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Today in Science History -
 This story reads like an infomercial for
IBM, which it probably is. Of course infomercials had not been invented by 1957,
so IBM was ahead of its time. The answer to the article's title, "How
Far Can You Go in Electronics Without a Degree?" was the same 55 years ago
as it is today: As far as your intellect and ambition will take you. Back then,
as with today, few people could rise to the level of design engineer without a college
degree. However, there are many aspects of electronics that requires no formal education
at all if you possess the requisite skills. I never have bought into the feel-good
lie about anyone being able to be whatever he or she wants to be. Some people simply
cannot achieve the mastery necessary to do a particular job ...
 "A new 'quantum radio' has been demonstrated that can detect the weakest
signals allowable under quantum mechanics. Researchers have demonstrated how to
detect the weakest radio signals allowed under quantum mechanics, opening the door
to advances in radio astronomy and medicine, and physics. The Quanta in the Noise
Researchers at Delft University of Technology (DUT) in the Netherlands have built
a quantum circuit that allows them to listen to the faintest signal allowable under
quantum mechanics, leading to possible advances in radio astronomy, medicine, and
attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and relativity ..."
 TotalTemp Technologies has more than 40 years
of combined experience providing thermal platforms.
Thermal Platforms are
available to provide temperatures between −100°C and +200°C for cryogenic
cooling, recirculating circulating coolers, temperature chambers and temperature
controllers, thermal range safety controllers, space simulation chambers, hybrid
benchtop chambers, custom systems and platforms. Manual and automated configurations
for laboratory and production environments ...
 Since 2000, I have been creating custom
technology-themed crossword puzzles for the brain-exercising benefit and pleasure
of RF Cafe visitors who are fellow cruciverbalists. The jury is out on whether or
not this type of mental challenge helps keep your gray matter from atrophying in
old age, but it certainly helps maintain your vocabulary and cognitive skills at
all ages. A database of thousands of words has been built up over the years and
contains only clues and terms associated with engineering, science, physical, astronomy,
mathematics, chemistry, etc. 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 ...
 According to the somewhat limited unique information
available about the "nuvistor"
vacuum tube amplifier, it was superior to many glass-encapsulated vacuum tubes.
Lower noise figure, smaller size, greater ruggedness, intrinsically shielded, and
relatively higher operating frequency were the main marketing standpoint. RCA introduced
the nuvistor in 1959, and shortly thereafter GE, started making them, and then by
1964 Hitachi was offering nuvistors. The manufacturing process, where the entire
assembly was performed in a vacuum chamber, made nuvistors more expensive than competitor
glass tubes. The nuvistor concept might have been big if transistors had not been
making such rapid progress in supplanting most vacuum tubes. In fact, nuvistors
(a portmanteau of "new" and "transistor") were supposed ...
 "Part 1 of this series [by Kenneth Wyatt] described how digital
signals propagate through PC boards. In part 2, we look at specific board designs
to achieve
low EMI. The biggest issue I see in my clients' board designs
is poor layer stack-up. Reiterating the two fundamental rules from part 1 and realizing
digital signals and power (transients) are electromagnetic waves moving in the dielectric
layer, we see there are two very important principles when it comes to PC board
design: Every signal and power trace (or plane) on a PC board should be considered
a transmission line. Digital signal propagation in transmission lines is really
the movement of electromagnetic fields in the space ..."
 Smiths Interconnect currently has a job opportunity
for a
Manufacturing
Engineer. Smiths is always looking for curious minds. For new colleagues who
want responsibility and relish a challenge. Those who would like to use their talents
to help make the world safer, healthier, more efficient and more connected. Job
Description: Develops and Implements production and assembly methodologies for High
Reliability high frequency RF electronics used in commercial and military applications,
Development of assembly fixtures and RF Test fixtures, Conducts manufacturability
and variation analyses to insure that manufacturing process capability matches requirements,
Analyzes design/build concepts to evaluate producible products, Root cause analysis,
Continuous flow ...
 This
vector circuit matching quiz will hurt the brain a little more than most of
the ones that were printed in Popular Electronics magazine. In order to
score well, it helps to visualize the circuits relative to where they would appear
on a Smith Chart. Capacitive impedances lie in the bottom half and have negative
phases (-s, -jω). Inductance lie in the upper half and have positive phases
(s, jω). The familiar 'ELI the ICE man' mnemonic helps, too. Be sure to pay attention
to the color of the vector arrow heads. Example: In a purely inductive circuit like
#4, voltage leads current by 90°. Since phase rotation is CCW, you need to look
for lettered phase diagram where the white arrowhead (voltage) is 90° ahead of the
black arrow head ...
 "To keep up with Moore's Law - an observation
made in the 1960s that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit doubles
about every two years - researchers are finding ways to cram as many transistors
as possible onto microchips. The newest trend is 3D transistors that stand vertically,
like fins, and measure about 7 nanometers across - tens of thousands of times thinner
than a human hair. Tens of billions of these transistors can fit on a single microchip,
which is about the size of a fingernail. A modified chemical-etching technique,
called
thermal atomic level etching (thermal ALE), was used to enable
precision modification of semiconductor materials at the atomic level ..."
