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Crossword for 10/14/2012
For the sake of avid cruciverbalists, each week I create a new crossword puzzle
that has a theme related to engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and other
technical words. You will never be asked the name of a movie star unless he/she
was involved in a technical endeavor (e.g., Hedy Lamar).
Methods with MATLAB for EEs
"Combining academic and practical approaches to this important topic, Numerical
and Analytical Methods with MATLAB® for Electrical Engineers is the ideal resource
for electrical and computer engineering students. Based on a previous edition that
was geared toward mechanical engineering students, this book expands many of the
concepts presented in that book and replaces the original projects with new ones
intended specifically for electrical engineering students." By William Bober and
Andrew Stevens.
Distributor for Mexico
Pasternack announces that it has appointed Medición y Electrónica S.A. de C.V.
(MESA) as Pasternack's
exclusive distributor for Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. MESA joins a growing list
of international distributors who are helping Pasternack expand their product offering
and customer service worldwide.
for Continued Support
Fotofab is a supplier of custom-made thin metal parts.
Chemical etching, metal stamping,
RF shielding, or any custom part made out of metal. RF/EMI shielding, metal stamping,
lead frames, filter screens. Samples are available.
 Combined 3D Electromagnetic and Spin Response
Simulation of MRI Systems, by CST, Thursday, October 11, 11:00 am ET
It's autumn in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the colors this year are shaping
up to be some of the best ever. Here is a panoramic view I took out the back
(north-facing) porch of
RF Cafe headquarters.
High Linearity WiFi FEMs
 RFMD's new
RFFM4203 (2.4 GHz) and
RFFM4501 (5.2 GHz) high linearity WiFi front end modules
provide complete integrated solution in a single front end module (FEM) for WiFi
systems. The ultra-small form factor and integrated matching minimizes layout area
in the application and greatly reduces the number of external components.
for Supporting RF Cafe
Z-Comm is a producer of voltage-controlled
oscillator (VCO) modules, coaxial resonator based high-Q distributed resonators.
Exceptionally low phase noise phase-locked loop (PLL) modules. Eval boards &
test fixtures are available.
•
ESD-Caused Fires, by Kenneth Wyatt, T&M
World
• Preparing RF/MW Parts for
Space,
by Jack Browne, MW&RF
•
Demystify Integrated-
Phase-Deviation Results in
Phase-Noise Measurements, by Bob Nelson, MW&RF
 We will never know exactly what Benjamin Franklin
said when that first bolt of lightning hit his kite, but we do know what this young
woman from Florida said when a bolt of lightning turned into a
fireball in
her back yard as she was filming a rain downpour. This is really funny!
of ZigBee® Front-Ends
 Skyworks commenced volume shipments of several
medium to high-power
ZigBee® front-end solutions for smart meters, home automation, security sensors
and gateway applications. Skyworks' front-end solutions deliver the industry's
most integrated and highest efficiency devices, enabling leading broadband service
providers, security companies and utilities to offer next generation connected home
services.
Volunteerism and Contests
 IEEE senior member Michael R. Andrews originated
the
STEM Competition (science, technology, engineering, and math)
for middle school students in order to promote those disciplines at a time when
planning for high school and
career paths really
gets started. In this article, he recommends a show-and-tell type presentation to
appeal to the shock and awe motivational factor of seeing cool concepts demonstrated
and explained in terms understandable by students.
 All you need to do is substitute transistors
for the tubes used in these fundamental
oscillator circuits to bring this article's content up to date. Or, maybe you
are the owner of a vintage vacuum tube radio and would like to learn a little about
how things were done in the olden days. Either way, as with so many aspects of electronic
circuits, the basics haven't changed much in the last 100 years. It's all still
good.
ADC-to-FPGA Interconnect
 Analog Devices introduces the
AD9250 dual-channel,
14-bit, 250 MSPS, A/D converter featuring the JEDEC JESD204B serial output data
interface standard. The AD9250 A/D converter is the first-to-market with full JESD204B
Subclass 1 deterministic latency at 250 MSPS.
over Lossy Capacitors
 EDN's Tales from the Cube series is another
venue for engineers
to vent their frustrations over particularly tricky problems and the troubleshooting
techniques that helps to solve them. This installment is titled, "Glossing over Lossy Capacitors."
Ham Horizons
 Part 97.1 points out five bases and purposes
of the Amateur Radio Service.
The third principle -- encouragement and improvement of the Amateur Service through
rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical
phases of the art -- has been a hallmark of the Amateur Radio Service from the beginning.
