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Microwave Circulator Design
This 10-question quiz tests your knowledge about
microwave circulator design. Circulator design has advanced significantly
since the first edition of this book was published 25 years ago. The objective of
this second edition is to present theory, information, and design procedures that
will enable microwave engineers and technicians to design and build circulators
successfully. This resource contains a discussion of the various units used in the
circulator design computations, as well as covers the theory of operation. This
book presents numerous applications, giving microwave engineers new ideas about
how to solve problems using circulators.
Office to Design UWB Receiver
 Cover Sistemi, an Italian electronics developer,
used AWR software to
design
a UWB receiver from concept to final production in a single pass. Specifications
were for a complete design starting from the antenna through to the entire RF/baseband
analog chain down to the AD converter. Cover Sistemi used Microwave Office® for
the circuit design and AXIEM® for the EM simulation. The scope of work included
all design phases, from high-level simulation to circuit-level design and final
verification of pre-layout and post-layout.
in Weighing the Electron
 "We
might say almost, that all modern scientific investigation in the basic sciences,
and a good deal of all practical developments, are connected in some way or other
with the electron." So writes Dr. Irving J. Sax in 1932 regarding the incentive
for determining as precisely as possible the
mass and electrical charge of an electron. The Bohr atomic model
had just been introduced two decades earlier, so the entire concept of particle
physics was still in its infancy. As with most areas of physics, experiments are
conducted with particular biases and expectations such that often the results are
manipulated as needed to conform to preconceptions. Look no further than the complex
retrograde motion planetary models devised and perfected by early astronomers...
for Long-Time Support
Since our inception in 1996, ISOTEC has been a leading manufacturer of RF and
microwave connectors such as SMA, MCX, SSMB, Low PIM, N, 7/16 type, and RF components
such as attenuators,
 terminations,
power dividers and more, for wireless service providers, and other RF systems designers.
We provide recognized and trusted products and service to our customers in more
than 60 countries worldwide. ISOTEC offers also an extensive product mix with RF
Filters and Multiplexers and others.
Recorder (until the hi-fi arrives)
 Remember
tape recorders? They began going the way of the typewriter about
two decades ago when solid state voice recorders hit the market, but now smartphones
with sound recording have made even those devices seem outdated. In fact, when my
daughter's house burned down a few weeks ago, all of the on-site conversations with
the insurance adjuster, fire marshal, and housing contractors were recorded to ensure
an accurate account of what was said by all parties. Even though I was 800
miles away at the time, I was still able to listen to the dialog. In North Carolina,
law does not require you to apprise other parties...
Ceramic BPF, & 13 dB Coupler
 Anatech Electronics has released new designs for
a
2,533 MHz cavity bandpass filter, a 749 MHz ceramic bandpass filter,
and an 800-2,500 MHz 13 dB directional coupler. All can be ordered directly through
their AMCrf web store.
a Coldness to Your Mentoring
You can't go wrong with a good Dilbert book like
I Sense a Coldness to Your Mentoring, by Scott Adams.
Dilbert is the most photocopied, pinned-up, downloaded, faxed, and e-mailed comic
strip in the world. Dubbed "the cartoon hero of the workplace" by the San Francisco
Examiner, Dilbert has been syndicated since 1989 and now appears in 2,000 newspapers
in 65 countries and 25 languages.
Appreciation of Their Support
Orbel is the leading designer and manufacturer of
RF Shielding
and EMI/RFI Isolation Products for printed circuit boards and electronic
 enclosures. Board level shielding,
EMI contact strips and rings, BeCu finger-stock and metalized fabric gaskets,
connector gaskets. Orbel also specializes in thin gauge
Photo Etched Metal Parts and
Precision
Metal Stampings made from a wide variety of material options.
A New Round of RF
Magazine Articles for April
 2014 is continuing to be a great year for
magazine articles. These I have
 selected from Microwaves &
RF and Microwave Journal are fine examples.
