Homepage Archive #5

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. About RF Cafe.

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RFMD Intros ISM Band Tx/Rx

Module w/Diversity Xfer Switch

RFMD® Intros 3.0V to 4.2V ISM Band Tx/Rx Module with Diversity Transfer Switch - RF CafeRFMD's new RFFM6904 is a single-chip front-end module (FEM) for applications in the 868 MHz/900 MHz ISM Band. It addresses the need for aggressive size reduction for typical portable equipment RF front-end design and greatly reduces the number of components outside of the core chipset, thus minimizing the footprint and assembly cost of the overall solution.

USAF Radar Recruitment Ad

USAF Recruitment Advertisement - Precision Approach Radar, April 1960 Popular Electronics - RF CafeThis is cool. I saw a U.S. Air Force recruitment ad in a 1960 edition of Popular Electronics pitching careers as radar operators (air traffic control) and technicians (maintenance). The picture has the dual-display glide path and elevation sweeps from the MPN/13/14 radar system that I worked on in the late 1970s - early 1980s. A photo I took circa 1980 of our unit based at Robins AFB, Georgia, is shown below. The precision approach radar (PAR) operated at x-band (10 GHz) with an operational range of 10 nautical miles. The Equipment Trailer nearest in photo, Maintenance trailer inline and connected to the rear, RAPCON separate and to the right. ASR & IFF antennas toward center of trailer, PAR Elevation antenna nearest. (circa 1979-82) azimuth and elevation antennas were mechanically swept with...

Senior RF Engineers Needed

by Kumu Networks (Startup)

Senior RF Engineer Needed by Kumu Networks (startup) - RF Cafe Employment ForumKumu Networks, has commercialized some RF technology that was developed at Stanford University. Our research there was concerned with building full-duplex transceivers, operating in the same frequency band at the same time! We're currently making our first hires, and are looking for Senior RF Engineers to help us build our first product!

Free Webinar: Interference

Measurements in the Field

Techniques for Precise Interference Measurements in the Field - RF CafeTechniques for Precise Interference Measurements in the Field, by Agilent and TESSCO, September 26, 2012, 1:00 PM ET. Testing interference in a wireless environment is no easy task, demanding new measurement techniques and placing added requirements on existing measurement instrumentation. Addressing it effectively requires an advanced measurement tool like a high-performance spectrum analyzer, to evaluate, monitor and manage the interference levels between various wireless systems.

Transistor Topics

Heathkit TCR-1, MOBIDIC

For many years, Popular Electronics had a monthly column titled "Transistor Topics" that reported on news in the world of those newfangled semiconductors. To wit, this article from the April 1960 edition begins, "Each month, more and more transistorized consumer products are developed as replacements for vacuum-tube designs." The Heathkit TCR-1 clock radio is featured for its six-transistor superheterodyne AM receiver circuit. A mechanical clock is still used since other than using Nixie tubes, digital displays were not commercially available. The MOBIDIC "super" computer is also covered for its total transistorization. At about 4 feet wide and 6 feet tall, it is hard to believe that the "MOB" portion of the acronym stands for "mobile...

Mixing Hard Science

and Humor

Turtles or Snakes- Which do cars hit more? ROADKILL EXPERIMENT, by Mark Rober.

My daughter, Sally, sent me this video link. For some reason she thought I would appreciate it - probably due to my love of the scientific method  ;-)

iPhone 5 Camper Interview

Radio host Sam Roberts (never heard of him) is on the scene in Manhattan talking to someone who has been sitting in line for her new iPhone 5 for two days. Recently posted, this video has near half a million views already. Incoherency, irrationality and self-contradiction are mild adjectives for describing the poor girl's responses to Sam's questions. In her defense, sitting in line for two days straight can take its toll on the mind... but then sitting in line for a phone for two days is not much of a defense for incoherency, irrationality and self-contradiction. Some people think it's staged since she is well groomed and wearing nice clothes. What do you think???

