Qorvo GaN library for use with Keysight Technologies'
Advanced Design System and National Instruments AWR Design Environment. The Modelithics
Qorvo GaN Library is a set of non-linear models for Qorvo package and die GaN devices,
designed for excellent accuracy, and validated with broadband S-parameters and load
pull data at multiple frequencies. Each model has a detailed datasheet summarizing
model features, development details, and model performance plots. Some devices are
also represented with small-signal and noise models in addition to non-linear models.
Version 19.4.2 of the Modelithics Qorvo GaN Library includes a total of 80 models
containing 57 packaged power models, 17 GaN die power transistor products and 6
small-signal models...
 SF Circuits' specialty is in the complex,
advanced technology of
PCB fabrication and assembly, producing high quality multi-layered
PCBs from elaborate layouts. With them, you receive unparalleled technical expertise
at competitive prices as well as the most progressive solutions available. Their
customers request PCB production that is outside the capabilities of normal circuit
board providers. Please take a moment to visit San Francisco Circuits today. "Printed
Circuit Fabrication & Assembly with No Limit on Technology or Quantity."
Wednesday 11
 In the middle of the last century, progress
in television and radio technology was the focus of public attention, similar to
news of the latest advances in smartphones and Wi-Fi-connected gadgets are today.
Then, it was the installation of
microwave relay networks for long distance telephone and television
interconnections as reported in this 1948 issue of Radio-Craft magazine.
Now, media headlines tell of new 5G cellular network equipment and small cell stations
being installed around the world. New portable pocket radios using a single low
voltage "peanut" vacuum tube or a germanium transistor are today's iPhones, smartwatches,
and IoT-connected appliances. The item that caught my attention was mention
of General electric (GE) issuing warnings that radar-equipped cargo airplanes should
not be used to transport photo-flash camera bulbs because experiments showed exposure
to certain frequencies and power...
 Andre Muller and colleagues just published
a major paper in Nature magazine demonstrating the unique aptness of his
3D
Smith Chart in the design of applications where complex frequency dependencies
must be assessed, as with Metal-Insulator-Transition (MIT) materials. You'll need
to have your thinking cap on for this one ;-) "In this work, we develop and
use 3D Smith charts for devices and circuits having complex frequency dependences,
like the ones resulting using MIT materials. The novel foundation of a 3D Smith
chart involves here the geometrical fundamental notions of oriented curvature and
variable homothety in order to clarify first theoretical inconsistencies in Foster
and Non Foster circuits, where the driving point impedances exhibit mixed clockwise
and counter-clockwise frequency dependent (oriented) paths on the Smith chart as
frequency increases. We show here the unique visualization capability of a 3D Smith
chart, which allows to quantify orientation over variable frequency ..."
 "The first satellite built by students in
Mexico for launch from the International Space Station is smaller than a shoebox
but represents a big step for its builders. The project is part of NASA's CubeSat
Launch Initiative, which offers universities, high schools and non-profit organizations
the opportunity to fly small satellites. Innovative technology partnerships keep
down the cost, providing students a way to obtain hands-on experience developing
flight hardware. A multidisciplinary team of students at Universidad Popular Autonoma
del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP), in Puebla, Mexico, built the
CubeSat for AzTechSat-1. The investigation demonstrates communication
within a satellite network in low-Earth orbit ..."
 Before the Internet, cellphone apps, and
personal computers, many calculations began with a lookup table, chart, or nomograph.
In the case of long distance radio operators [Ham, Short Wave Listener (SWL), and
professional types] seeking distance and direction information for pointing antennas,
it took a map like this one published by Radio News & Short-Wave magazine
in 1934 to estimate an optimal configuration. Such tools were essential in order
to determine the best direction to point the antenna, which over a long distance
is usually much different than what might be assumed by looking at a
flattened projection map of the earth (see "Distance Lends Enchantment"
below). Distances in Chart No. 1 are all relative to New York, so operators
in other locales need to compensate. Here is one example of many online great circle
calculators...
 Alliance Test sells
used / refurbished
test equipment and offers short- and long-term rentals. They also offer repair,
maintenance and calibration. Prices discounted up to 80% off list price. Agilent/HP,
Tektronix, Anritsu, Fluke, R&S and other major brands. A global organization
with ability to source hard to find equipment through our network of suppliers.
Please visit Allied Test Equipment today to see how they can help your project.