This quiz lists a few of those pioneers and their achievements --
feathers in every ham's hat.
 Some of us like seeing the old advertisements
from vintage era magazines. This
Taylor Tubes advertisement from the February 1941 edition of the ARRL's QST
magazine is a prime example. Vacuum tubes had a high degree of automation for stamping
out internal components, forming the glass shells and evacuation of the air, but
they still required human production line operators for assembling the components
prior to being encapsulated and sealed. National Instruments hadn't invented LabVIEW
yet to run the testing station, so people manually placed the tubes into a board
full of sockets for burn-in and testing.
vida RF is a long-time supporter of RF Cafe. They provide solutions for
defense, multimedia, medical, datacom/telecom and industrial markets. RF connectors,
cable assemblies, power dividers, adapters, terminations, attenuators, baluns, surge
protectors.
Crossword for 10/7/2012
For the sake of avid cruciverbalists, each week I create a new crossword puzzle
that has a theme related to engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and other
technical words. You will never be asked the name of a movie star unless he/she
was involved in a technical endeavor (e.g., Hedy Lamar).
for Their Support
RFMD is a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance semiconductor
components. RFMD's products enable worldwide mobility, provide enhanced connectivity
and support advanced functionality in the cellular handset, wireless infrastructure,
wireless local area network (WLAN), CATV/broadband and aerospace and defense markets.
and Series-Parallel Circuits
 When you read a lot of tutorials about introductory
electronics on the Internet, most are the same format where stoic, scholarly presentations
of the facts are given. Those of you who don't have enough fingers and toes to count
all of the college textbooks like that which you have read know of what I speak.
When hobby articles are written in a similar fashion, it can quickly discourage
the neophyte tinkerer or maybe even a future Bob Pease. QST has printed a plethora
of articles over the years that are more of a story than just a presentation of
the facts. My guess is the reason is because often the authors are not university
professors who have forgotten how to speak to beginners. This article on basic
calculations for AC series and parallel circuits is a prime example...
Articles from MPD
 Microwave Product Digest always has good articles
for practical application - at least the kind that interest me.
-
Uncertain Times for Defense, by Barry Manz (editor)
- Just Under the Radar: The Human
Factor, by Bob Pinato -
Noise Immunity – A Mandatory
Design Aspect for Integrated
Circuits and Systems, by Wolfgang Damm -
GaN: The Technology of Choice
for Next Generation Advanced
Radar Systems, by Integra Technologies -
Power Amplifier Gain Compression
Measurements, by Giga-tronics
 TransiTiva: 888-317-8112, Mountain
View, CA. TransiTiva is a high-end GPS distributor, supplying products from well
recognized manufacturers, and is dedicated to providing its customers the best products
with a special focus on customer support.
Mistake Causing Super Voltage
Sherlock Ohms is a regular feature of Design News that presents submissions from
readers about troubleshooting challenges and how they were solved. This one is titled
"Super Mistake Caused Super Voltage."Planned by UK Broadcaster
 Rumor has it that Simon Cowell, Black Eyed
Peas rapper Will.i.am are teaming to produce an Idol / X-Factor show to discover
the next generation of tech
startups. It will be called "X-Factor for Tech." There is no website for it
yet. A German venture capitalist group is also doing its own version where the prize
will be not cash, but free prime time TV advertising. If your tech company is less
than 3 years old and you want a shot at the prize, apply on the
SevenVentures Pitch
Day website.
 Congrats to Dean S., of Henderson, KY. He
is another winner of the September book drawing. Mike chose Electromagnetic
Scattering and Material Characterization. Graciously
provided by Artech
House
 "Jupiter's moons are invisible to the naked
eye and therefore can have no influence on the earth, and therefore would be useless,
and therefore do not exist." -
Francisco Sizzi (Prof. of Astronomy), dismissing Galileo's sighting
of the moons. Now there is a prime example of reductio ad absurdum absurdity.
 Congrats to Mike H., of Lynchburg, VA. He
is a September 2012 book drawing winner. Mike selected Emerging Wireless Technologies
and the Future Mobile Internet. Graciously provided
by Cambridge University
Press
Circuit Simulation
 Integrated Electro-Thermal Solution Delivers Thermally
Aware Circuit Simulation, by Agilent, Wednesday, October 4, 10:00 AM ET.
RFIC, MMIC and RF Module designs are becoming increasingly susceptible to thermal
problems as more functions are being integrated into smaller packages. Circuit simulation
is a key design tool but does not directly take into account thermal effects that
could greatly impact device performance. This webcast provides an overview of a
new approach to predicting electro-thermal behavior, based on a full 3D thermal
solver tightly integrated with Agilent Advanced Design System (ADS) circuit simulation
and IC layout environment.