Sherlock Ohms: Case of the

Data-Corrupting Pocket

Sherlock Ohms: Case of the Data-Corrupting Pocket - RF CafeSherlock 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 "Case of the Data-Corrupting Pocket"

Power, Pollution and

the Internet

Here is an interesting article in the NY Times discussing the immense amount of power consumed by Internet data centers. Google's consume nearly 300 MW and Facebook's about 60 MW. They require an awful lot of coal, natural gas, uranium, and wood chips; i.e., not very green. Only a small percentage comes from wind and solar. A consulting firm determined that only 6-12% of power was actually used by microprocessors to run the machines; the rest was feeding idle circuits on standby for surges or as redundancy in case of failures. I'm guessing the people who claim to boycott non-eco-friendly businesses do not opt themselves out of Internet usage... but think you and I should.

New Vendor Listed

RF & Connector Technology (RFCT), +82 505 274 0002 / Suwon, Kyounggi ,Korea

Coaxial connector, cable assembly, RF passive components, WiFi routers.

Microwave Engineering Theme

Crossword for 9/23/2012

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).

Radio Advertisements from

Vintage Christmas Catalogs

While searching for information on vintage model airplanes and rockets, I ran across these pages from 1930s era Christmas catalogs from the Spiegel and Sears Roebuck companies. I can remember as a kid in the 1960s carefully leafing through the Christmas Wish Books when they came in the mail, being sure not to miss a single control line airplane, slot car racing set, model train setup, BB gun, chemistry set, GI Joe action figure (although they weren't called that at the time), backyard tent and camping equipment, bicycle, mini bike, and a host of other "guy" stuff. According to the 1933 Spiegel Christmas catalog, a tabletop 5-tube AC-DC radio from Philco plus an RCA Victor phonograph combo cost $49.95. It sure seems like a heck of a deal until you consider that the BLS CPI* inflation calculator says that price in 1933 is equivalent to $885.19 in 2012 dollars...

Q-par Angus

September 2012 Newsletter

Q-par Angus has released its September 2012 Newsletter. Q-par Angus New novel high power, 180 degree power dividerQ-par is pleased to announce the launch of a high performance 3 port, 1.2 to 8 GHz, 180 degree power divider, intended for use with dual polarised high power wideband antennas requiring balanced feeds.

Q-par Angus Family of waveguide horns, 1-18, 2-18, and 18-40 GHzHigh performance microwave antennas and Microwave engineering consultancy service available.

Skyworks Receives

Awards from ZTE

Skyworks Solutions today announced that it has received the Best Vendor and Outstanding Delivery Awards from ZTE for supporting their growing RF business without a single part shortage in the last three years.  Skyworks is now ZTE's leading front-end solution supplier and has supported several major product launches.

Pasternack Appoints New

Distributor for India

Spur Microwave India - Pasternack DistributorPasternack maintains inventory of more than 35,000 RF and microwave components and assemblies, all available for same-day shipment from the United States. Spur Microwave joins the growing list of international distributors who are helping Pasternack expand their product offering and customer service worldwide. With this new partnership, Spur Microwave's customers now have access to the industry's broadest selection of quality RF and microwave components.

The Origin of "Ham?"

Editorial - The Origin of "Ham", December 1931 QST - RF CafeHere it is the year 2012, a full 81 years after this editorial was published in ARRL's QST magazine, and nobody is any more certain of the origin of the term "Ham" being applied to amateur radio operators than they were in 1931. Being closer to the date of origin, though, might have given editor Kenneth Warner a bit more insight. In fact, the term Ham is usually uttered in a mildly pejorative manner; e.g., "he is such a ham." Per the QST's editor's research, Ham might be a shortening of Hamlet, referring to Shakespeare's play and the 2-bit actors who endlessly recited the lines in an attempt to impress others. Analogously, a Ham radio operator would be a professional broadcaster wannabe. However, Mr. Warner offers and even more plausible explanation that has the term descending more directly from the craft of amateur radio operation. Read on to find out...

