Homepage Archive #6

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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Microwave Engineering Theme

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).

Numerical and Analytical

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.

Pasternack Appoints New

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.

Many Thanks to Fotofab

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.

Free Webinar by CST

Combined 3D Electromagnetic and Spin Response Simulation of MRI Systems - RF CafeCombined 3D Electromagnetic and Spin Response Simulation of MRI Systems, by CST, Thursday, October 11, 11:00 am ET

Panoramic View of Lake Erie

 

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.

RFMD's 3V to 5V 802.11n/ac

High Linearity WiFi FEMs

RFMD® Intros 3V to 5V 802.11n/ac High Linearity WiFi Front End Modules - RF CafeRFMD'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.

Please Thank Z-Comm

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.

Useful Articles

•  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

*@%^! Fireball Scares Woman

Florida Woman Filming Downpour when Fireball Lightning Strikes - RF CafeWe 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!

Skyworks' Volume Shipments

of ZigBee® Front-Ends

Skyworks Commences Volume Shipments of ZigBee(r) Front-end Solutions for Home Automation, Smart Energy and Security Applications - RF CafeSkyworks 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.

Promoting STEM Through

Volunteerism and Contests

Promoting STEM Through Volunteerism and Contests - RF CafeIEEE 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.

After Class: Crystals

After Class: Crystals, April 1960 Popular Electronics - RF CafeAll 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.

Analog Devices High-Speed

ADC-to-FPGA Interconnect

Analog Devices Simplifies High-Speed Data Converter-to-FPGA Interconnect Design Environment - RF CafeAnalog 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.

Tales from the Cube: Glossing

over Lossy Capacitors

Tales from the Cube: Glossin Over Lossy Capacitors - RF CafeEDN'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."

Amateur Radio Quiz:

Ham Horizons

Amateur Radio Quiz: Ham Horizons - RF CafePart 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.

Taylor Tubes Advertisement

Taylor Tubes Advertisement, February 1941 QST - RF CafeSome 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.

Many Thanks to vida RF

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.

Engineering Theme

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).

Please Thank RFMD

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.

A.C. Calculations for Parallel

and Series-Parallel Circuits

A.C. Calculations for Parallel and Series-Parallel Circuits, June 1944 QST - RF CafeWhen 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...

A Cornucopia of Great

Articles from MPD

A Cornucopia of Great Articles from Microwave Product Digest - RF CafeMicrowave 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 Listing Added

TransiTiva logo - RF CafeTransiTiva: 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.

Sherlock Ohms: Case of Super

Mistake Causing Super Voltage

Sherlock Ohms: Case of the Super Mistake Causing Super Voltage - RF Cafe

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."

"X-Factor for Tech" Show

Planned by UK Broadcaster

Tech Idol Show Planned by German Broadcaster - RF CafeRumor 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.

September 2012 Book Winner!

RF Cafe Book Giveaway - Electromagnetic Scattering and Material CharacterizationCongrats 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

Notable Quote

"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" - RF Cafe Notable Quote"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.

September 2012 Book Winner!

RF Cafe Featured Book - Emerging Wireless Technologies and the Future Mobile InternetCongrats 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

Webinar: Thermally Aware

Circuit Simulation

Integrated Electro-Thermal Solution Delivers Thermally Aware Circuit Simulation - RF CafeIntegrated 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.

No Appeal for Expert

Witness 'Third Wheel'

IMS ExpertServices: "No Appeal for Expert Witness 'Third Wheel'" - RF CafeExpert 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.

Robotic Navigation

and Mapping with Radar

Robotic Navigation and Mapping with Radar - RF CafeRobotic 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.

RFMD Intros Two New

WiFi Front End Modules

RFMD® Intros New WiFi Front End Modules - RF CafeRFMD'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.

Emerson Introduces Chinese

Language Website

Emerson Network Power Connectivity Solutions Introduces Chinese Language Website - RF CafeEmerson 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.

Pasternack Releases New

RF and Microwave Catalog

Pasternack Catalog 2012B - RF CafePasternack 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.

The Young Amateurs

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...

Please Thank PCB Material

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.

Herman Comic for Your

Next Presentation w/a Graph

Herman Comic for Your Next Presentation w/a GraphI'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 Cafe Quiz #46:

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...

Thanks to American Standard

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.

Introducing the Laser

Introducing the Laser, February 1961 Popular Electronics - RF CafeHere 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...

Venture Technologies

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.

Please Thank 3Gmetalworx

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.

Microwave Engineering Theme

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).

Skyworks Introduces High

Isolation GaAs SPDT Switch

Skyworks Introduces High Isolation GaAs SPDT Switch for Wireless Infrastructure and Military Communications - RF CafeSkyworks 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.

Z-Communications Intros

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.

Many Thanks to Cross RF

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.

A New Twist on an Old Phrase

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.

Technical Editor Needed by

QST Magazine

ARRL HQ Seeks Applicants for the Position of QST Technical Editor - RF CafeThe 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.

Pasternack Intros Line of

High Frequency Attenuators

Pasternack High Frequency Attenuators - RF CafePasternack 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.

Featured Book

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

Radio Act of 1912: 100 Years

of Amateur Radio Licensing

100 Years of Amateur Radio Licensing, August 2012 - RF CafeThe 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.

Skyworks' 2-Stage, High

Linearity and High Gain LNA

Skyworks Unveils Two Stage, High Linearity and High Gain Low Noise Amplifier - RF CafeThe 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.

Resistance and Capacitance

Measurements with a VTVM

Resistance and Capacitance Measurements with the V.T.V.M., June 1944 QST - RF CafePrior 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...

Notable Quote

"They [the universities], after all, educated the teachers — the same teachers who seem to have made learning math and science too much like an Olympic triathlon..." - RF Cafe"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.

How Engineers Make

a World of Difference

IEEE Video Contest: How Engineers Make a World of Difference - RF CafeIEEE 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.

World's First iPhone- and

iPad-Enabled Wireless DMM

iDVM is the World's First iPhone- and iPad-Enabled Wireless DMM - RF CafeThe 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...

Opportunity Mirror

Reflections on Your Future

Opportunity Mirror: Thoughtful Reflections on Your Future - RF CafePreparing 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...

PMI Intros High Power

Limiter for 2.0 to 8.0 GHz

PMI Model LM-2G8G-13-5W-SFF High Power LimiterModel 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".

Webinar: Integrated Antenna

for GSM Tracking Device

Integrated Antenna Design for a GSM Tracking Device - RF CafeIntegrated 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.

Microwave Product Digest

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