Witness 'Third Wheel'
 Expert witnesses play a big role in most -
if not all - of the court cases that get reported here.
IMS ExpertServices is a law firm specializing in expert witnesses.
Every month or so they send me an article about specific court cases that could
be of interest to RF Cafe visitors. This particular installment is titled, "No Appeal for Expert Witness 'Third Wheel'" and deals with the
impact on an expert witness when the court rules that his/her contribution is not
admissible. By
Maggie Tamburro, JD.
and Mapping with Radar
 Robotic Navigation and Mapping with Radar,
by Martin Adams and Ebi Jose, focuses on autonomous robotic applications, this cutting-edge
resource offers you a practical treatment of short-range radar processing for reliable
object detection at the ground level. This unique book demonstrates probabilistic
radar models and detection algorithms specifically for robotic land vehicles. It
examines grid based robotic mapping with radar based on measurement likelihood estimation.
Published by Artech
House.
WiFi Front End Modules
 RFMD's new high linearity WiFi front end modules
provide complete integrated
front end solutions for WiFi systems. The ultra-small form factor
and integrated matching minimizes layout area in the application and greatly reduces
the number of external components. This simplifies the total front end solution
with a reduced bill of materials, smaller system footprint, and lower manufacturing
cost.
Language Website
 Emerson Connectivity Solutions' Chinese translated
site went live on September 17, 2012. It is intended to provide product and brand
awareness throughout China, a target and rapidly developing market for
Emerson Connectivity Solutions.
RF and Microwave Catalog
 Pasternack
has released their all new “2012B” edition
RF
and microwave parts catalog. Pasternack's latest 264 page catalog contains over
35,000 unique RF products such as cable assemblies, connectors, adapters, attenuators,
antennas, test and measurement components and much more, all available for same-day
shipping worldwide.
Contest Ham Team
Youth@HamRadio.Fun
ARRL Youth Editor Sterling Coffey
(N0SSC) has a new article titled, "The Young Amateurs Contest Ham Team." Begins
master Sterling, "Everyone has heard the phrase 'If you build it, they will come,'
and when it comes to ham radio, they will. For quite some time, I have been receiving
e-mail from the Young Amateurs Contest Ham Team (YACHT), but rarely do I read them,
as most of the e-mails end up at the bottom of my inbox. But a few weeks ago I saw
a particularly interesting e-mail entitled 'Lasting Moments of First Excitement.'
I read...
World for Their Patronage
PCB Material World buys surplus, obsolete, and offcut RF copper clad laminates.
Independent distributor and market maker of PCB raw materials. We buy and sell
PCB raw materials
such as laminates, copper foil, drill backer.
Next Presentation w/a Graph
 I'll admit here and now that I read the comics
in the newspaper every day. The Erie-Times News doesn't have the best selection,
but Herman is usually
pretty good. It is in a single panel format and features frumpy characters in punny
[sic] situations. A lot of people like to include comics like this in the opening
of a technical presentation; just make sure it will never be publically available
to avoid copyright issues (all or most are reprints now).
RF, Microwave & mm-Wave Components
This quiz is based on the information presented in Handbook of RF, Microwave,
and Millimeter-Wave Components, by Smolskiy, Belov, and Kochemasov. All
RF Cafe quizzes would make perfect fodder for employment interviews for technicians
or engineers - particularly those who are fresh out of school or are relatively
new to the work world. Come to think of it, they would make equally excellent study
material for the same persons who are going to be interviewed for a job...
Circuits for Continued Support
ASC is a manufacturer of RF, digital, advanced tech PCBs. FR4, Teflon, Polyimide &
hybrid multilayers. Rogers, Taconics, Arlon, Gore, & Nelco. Special technologies
and R&D work. Mil Cert. 31032 / 55110.
 Here is a really good introduction to the
way a laser works. The article talks about a couple Bell Telephone scientists who
pioneered long distance laser communications back in 1960. Their experiments began
with rather large chemical lasers on the rooftops of buildings separated by 25 miles.
We've come a long way since then, with laser communications now taking place within
the confines of a semiconductor integrated circuit...
Vendor Listing Added
Venture Technologies
is a product development company with emphasis on integrating wireless capability
into products. Focus within wireless is on stand-alone products, i.e. self powered
either by harvesting energy from the environment or by using such small amounts
of power that batteries can be sealed into the product. Their
RFOS platform offers a fast entry for companies needing to bring
wireless onboard quickly, cheaply and to out-perform standard solutions.
for Helping Deliver RF Cafe!