Research Paper Collaboration

Chart of Scientific Paper Collaboration Between Countries - RF CafeThe old adage about a picture being worth a thousand words is validated often with charts and graphs made for science, engineering, and finance. This chart illustrates levels of collaboration between 25 countries on scientific papers published in 2011 in a select group of journals. Author John Sexton uses color and line width to indicate origin and volume between countries. Circumferential length is relative volume overall. He also includes a similar chart showing internal collaboration within the 10 countries with the highest scientific paper output. Per Mr. Sexton, in 1996 about 25% of scientific articles were authored by people in two or more countries; today it is 35%. Non-commercial "Big Science" projects like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, with multinational funding, contribute largely to the increase. Aptly pointed out is how global access to and...

Featured Book

RF and Microwave Engineering: Fundamentals of Wireless Communications - RF Cafe Featured BookRF and Microwave Engineering: Fundamentals of Wireless Communications, by Frank Gustrau, addresses a wide range of radio-frequency and microwave topics with emphasis on physical aspects including EM and voltage waves, transmission lines, passive circuits, antennas, radio wave propagation. Up-to-date RF design tools like RF circuit simulation, EM simulation and computerized smith charts, are used in various examples to demonstrate how these methods can be applied effectively in RF engineering practice.

Simple 5- and 10-Meter Tx

A Simple 5- and 10-Meter Transmitter, February 1941 QST - RF Cafe4 tubes and sockets, 12 capacitors, 7 resistors, 4 inductors, 3 transformers, a crystal, a meter movement, a switch , a bulb, 3 jacks (for a tuning meter), a project box, a handle and  and little hookup wire and solder. That's all it used to take to construct a home brew dual band (5- and 10-meters) amateur radio transmitter as featured in the February 1941 edition of QST. You can probably find all the parts at a Hamfest to make one today, but you will need to modify the 5-meter band circuit to current 6-meter band operation since there is no 5-meter band anymore (lost to VHF television)...

Electronic Analogy Quiz

Electronic Analogy Quiz, November 1961 Popular Electronics - RF CafeIt is common in electronics courses for an analogy to be drawn between electrical and mechanical phenomena. In fact, a lot of circuit analysis methods and equations apply directly to mechanics, and vice versa. An LC (inductor-capacitor) oscillating tank circuit is akin to a spring and dashpot. Resistance of a wire is likened to skin friction of water flowing through a hose. Who among us can forget those lessons? This Electronic Analogy Quiz from the November 1961 edition of Popular Electronics presents a challenge both because some not-so-familiar examples of analogies are offered, and because some are a real stretch. Therefore, don't feel too bad if you don't get a few. That's my way of saying that I didn't get all of them right...

X-COM Releases v3 Software

Graphical RF Signal Editor

X-COM Systems Releases Version 3.0 of RF Editor Graphical RF Signal Editor Software - RF CafeX-COM Systems, LLC, a subsidiary of Bird Technologies, today introduced Version 3.0 of its RF Editor Graphical RF Editor software, the industry's most advanced tool for modifying and building custom RF signal waveform files for use in defense, commercial, and system verification applications. RF Editor Version 3.0 is more intuitive, faster, and adds useful features that expand its capabilities.

everything RF Adds RF &

Microwave Test Equipment

everything RF, the leading online RF Product Search website, has now added a parametric search tool for Test & Measurement Equipment to the website. Users can now search for Equipment like Spectrum Analyzers, Network Analyzers, Signal Generators and Power Meters by specification across multiple manufacturers and compare products that meet their requirement side by side. 

Many Thanks to AWR

for Continued Support!

AWR provides high-frequency EDA software for the design of wireless telecommunications equipment & semiconductors Microwave Office, Analog Office, Visual System Simulator™ (VSS), APLAC, Axiem 3-D EM simulation.

Job Hopping Bad for Resume

WSJ Market Watch: Job Hopping - RF CafeAccording to 39% of recruiters, the single biggest obstacle for an unemployed candidate in regaining employment is having a history of "hopping jobs," or leaving a company before one year of tenure. 31% consider being out of work for more than a year as the greatest challenge in regaining employment, followed by having gaps in your employment history (28%).

Stereo-itis

Stereo-itis, November 1961 Popular Electronics - RF CafeHere's a little more electronics humor from the November 1961 Popular Electronics. This time the topic is stereo equipment...