 December 11 marks the 98th anniversary of
the success of
ARRL's Transatlantic Tests in 1921, organized to see if low-power
amateur radio stations could be heard across the Atlantic using shortwave frequencies
(i.e., above 200 meters). On that day, a message transmitted by a group of Radio
Club of America members at 1BCG in Greenwich, Connecticut, was copied by Paul Godley,
2ZE, in Scotland. While the first two-way contact would not take place until 1923,
the 1921 transatlantic success marked the beginning of what would become routine
communication between US radio amateurs and those in other parts of the world -
literally the birth of DX ...
 At VidaRF, the phrase 'Providing Simple Solutions
for Complex Connections' is more than just a slogan – it's a mindset, a mission,
and a driving force behind everything we do. Their pledge is to design and distribute
high performance, cost effective
RF Microwave products to fit each customer's unique applications.
Please visit VidaRF today to see how their lines of attenuators & terminations,
directional couplers, power dividers, coaxial connectors, and circulator & isolators
can be of use to your project. "When the standard just will not do, VidaRF has the
solution for you!"
Tuesday 10
 Were strings of miniature Christmas tree
lights not available for purchase in 1955? This adventure of "Carl & Jerry" seems to imply that was the case since it concerns
the design and constructions of such a circuit using low voltage panel lamps (light
bulbs). Although usually the two techno-teenager are co-conspiring on various tasks
of high tech sleuthing or radio-related pursuits, but in this case if it Jerry who
has been doing the hard work. Author John Frye might not know how prescient he was
when describing the two inventions he conjured up for Carl and Jerry. The first
is the aforementioned miniature Christmas light string and the second is a voice
recording device that can capture a short message and then quickly play it back.
The playback scheme involves kids reciting their Christmas wish list to a fake Santa
Claus and then having him read it back to them in a different voice...
 I didn't see this one coming, but it seems
like a great move - Cadence Design Systems and National Instruments Corporation
today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which
Cadence expects to acquire AWR Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary
of National Instruments (NI). AWR is an industry leader in high-frequency RF EDA
software technology and will bring a highly talented RF team to Cadence. Concurrently,
Cadence and NI also entered into a strategic alliance agreement to expand their
relationship to enhance electronic system innovation with a focus on communications.
AWR software is used by microwave and RF engineers to design wireless products for
complex, high-frequency RF applications. The technology helps customers accelerate
the design and product development cycle of systems used in communications, aerospace
and defense, semiconductor, computer, and consumer electronics...
 Transient Specialists specializes in
EMC test
equipment rentals and carries a complete line of ESD guns, surge immunity test
equipment, and EFT generators. Rentals available for military (Mil-Std 461), automotive
(ISO 7637), and commercial (IEC 61000-4) EMC testing. Flexible terms, accredited
calibrations and technical support on EMC testing equipment offered. Equipment consists
of top EMC Test System manufacturers, including Teseq, Thermo Keytek, EM Test and
EMC Partner. Contact Transient Specialists today for your ESD / EMC / RFI testing
needs.
 Electronics technicians trained by the U.S.
Navy (and, ahem, the U.S. Air Force) have always been highly regarded in private
industry because of the excellent classroom instruction, rigorous on-the-job training
(OJT), and hands-on experience maintaining both legacy and state-of-the-art equipment.
Electronics tech schools begin with teaching the fundamentals of electricity and electronics, and then branches
off into areas of specialty, depending on the type of equipment the enlistee will
be assigned to maintain. The military works under the assumption that you have no
significant former knowledge of the topic - although being admitted into certain
programs requires passing an aptitude exam prior to enlistment. In my case, it was
six weeks of BET (Basic Electronics Training). followed by 26 weeks of Specialty
Electronics Training School (SETS). Yes, the government has an acronym for everything.
Six more months of self-study course material (with testing) was required during
the initial OJT period...
 When designing a rigid flex PCB, it is important
to consider all of the relevant factors that will go into producing the right board
for your application. Rigid flex printed circuit boards (PCBs) are hybrid circuit
boards that combine the characteristics of hardboards and flexible circuitry, with
areas that are rigid for component assembly providing the same density as hard boards,
and flexible areas connecting the rigid boards to one another. The design and construction
of these circuits include multiple layers of rigid boards and flexible circuits.
In our "Rigid Flex PCB Application & Design Guide," we outline what
you need to know about: The applications and environments in which rigid flex PCBs
excel, How to successfully assemble and install your rigid flex PCB.
 RF Superstore launched in 2017, marking
the return of Murray Pasternack, founder of Pasternack Enterprises, to the RF and
microwave Industry. Pasternack fundamentally changed the way RF components were
sold. Partner Jason Wright manages day-to-day operations, while working closely
with Mr. Pasternack to develop RF Superstore into a world class RF and
microwave component supplier. RF coaxial connectors & adapters,
coaxial cable & cable assemblies, surge protectors, attenuators. Items added
daily. Free shipping on orders over $99. We're leading the way again!