3Gmetalworkx
manufactures RF/EMI PCB-level shielding. Basic shielding cans for permanent installation
single-cavity shield sets. Cover can be removed and re-installed on multi-cavity
shield sets.
Crossword for 9/30/2012
For the sake of avid cruciverbalists, each week I create a new crossword puzzle
that has a theme related to engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and other
technical words. You will never be asked the name of a movie star unless he/she
was involved in a technical endeavor (e.g., Hedy Lamar).
Isolation GaAs SPDT Switch
 Skyworks is pleased to introduce a very high
isolation (>60 dB), low loss (0.8 dB) SPDT switch with integrated 50 Ω
terminations and broadband operation to 6.0 GHz. The cost-effective
SKY13372-467LF targets cellular infrastructure applications
requiring feedback and filter-bank switching where low loss and high channel to
channel isolation performance is required. Ideal for military communication
and various RF test and measurement apps.
New S-Band Miniaturized VCO
 Z-Z-Comm announces a new RoHS compliant VCO
model V846ME24-LF in the S-band. The V846ME24-LF operates at 3100
to 3500 MHz with a tuning voltage range of 1 to 12 Vdc and provides better
than 1.1:1 tuning linearity. This high performance VCO features a spectrally clean
signal of -114 dBc/Hz @ 100 kHz offset and a typical tuning sensitivity
of 62 MHz/V.
for Continued Support!
Headquartered in Orange County, California,
Cross RF is a leading manufacture
of RF & microwave interconnect solutions. From off-the-shelf connectors to thousands
of custom cable assemblies, Cross RF offers the fast turnaround RF Solutions - connectors,
adapters, cable assemblies and more.
Warning: Questionable content to follow. Please have children leave the room.
For as long as I can remember the phrase "Cranial
Rectumitis" has been used to humorously describe the dire medical and social
phenomenon of having one's head up one's... well, you know where. Someone sent me
an e-mail today with an equally funny related expression: Cranial-Rectal Inversion.
Now firmly entered into my lexicon, it shall be used as opportunity allows.
QST Magazine
 The opportunity of a lifetime might have just
presented itself if you have a passion for Amateur Radio. The ARRL just announced
an opening as the
technical editor for their monthly QST magazine. Joel Hallas
(W1ZR) is evidently stepping down from his current position. Understand that you
will have some pretty big shoes to fill.
High Frequency Attenuators
 Pasternack introduces their new line of
high frequency attenuators that are perfect for applications
requiring reliable and precise attenuation levels at up to 50 GHz. SMA connectors
with stainless steel bodies and BeCu contacts rated power of 1 to 2 W. Attenuations
from 0-30 dB in 1 dB steps.
Handbook of RF, Microwave, and Millimeter-Wave Components, by Smolskiy, Belov,
and Kochemasov, offers you a detailed treatment of the operations principles, key
parameters, and specific characteristics of active and passive RF, microwave, and
millimeter-wave components. The book covers both linear and nonlinear components
that are used in a wide range of application areas, from communications and information
sciences, to avionics, space, and military engineering. - Artech House
of Amateur Radio Licensing
 The Radio Act of 1912, signed into law on
August 13 of that year, was the first federal law regulating the transmission of
RF signals. Licensing and operational requirements for private (amateur), commercial,
and military radio stations were set forth. In response to the sinking of the
Titanic in April,
the Act also stipulated rules for mandatory mutual monitoring of emergency signals
from ships at sea. Prior to the Act, military communications was being jeopardized
by uncontrolled high power transmissions (private and commercial) stepping all over
critical transmissions. Amateurs were assigned a portion of the spectrum specifically
chosen to discourage their activity. Rather than being discouraged, they developed
technology to exploit the characteristics of the wavelengths. Khrystyne Keane (K1SFA)
wrote a good article about it in the August 2012 QST - "100 Years of Amateur Radio Licensing." The ARRL restricts access
to article to members only, but fortunately permission was given to the
IEEE for public posting.
Linearity and High Gain LNA
 The
SKY67107-306LF is ideal for cellular infrastructure applications including tower
mounted amplifiers, remote radio units, repeaters and base stations, as well as
satellite radio and 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific and medical band (ISM band)
receivers.