Please Welcome Q-par Angus

as a New Sponsor!

Q-par Angus designs and manufactures antennas, positioners, components and complete subsystems across the radio frequency spectrum, with specialisation in microwave & millimetric systems. Custom products designed to your specifications available. I recommend you read the story on how Q-par Angus got their name!

Fire Devil Videoed

Fire Devil in Australia Outback - RF Cafe Video for EngineersAustralian photographer Chris Tangey caught this rarely seen "fire devil" on video. Just as a water spout is formed when a tornado touches down on a body of water and sucks water up into itself and a dust devil sucks up dust from the desert surface, this tornado landed on a brush fire and sucked the flame up into a 100-foot high towering inferno. Hence the name fire devil. I wonder why water spouts aren't called water devils?

IPP's Dual Directional Coupler

w/ Separate Coupled Ports

IPP Intros SMD Dual Directional Coupler with Separate Coupled Ports - RF CafeInnovative Power Products introduces their Model IPP-8051, a 150 watt, 20 dB, Surface Mount Dual Directional Coupler that operates from 800–2500 MHz. The IPP-8051 is a unique broadband design which provides separate coupled ports for both forward and reflected signals with internal Terminations. SMD package size is 1.50 x 1.00 inches. IL is less than 0.40 dB, main line VSWR <1.25:1, coupled flatness is < ±0.85 dB and directivity > 20 dB.

Radio Wireless Week 2013

Call for Papers

Radio Wireless Week 2013 Call for PapersRWW2013 is presently accepting a limited number of “Late News” papers. Please refer to Summary Submission Author's Guide for the details.

AWR Releases Two App Notes

Focused on Antenna Design

AWR Releases Two New Application Notes Focused on Antenna Design - RF CafeAXIEM Application Note: Design of a Near Field Communication Antenna System - This app note describes a sample Rohde & Schwarz NFC design. AWR Connected™ Application Note: Design Flow for Base Station Antennas - This design note describes how antennas designed in Antenna Magus can be exported as models to AWR's Microwave Office/ AXIEM software.

Free Webinar

Essentials of OFDM and MIMO

This webcast explains the principles of both OFDM and MIMO with an intuitive approach, and describes how they operate so well together in demanding applications. MIMO is contrasted with other multi-antenna techniques such as diversity and space-time coding. Common measurements are discussed along with the practicalities of single-channel and multi-channel testing.

IEEE Career Focus

Contract Engineering Jobs

IEEE Career Focus, Contract Engineering Jobs - RF Cafe"Career contractors." That's what Joseph Salvucci, owner and CEO of Peak Technical Staffing USA, calls many of the engineers who find work through his firm. These highly trained professionals aren't looking for full-time jobs that will last them 20 or 30 years. Instead, they're looking for contract work: short-term jobs — anywhere from a few months to a couple of years — that pay well, offer certain degrees of flexibility and give them a chance to practice their craft at a very high technical level.

Z-Comm Intros 12101230 MHz

Miniaturized VCO

Z-Communications Intros 1210 to 1230 MHz Miniaturized VCO - RF CafeZ-Communications announces a new RoHS compliant VCO model USSP1217-LF in the L-band. The USSP1217-LF operates at 1210 to 1230 MHz with a tuning voltage range of 0.5 to 3.0 Vdc. This miniaturized VCO features phase noise of -102 dBc/Hz @ 10 kHz offset while operating off a 3.3Vdc supply and typically drawing only 13mA of current.

Hobnobbing with Harbaugh

...Just Plain QRM

Hobnobbing with Harbaugh, January 1962 Popular Electronics - RF CafeHere is a little electronics hobbyist humor in the form of comics. For the non-Ham, QRM is the Q-code for "manmade interference." You don't need to be an amateur radio operator to appreciate those first two scenarios. The others are more generally related to electronics...

Resistor Function Quiz

Resistor Function Quiz, January 1962 Popular Electronics - RF CafeHere is another electronics quiz for you to try. It covers the functions of resistors in various circuits. The quiz appeared in the January 1962 edition of Popular Electronics. I got 100%, just for the record. Having worked with tubes helps with figure B since it does not really have a direct transistor equivalent, but by process of elimination you can get it...