•
Synthesizers: Looking
Beyond the Basics,
Alexander Chenakin
•
Software-Defined-Radio
Market Sees Increased
Growth, S.h Mangiola
•
Differential Drive Optimizes
Active Mixers, Q. Luu,
B. Sam
•
Modern High Efficiency
Amplifier Design: Envelope
Tracking, Doherty and
Outphasing, R. Pengelly,
Z. Wang, D. Holmes,
M. Acar, R. Wesson,
M.P. van der Heijden
•
Cost Effective 3D Glass
Microfabrication for
Advanced RF Packages,
J.H. Flemming, R. Cook,
S. Sibbet, C.F. Schmidt,
K. Dunn, J. Gouker
Let Me Google That for You Act
 Question:
What do Google, LinkedIn, Apple, Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo, Bing, Verizon, Microsoft,
Sprint, etc., etc., etc., all have in common? Answer: They all
willingly participate with the NSA, FBI, CIA, DHS, ATF, etc., etc., etc., in collecting
as much data as possible about you and me. You might say the former group has become
an unofficial branch of the later group. Well, it is about to become official based
on House Bill S.2206
- Let Me Google That for You. It is just as well since the Google twins
(not really twins) already get discount military jet fuel purchases
and, along with other American royalty like Mr. Gates and Jeff Bezos, have open
doors to the White House any time they demand it. The Act is ostensibly a cost-cutting
measure and effectively...
April 14, 2014
 "Income Equality to most politicians
is taking from people who work for a living and giving it to people who vote for
a living." - Anon
10-561 Shortwave Restoration
 Thanks
to Internet, there has never been a better opportunity to be able to step back in
time and reclaim some of your past indulgences. A lot of guys are using resources
like eBay and specialty website forums to search for items remembered from days
of yore. Although I can't imagine how it can be so based on my slacker personal
habits as a teenager, there are still available a fairly large number of hobby type
items that I recall owning - many in like-new condition and some even in their original,
unopened packages. If you are about my age or even older, chances are you have either
done some of the same, or have considered doing so.
Bob Davis, an RF systems and circuits designer of many years,
has submitted accounts of a couple radio restoration projects he...
 Test your diode switch analysis
skills here with six circuits designed by Mr. Robert P. Balin in the July 1961 issue
of Popular Electronics. When evaluating the equivalent circuits with the
diodes biased on or off, don't make the job more difficult for yourself by considering
whether there is enough voltage or current to turn a particular diode on or not,
just whether the diode is forward or reverse biased. Doing so reduces everything
to simple series and parallel combinations. Redrawing each circuit either with a
short for a forward biased diode and an open for a reverse biased diode makes the
task easier.
for April 13, 2014
 Take a break from
the drudgery by trying your hand at some of these goodies. Every word in the RF
Cafe crossword puzzles is specifically related to engineering, mathematics, and
science. There are no generic backfill words like many other puzzles give you, so
you'll never see a clue asking for the name of a movie star or a mountain on the
Russia-China border.
I will be travelling and have limited access to RF Cafe for the next couple days.
Please forgive any delay in response.
Compact L-Band VCO
 Z-Communications announces a new RoHS compliant
VCO model USSP1570-LF in the L-band. The USSP1570-LF operates from 1540
to 1600 MHz with the narrow tuning voltage range of 0.5 to 2.5 Vdc. This
miniaturized VCO features phase noise of -90 dBc/Hz @ 10 kHz offset while operating
off a 2.7 Vdc supply and drawing a mere 6mA of current. The USSP1570-LF provides
the end user an output power of -1±3 dBm into a 50 Ω load while operating
over the industrial temperature range of -40 to 85º C
Of Pointy-Haired Bosses
 This story,
submitted by RF Cafe visitor Jerry L., of Cincinnati, OH, reminds me of a certain
manager in a popular engineering comic strip. Jerry writes: I worked in the defense
electronics industry for my entire career and it is hard to
 think
of a project in more than four decades that was not made infinitely more difficult
due to the 'helpful' input of project managers. One experience in particular comes
to mind as a perfect topic for your
Out of Order feature. In the mid 1970s I was a "fresh-out," as
new engineering college graduates were called at the time. Newly minted as a Masters
degreed electrical engineer, my aspirations were high and I was ready to set the
mobile radio system world on fire...