Measurements with a VTVM
 Prior to the advent of FET-input multimeters,
obtaining a very high input impedance meter required the use of a vacuum tube circuit
that used a buffer stage to isolate the measured signal from the loading effects
of the meter movement. As most people reading this article already know, the voltage
value indicated by a non-buffered meter can be greatly affected by the meter's loading
of the device under test (DUT) if the meter's impedance is not many times greater
than the DUT's impedance. The voltmeter is used in parallel with the circuit under
test, so for example if the impedance of the DUT is 100 kΩ and the meter's
impedance is also 100 kΩ, the meter will display a value as if the DUT itself
had only a 50 kΩ impedance, which represents a huge error. The problem was
that VTVMs were relatively expensive and beyond the budget of most amateurs. This
article from the June 1994 edition of QST presents a simple vacuum tube voltmeter
VTVM project that allows...
"Every so often leaders from business, industry
and government sound the alarms about the waning of U.S. scientific and technological
prowess and call on academe to produce more graduates. Education leaders at the
university level then point an accusatory finger at primary and secondary schools
for producing marginal students and at the students themselves for having little
interest in science. Yet responsibility rests largely with the universities.
They, after all, educated the teachers — the same teachers who seem to have made
learning math and science too much like an Olympic triathlon: an ordeal from which
few stars emerge." -
Michael M. Crow, President, Arizona State University in
October 2012 Scientific American. Amen, bro.
a World of Difference
 IEEE USA's sixth annual video contest is now
underway. This year's theme is "How Engineers Make a World of Difference." Undergraduate and
graduate students are challenged to produce a video directed at the 11-to-13-year-old
"tween" audience with the goal of compelling them to consider a
career in engineering. A $5,000
scholarship for first place is offered as an incentive. You can see the past winning
videos here. Although
being an engineering student is not required to enter, it appears all are thus far.
I'm thinking maybe it is time for an arts major to give it a shot, because try as
they may, the results have been very, uh, what would I call it, uh... engineery
(new word). The presentations probably did appeal
to the producers when they were tweens because their DNA contained genetic receptors
for the information. Converting the engineering infidels will take an outsider's
perspective. It's time for a Madison Avenue artsy-fartsy college major student to
have a shot at tickling the fancy of youngsters for science and engineering.
iPad-Enabled Wireless DMM
 The August edition of QST reported on a new
high-end wireless DMM that works with an app. Per the company: The iDVM is the only
DMM on the market that works with Apple's iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad products.
Our unique voltmeter measures voltage, current, and resistance. The iDVM wirelessly
links to the Apple devices to allow the use of the tremendous Apple interface as
an interface to the electrical measurements made by our device. As a result of the
integration of this advanced DMM with Apple devices, users can acquire data, save
it, email it, post it to a web server, or display it for further visualization.
Using the integrated speech function, the iDVM can “speak” the measurement through
the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad integrated speaker or earphones...
Reflections on Your Future
 Preparing for a technician career in electronics
today is not so different than it was in 1970, when this article on resume preparation
appeared in Popular Electronics. Sure, particular job descriptions have changed,
but the basics are pretty much the same. In 1970, being able to list television
and radio repair on your resume was a valuable indication of your schematic reading
and troubleshooting prowess. The keywords Sams Photofacts would jump right off the
page at a knowledgeable interviewer (you can still buy
documentation packages from Sams Technical Publishing). Then, as now, having
a two-year college electronics degree or a stint in the armed forces as an electronics
technician - or both, preferably - is almost a requirement for landing...
Limiter for 2.0 to 8.0 GHz
 Model
LM-2G8G-13-5W-SFF is a high power limiter that operates from
2.0 GHz to 8.0 GHz. This limiter handles 5 watts CW input power while
the insertion loss is only 1.0 dB typically and has a VSWR of 2.0:1 maximum.
This model offers an ultra-fast recovery time of 40 nsec maximum and is supplied
in a small housing measuring 1.0"x1.0"x 0.4".
for GSM Tracking Device
Integrated Antenna Design for a GSM Tracking Device, by CST,
Thursday, September 27, 11:00 am ET. In this webinar we aim to illustrate, through
demonstration of a real world example, how an existing off-the-shelf antenna on
a GSM tracking device designed to monitor the acceleration (and thus level of distress)
of sheep, can be replaced by an embedded, integrated antenna.
Articles for September
•
Noise Immunity – A Mandatory Design Aspect for ICs and Systems,
by Wireless Telecom Group •
Optical Extenders Replace Coax in VNA Tests over Distances up to
1 km, by Steve McCoy •
Just Under the Radar: The Human Factor, by Bob Pinato •
Power Amplifier Gain Compression Measurements, by Giga-tronics •
GaN: The Technology of Choice for Next Generation Advanced Radar
Systems, by Integra Technologies
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