New Magazine Articles

RF Component Integration-Saving Space in High Performance Apps (p.30), by A. Elghamrawl and E. Nash

Simplified Power Handling Analysis of Microwave Filters, by M. Hagensen, Guided Wave Technology and A. Edquist

Harmonic Suppression of Edge Coupled Filters Using Composite Substrates, by J. Coonrod

Design a Double-Layer Shield, by R. Xiong, B. Chen, B. Zhou, and Y. Mao

Building More Efficient Amps, by Jack Browne

Materials Pave Way to Military Advances, by Jack Browne

Getting to Know

the Bypass Capacitor

Getting to Know the Bypass Capacitor, January 1962 Popular Electronics - RF CafeBypass capacitors play a vitally important role in electronic circuit design. Many people do not know the proper way for deciding which capacitor or capacitors is/are needed for effective noise and/or signal bypassing without either overdoing or underdoing it. Needs change over the years as frequencies and signal characteristics occupy new realms of the spectrum. A Fourier analysis of some of today's complicated waveshapes for switching power supplies shows how sometimes tailored responses to bypassing is required. This article from the January 1962 Popular Electronics does not delve into the intricacies of complex filters, but it does provide a nice introduction to the need for bypassing and how to stand a good chance of being successful at it. In rare instances, no amount of bypassing will solve problems with spurious signals and a more engineered approach is required where the functional circuit needs to be modified (I know this from experience!)...

Free Webinar

Besser Spur-Free Switching Power Converters for Analog and RF Loads - RF CafeSpur-Free Switching Power Converters for Analog and RF Loads, by AWR, Beeser, & MWJ, Tuesday, September 18, 11 am ET

Hittite Wideband LNA & Power

Amplifiers Cover DC to 28 GHz

Hittite's High Performance Wideband LNA & Power Amplifiers Cover DC to 28 GHz - RF CafeHittite Microwave has launched two new power amplifier products which are ideal for microwave radio, EW, ECM and radar applications to 28 GHz. Also released is a unique wideband LNA which operates from 300 MHz to 20 GHz and is ideal for wideband multi-chip-module and subsystem applications.

Trio of Analog Devices TxDACs

for Aerospace and Defense

Trio of Analog Devices’ Best-in-Class High-Speed Transmit D/A Converters Target Aerospace and Defense ApplicationsAnalog Devices has introduced three high-performance 16- and 14-bit transmit DACs with extended operating temperature ranges and high-reliability packaging for radar, secure communications, avionics, and other defense electronics applications. Designed for signal synthesis applications, including pulse-modulated waveform generation and for synthesizing the modulated carrier in quadrature digital architectures.

Search Working Again!

The Search function is now working again on RF Cafe. I did not even know it was broken until Google displayed an error message on the Webmaster maintenance page. Somehow I managed to tell it not to index the homepage so it ignored everything. This only affected Google search, not any of the other search engines.

Passing 25 W at DC While

Rejecting 4 W at 4-20 GHz

Passing 25 W at DC While Rejecting 4 W at 4-20 GHz - RF Cafe Circuits & Components ForumRF Cafe Circuits & Components Forum contributor has posted a question asking about effectively shielding DC power cables when passing through a shield enclosure. Please respond if you have an idea. Thanks.

Microwave Engineering Theme

Crossword for 9/16/2012

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).

Samsung Pays Apple with

$1 Billion in Coins

Samsung Pays Apple $1 Billion in Coins - RF CafeRemember the recent epic patent-related court battle that resulted in Samsung being ordered to pay Apple one billion dollars in damages? Well, Samsung paid payed up - with 30 truckloads of 5-cent coins! Per the article: "This morning more than 30 trucks filled with 5-cent coins arrived at Apple's headquarters in California. Initially, the security company that protects the facility said the trucks were in the wrong place, but minutes later, Tim Cook (Apple CEO) received a call from Samsung CEO explaining that they will pay $1 billion dollars for the fine recently ruled against the South Korean company in this way." While this certainly is hilarious, the fact is that it must have cost Samsung a significant amount of money to have 30 trucks filled with coins and to pay for the security for having it transported to Apple. Sure, it'll cost Apple some amount to process the exchange (no pun intended on the "change" part of "exchange"), but Steve's ghost and Apple shareholders are doing the real laughing as they deposit an additional $1,000,000,000 into the coffers and then collect dividend checks. Word has since come out that this is a fake story!