Rentals April 2014 Newsletter
 Advanced Test Equipment Rentals just issued their
TEC Talk newsletter for April 2014. It includes hot topics in the tech news world,
highlights of new or special function test equipment they have available, and some
electronics industry news.
GaAs FET Oscillator @ 16.3 GHz
 PMI Model No. DRO-16D3G-CD-1 is a
dielectrically
stabilized GaAs FET oscillator with a center frequency of 16.3 GHz. This
model provides minimum output power of +11 dBm with all spurs held to -55 dBc
and harmonics held to -20dBc. The mechanical tuning frequency is ±25 MHz
and the unit has a phase noise of -70 dBc/Hz. The unit requires +15 VDC
and 150 mA and measures 1.06" x 1.63" x 0.98"
 Magnetron, photomultiplier,
traveling wave, compactron, klystron, backward wave, pencil, lighthouse, cathode
ray, indicator, nuvistor, acorn, peanut, T-R, electrostatic, cat's-eye, orithon,
and loctal, are just a few of the many types of
vacuum tubes that have been and in some cases still are in use
in various types of electronic equipment. Some you have heard of, others you probably
have not. All are discussed in a series of three articles published in Popular Electronics.
This is part 3, which includes operational descriptions of klystrons, magnetrons
(in your microwave oven), and traveling wave tubes...
Pure Research Rewarded
 Carl
and Jerry in handcuffs? Say it ain't so! Has the pair of good-natured, upstanding
high-tech sleuths gone to the Dark Side (George Lucas 18 years old in 1962
when this was written)? Read the tale to see how they figure into a plot
to kill a local judge, and why they decide to cannibalize a service station television
set for parts. What has come over Carl and Jerry?
Supports Spectrum Analyzers
DS Instruments offers the TG6000, a generic tracking signal generator that is
compatible with new and legacy RF/microwave spectrum analyzers. The
TG6000
can provide a TG signal from near DC to beyond 6 GHz enabling swept scalar
type measurements with a Spectrum Analyzer. In addition a fully synthesized signal
source is integrated into the TG6000 allowing its use as a standalone signal generator.
The SG source has a frequency range from 25 MHz to 6 GHz. Typical dynamic
range for swept response of a DUT is >80 dB.
Hyperabrupt Varactor Diodes
 Skyworks introduces a series of surface-mount,
silicon, hyperabrupt junction tuning varactor diodes for automotive, consumer, defense
and infrastructure markets. The
SMV2026 Series provides high capacitance ratio and low-series resistance, suitable
for use in low-phase noise, voltage-controlled oscillators, voltage-tuned phase
shifters, bandpass filters and microwave tuners at frequencies up to and above 2.5
GHz. The Series is also ideal for wideband UHF and VHF applications.
Packaging Power
 In
the early 1960s,
nickel-cadmium (NiCad or NiCd) batteries were the
way of the future due to a combination of high charge storage density and recharging
ability. Carbon-zinc (C-Zn) cells were well established by then and
had performed reliably during World War II and in Korea. Alkaline batteries
were considered the de facto high standard for critical applications that required
longer life and higher current than C-Zn could supply, but were (and still
are) considerably more expensive. Mercury cells exhibited a fairly constant
voltage level during useful life, which made them preferable for applications with
a low voltage variance tolerance. Lithium-ion (Li-Ion) cells, those
things...
 Bitcoin has been in the headlines often for the last couple years.
It was heralded in the media as "a new kind of money," a form of e-currency that
was supposed to level the global financial playing field so that no one country
would have a
 monopoly on the economy. Mt. Gox,
a short form of "Magic: The Gathering Online Exchange," was smoking hot. Fantastic
stories appeared almost daily of Bitcoin valuations rising at astronomical rates
while making overnight millionaires of people who had "discovered" forgotten caches
of bitcoins in their computer hard drives. For a while, it appeared the goal might
be achieved, but then suddenly Bitcoin mania was stigmatized by word of scandal.
Mt. Gox was shut down suddenly...