Monday 9
 RF technology has been a large part of new
and upgraded aircraft development not just for studies of radio and radar performance,
but also for
remote control (R/C) of small- and full-scale prototype models.
R/C began life as bulky vacuum tube systems with transmitters that needed to sit
on the ground with a hand-held command box. Airborne systems carried lead-acid batteries
for power*. Frequencies in the U.S. were in the 27 MHz Citizens Band, and then
moved into 53 MHz (Ham band), 72 MHz (airborne only), and 75 MHz
(ground only) bands. All modern R/C systems operate in the 2.4 GHz ISM band
using spread spectrum modulation (FHSS and DSSS). Having been a builder and flyer
of R/C models since the 1970s, I have read many articles about the role played by
modelers over the years in modeling magazines and more general purpose magazines
like this one in a 1974 issue of Popular Mechanics. Prior to the availability of
super-powerful computers and sophisticated fluid dynamics simulation programs...
 "Egypt's Ministry of Interior (MOI) plans
to identify millions of vehicles as they travel on the country's roads, using an
RFID solution from Go+, with hardware and software provided in cooperation with
Wireless Dynamics. The system, which will be implemented across approximately 10
million of the country's vehicles throughout the next five years, consists of passive
UHF RFID
stickers attached to each car's windshield, as well as tags on headlamps that
respond to interrogation from readers installed above roadways, even at high speeds.
The nation of Egypt faces a growing challenge related to traffic and the management
of all cars operating on its roadways ..."
 PCB Directory is the largest directory of
Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Manufacturers, Assembly houses, and Design Services
on the Internet. We have listed the leading printed circuit board manufacturers
around the world and made them searchable by their capabilities - Number of laminates
used, Board thicknesses supported, Number of layers supported, Types of substrates
(FR-4, Rogers, flexible, rigid), Geographical location (U.S., China), kinds of services
(manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, prototype), and more. Fast turn-around on
quotations for PCB fabrication and assembly.
 Leo Esaki invented the
tunnel diode (aka the Esaki diode) in 1957 while working at Sony
(Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo at the time). Tunnel diodes have a very narrow, heavily doped
p-n junction only around 10 nm (100 Å) wide that exhibits a broken bandgap,
where conduction band electrons on the n-side are approximately aligned with valence
band holes on the p-side and thereby facilitate the quantum mechanical tunneling
process after which the diode is named. A negative differential resistance in part
of their operating range makes them useful for high frequency oscillators. This
article in a 1960 edition of Popular Electronics introduces the device's characteristics
and potential uses. Interestingly, if you want to buy a tunnel diode today, you
will likely have to find old stock on on eBay or Amazon since I could not find anyone
who sells new stock (Digi-Key, Newark, Mouser...
 Teledyne e2v HiRel today announced the availability
of a new
RF power limiter, the 2.5 GHz, 100 W TDLM025100. The limiter is
a monolithic integrated circuit based on a Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) technology
that is ideal for use in high reliability aerospace and defense applications. This
new integrated device provides customers with a more reliable and robust power protection
solution compared to the traditional industry alternative, discrete GaAs PIN diode
circuits with multiple external components. The power limiter delivers low insertion
loss and high linearity under non-limiting power levels and extremely fast response
time in a limiting event, ensuring protection of sensitive circuitry...
 Reactel has become one of the industry leaders
in the design and manufacture of RF and microwave filters, diplexers, and sub-assemblies.
They offer the generally known tubular, LC, cavity, and waveguide designs, as well
as state of the art high performance suspended substrate models. Through a continuous
process of research and development, they have established a full line of filters
of filters of all types - lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandstop, diplexer, and more.
Established in 1979. Please contact Reactel today to see how they might help your
project.
Sunday 8
 As with my hundreds of previous
engineering and science-themed crossword puzzles, this one for
December 8, 2019, contains only clues and terms associated with engineering, science,
physical, astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, etc., which I have built up over nearly
two decades. Many new words and company names have been added that had not even
been created when I started in the year 2002. 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, Russia, for reasons which,
if you don't already know, might surprise you...
These archive pages are provided in order to make it easier for you to find items
that you remember seeing on the RF Cafe homepage. Of course probably the easiest
way to find anything on the website is to use the "Search
RF Cafe" box at the top of every page.
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Cadence to Acquire AWR Corporation from National Instruments