Please Note

I will be away from my computer for a few hours at a time this afternoon and tomorrow evening, so there could be a delay in responses.

Samsung Selects RFMD's

PowerSmart® for Galaxy Note II

Samsung Selects RFMD's PowerSmart to Power Next-Generation Galaxy Note II - RF CafeRF Micro Devices announced today that it is enabling Samsung's next-generation GALAXY Note II with RFMD's PowerSmart® Power Platforms – the industry's first and only converged multimode, multiband (MMMB) power amplifiers.

Hittite Intros Best Value Low

Phase Noise Amp Modules

Hittite's Rugged Low Phase Noise Amplifier Modules Now Offer the Best Value - RF CafeHittite Microwave has recently reduced the list price of several of the GaAs HBT Ultra Low Phase Noise Amplifier modules. These rugged connectorized amplifiers are ideal for high performance applications in microwave radio, military & space, radar systems, test instrumentation and synthesizer applications from 1.5 to 12 GHz.

Laser Beam Communicator

Popular Electronics Exclusive Developmental Project: Laser Beam Communicator, May 1970 Popular Electronics - RF CafeThe ambition of amateur hobbyists has always amazed me. In practically every area of technology, amateurs have contributed significantly to the effort of pushing back the frontiers of ignorance by developing new applications, improving existing products, and demonstrating to commercial companies a need for new features or products. Many of those innovative hobbyists make a living in the field they choose for off-hours recreation. As a heavy reader of technology and hobby magazines of all sorts, I know this to be true for musicians, boaters, pilots, radio operators, gardeners, science experimenters, woodworkers, and many others. Levels of quality of finished products are awesome in the master class competitions. The amount of money spent by some for their "hobbies" is shocking. This laser communications article from the May 1970 Popular Electronics is a prime example of that. The author uses off-the-shelf components to...

The Field That Stays at Home

The Field That Stays at Home, April 1942 QST - RF CafeHere is a really good introductory article on electromagnetic (EM) fields as they pertain to inductors, transformers, and antennas. It appeared in the April 1942 edition of QST. The FCC had only been in existence for eight years at the time and was pretty much just figuring out how to regulate the heck out of everything. The author discusses compliance issues for these newfangled RF devices that were becoming more and more numerous. Interestingly, the first sentence says, "Every time you threw the transmitting switch in pre-war days...," bringing to mind how the Feds banned Amateur Radio during most of World War II for security reasons as well as to assure that scarce resources went toward building and servicing military gear as needed. Many Hams offered their gear either as a...

Vida RF Low PIM Connectors

Vida RF Low PIM Connectors - RF CafeVidaRF is offering Low PIM versions of the popular 7/16, Type N, and SMA connector that can deliver Low PIM performance as low as -170 dBc Just like with all of the RF Components that VidaRF offers, we are happy to build to your specifications.

An Anti-Alias Filter Review

An Anti-Alias Filter Review - RF CafeAnalog guru Jon Titus has posted this short review on anti-alias filters for use in digital sampling systems. A nice thing about Jon's articles are that he will usually answer questions posted on the page by readers.

Vida RF Features Coupler Line

Vida RF Features Coupler Line - RF CafeVidaRF offers a wide selection of directional couplers, dual directional couplers and hybrid couplers, designed to cover 0.1-20 GHz. Average power from 50 W to 1 kW. Standard coupling values 3, 6, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 dB. Custom solutions available.

Anatech Intros New Filter

Coupler, Circulator

Anatech Intros New Filter, Coupler, Circulator - RF CafeThe AM1650DC836 directional coupler operates from 800 - 2500 MHz with a 13 dB coupling value. The AM625-875CIR191 circulator operates from 625-875 MHz with isolation of at least 18 dB. The AE803NS2065 bandstop filter has a notch bandwidth of 800 - 806 MHz, rejection greater than 70 dB.