 Custom MMIC Design Services is a
fabless RF and microwave MMIC
designer entrusted by government and defense industry OEMs. Custom and off-the-shelf
products include switches, phase shifters, attenuators, mixers and multipliers,
and low noise, low phase noise, and distributed amplifiers. From next-generation
long range military radar systems, to advanced aerospace and space-qualified satellite
communications, microwave signal chains are being pushed to new limits - and no
one understands this more than Custom MMIC. Please contact Custom MMIC today to
see how they can help your project ...
 Z-Comm announces a new RoHS compliant Fixed
Frequency Synthesizer model SFS0640A-LF in the UHF frequency. The
SFS0640A-LF is a single frequency synthesizer that operates at 640 MHz
with an external 10 MHz reference and features a typical phase noise of -100 dBc/Hz,
-105 dBc/Hz, and -124 dBc/Hz at the 1 kHz, 10 kHz and 100 kHz
offsets, respectively. The SFS0640A-LF is designed to deliver a typical output power
of 0 dBm with a VCO voltage supply of 5 Vdc while drawing 25 mA (typical)
and a phase locked loop voltage of 3 Vdc while drawing 9 mA (typical).
This Fixed Frequency Synthesizer ...
 Quinstar Technology, an AS9100 certified
aerospace hardware design and manufacturing company in Torrance, CA, is currently
looking for an
Tester /
Technician to join our team! We are primarily looking for candidates with experience
and/or background in RF/microwave testing. Preference will be given to those with
relevant experience. Primary job responsibilities include testing of microwave components
and associated duties. Employment is contingent upon successfully passing a background
check and pre-employment physical and providing proof of eligibility to work in
the U.S. ...
 These NEETS training modules created by the
U.S. Navy appear to have originally come out in 1990s and has been modernized a
few times since then, so the information is fairly up to date. You will still find
a lot of descriptions of vacuum tubes, but that is because even in 1998 the military
still had a lot of legacy equipment that needed to be maintained. This particular
module provides the student with an introduction to and history of
semiconductor
physics. The chapter runs a total of 62 pages so there's a lot of content ...
 "The aerospace giant Lockheed Martin is working
with Sequans Communications to develop new
LTE for satellite technologies. The two companies are enabling
LTE end user devices to connect directly to geostationary satellites in what they’re
describing as a world-first achievement with wide application. 'Sequans has expertise
adapting LTE technology for special purposes such as this one,' said Scott Landis,
a director at Lockheed Martin, in a press release. 'Sequans engineers modified their
existing LTE chips to enable a new LTE-to-satellite communication specification
developed by Lockheed Martin. LTE to satellite represents an important breakthrough
in mobility and ..."
 "Praetersonic" - now that's a word you don't
run up against very often. It is a combination of praeter* (beyond) and sonic (related
to sounds), or what more familiarly is called ultrasonic. If fact, praetersonics
was the early term given to
surface acoustic wave (SAW) piezoelectric devices. Amazingly, even as far back
as the early 1970s, SAW filters were being fabricated that worked in the 40 MHz
realm. This Popular Electronics article does a really nice job of introducing the
basics of SAW and BAW (bulk acoustic wave) technology at the time it was coming
into the mainstream. Lots of hurdles still needed to be overcome, like high insertion
loss, difficult to control impedances and internal signal reflections, etc. As with
many new technologies, pundits cast hopeful ...
 ConductRF's close partnership with TE in
its development of its new
Nano-miniature RF Solutions for VITA67.3 has put us in a great
position to support your VPX RF cable assembly needs. We can support solutions up
to the top frequencies of the new connector system. ConductRF's PFT33 Series of
Micro Flexible Cable Assemblies has been designed directly with TE Connectivity
involvement and in partnership to maximize the capabilities of TE's new Vita67.3
NanoRF VPX Modular connector system. ConductRF offers its soft FEP jacketed ø0.047"cable
to facilitate maximum flexibility and provides solutions for jumper cables or assemblies
to SMA, MCX ...
 BBTLine offers a unique patented
combiner / splitter design that
allows for more compact devices while maintaining low insertion loss, excellent
return loss and excellent amplitude/phase balance. These are not standard Wilkinson-style
RF splitters. 2-, 4-, and 8-way, broadband 0.5 - 6 GHz, low loss (0.7 dB @ 6 GHz),
excellent amplitude / θ balance (±0.1 dB, ±1°), surface mount & connectorized.
Please visit BBTLine today to see how they can help your project ...
 Transtector Systems, an Infinite Electronics
brand, today released a new, comprehensive line of NEMA-rated
weatherproof equipment enclosures that are engineered to securely protect mission-critical
electronics and are available with same day shipping to meet crucial deadlines.
The new TEF14-series includes 45 enclosure configurations and 15 essential accessories
available for immediate shipment. The line features multiple configurations for
global applications including industrial automation, SCADA, oil and gas, mining,
transportation, public works, security and automation, and much more. Each enclosure
provides vital protection for key electronic ...
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