Burning Out Your Circuits

Without Really Trying

Burning Out Your Circuits Without Really Trying, May 1970 Popular Electronics - RF CafeAcrylic wall-to-wall carpeting really came into vogue in the late 1960s to early 1970s - just in time for the arrival of miniaturized microelectronics (is that redundant or just superfluous?). Gate widths were being shrunken rapidly as the birth of the Moore's Law era was in its infancy (born in a 1965 paper written by Intel engineer and co-founder Gordon Moore). The result was copious quantities of electronic gadgets being zapped when the unsuspecting user would walk across the Van de Graaff generator in the form of floor covering and reach for a dial or switch. A couple thousand volts could easily build up on a body clad in lime green polyester pants (remember the era), then fzzzzt, there goes the clock radio...

Many Thanks to Coaxial

Dynamics for Their Support!

Measurement and termination equipment for RF Digital broadcast equipment - RF monitors, high power meters, plug-in elements, field strength meters, line sections & elements, signal samplers.

Cardwell Capacitor Ad

April 1942 QST

Cardwell Capacitor Advertisement, April 1942 QST - RF Cafe"There's a WAR to be won." So goes the headline in an advertisement in the April 1942 edition of QST magazine. Like many American companies during World War II, Cardwell Manufacturing Corporation gave its highest priority to serving the needs of our nation's military. Patriotism was actually taught in schools back in the day, and the majority of citizens understood the need to devote their efforts to achieving victory, even if it meant putting personal interests on hold. The ad content typifies that attitude...

Free Webinar

Antenna Cosite Interference

Free Webinar: Antenna Cosite Interference Analysis in a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - RF CafeAntenna Cosite Interference Analysis in a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), by CST, Thursday, September 13, 11:00 am EDT

RF Cafe

Website of the Stars

Website of the Stars - RF CafeThere is a new computer font available to astronomers: Galaxy. Well, not really, not yet, but at some point there probably will be. The rendition of "rf cafe" shown here was generated automatically by a website called "My Galaxies." Thanks to thousands of volunteers worldwide that have participated in The Galaxy Zoo's project of classifying galaxies, a set of letter-shaped galaxies has been identified that can be used to write words like "rf cafe." It appears that so far God (or the Big Bang - take your pick) did not create a full set of upper case letter-shaped galaxies. Some letters can be considered upper or lower case, like Cc Ii  Jj  Oo  Pp  Ss  Uu  Vv  Ww  Xx  Zz. As you might imagine, there are number-shaped galaxies as well. After all, mathematics...

Narda Two-Way Power Divider

250 W from 500 MHz to 2.5 GHz

Narda Two-Way Power Divider Handles Up to 250 W from 500 MHz to 2.5 GHz - RF CafeNarda Microwave-East today introduced Model 2372A-2, a high-power, 2-way power divider that operates from 500 MHz to 2.5 GHz, handles up to 250 W CW input power (2 kW peak power), and is well suited for both commercial and military applications.

Hittite's Best-Value Low Noise

& Power Amplifier Modules

Hittite's Low Noise and Power Amplifier Modules Now Offer the Best Value - RF CafeHittite Microwave has recently reduced the list price of several of our pHEMT Low Noise and Power Amplifier modules. These rugged connectorized amplifiers are ideal for high performance applications in microwave radio, military & space, radar systems, test instrumentation and synthesizer applications from 1 to 36 GHz.

AWR's New Modelithics Model

Library for MWO (50+ Added)

AWR's New Modelithics Active and Passive Model Library for Microwave Office Incorporates 50+ New Models - RF CafeThe Modelithics COMPLETE Library is a collection of the industry's most advanced simulation models for passive components, transistors, diodes and more. The combined product offerings of Modelithics libraries alongside AWR's Microwave Office software gives microwave designers immediate access to high-fidelity parameterized models that better predict real-world behavior when simulated within the AWR design environment.