Long-Time Support
American Microwave Corporation (AMC) uses a state-of-the-art clean room to manufacture
all of it's products, as well as a fully automated machine shop. AMC is a leader
in the
 design and manufacturing of
DC to 40 GHz
solid state control components for commercial and military grades. PIN diode
switches and attenuators, detector log video amplifiers, and power dividers and
couplers are among their offerings.
 Here is a humorous
"kwiz" that appeared in the June 1970 issue of Popular Electronics
magazine. Your answers to questions will determine whether you are a truly cool
technophile, or you are just a maniacal misanthrope who happens to know something
about radios and regulations. This would probably have been more aptly printed two
issues earlier as an April Fools' joke.
As a New RF Cafe Supporter!
Fast Circuits has been providing since 2009 high-quality
PCB manufacturing and
fabrication services to U.S. and Canadian clients. Our fabrication facilities
give us the capability of producing
 PCBs such as FR4, high temp FR4, Rogers high
frequency, heavy copper, and high density. We also have expertise at delivering
impedance control, buried & blind vias, and multiple layered PCBs. Our assembly
services in SMT and PTH capabilities are popular with overseas clients who seek
a low cost, high quality and fast turnaround time.
Noise 11.8 GHz Synthesizer
 Z-Communications announces a new RoHS compliant
Fixed Frequency Synthesizer model SFS11800C-LF in the X-band. The SFS11800C-LF is
a single frequency synthesizer that operates at 11.8 GHz with a 10 MHz
reference and features a typical phase noise of -90 dBc/Hz and -120 dBc/Hz
at the 10 kHz and 100 kHz offsets, respectively. The SFS11800C-LF is designed
to deliver a typical output power of 3 dBm with a VCO voltage supply of 5 Vdc
while drawing 90 mA
Fundamentals of RF and Microwave Transistor Amplifiers, by Inder
Bahl. A comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of RF and microwave transistor amplifiers.
This book provides state-of-the-art coverage of RF and microwave transistor amplifiers,
including low-noise, narrowband, broadband, linear, high-power, high-efficiency,
and high-voltage. Topics covered include modeling, analysis, design, packaging,
and thermal and fabrication considerations. Through a unique integration of theory
and practice, readers will learn to solve amplifier-related design problems ranging
from matching networks to biasing and stability.
and Their Allocation
 National
Radio News was published bi-monthly by the folks at the
National Radio Institute (NRI). NRI used to be a
major training center for electronics technicians beginning in the early part of
the 20th century. This article was provided for them by the FCC as a synopsis of
radio frequency spectrum allocations at the time. Compare a 1940 spectrum allocation
chart (just a simple description here) to one for 2014 and you will
see a remarkable difference in not just the number of bands, but in the extension
of the frequency range...
 Most amateur operators
know that "YL" is Hamese for "young lady," meaning a female operator. Less well
known these days is "XYL" which decades ago, referred to an ex-young lady, implying
either an older woman or the wife of a Ham. According to online call sign lookup
services, Popular Electronics' poet laureate K8AOU was in fact a YL; the
call sign was later assigned to an OM ("old man;" i.e., male operator).
at EDICON 2014
AWR will be presenting and demonstrating its soon-to-be released V11 NI AWR Design
Environment™ at
EDICON 2014 in Beijing, China starting April 8 and running through
April 10, 2014. V11, the first major software release in 2014, includes new features,
functionality and enhancements to Microwave Office/Analog Office circuit design
software, Visual System Simulator, AXIEM 3D EM, and Analyst™ 3D FEM EM software.
Demonstrations within booth #301
Online Training
 RF and microwave engineering
has been aptly described as a "black art." Even for those who have a deep understanding
of the concepts, there is still an element of mystery involved, particularly when
it comes to troubleshooting misbehaved circuits or systems. When frequencies are
high and wavelengths are so short that everything conductive becomes an antenna
absorbing and conducting or reflecting signals elsewhere, tracking down a source
can be like feeling you way around a house of mirrors at an amusement park while
looking for the exit. Fortunately, someone like Francesco Fornetti, at
Explore RF,
not only grasps the concepts but also has the ability to develop...
for Continued Support!
Nortec RF has more than 22 years of experience designing
power combiners and dividers,
directional couplers, hybrid
 couplers,
and filters. Our research and development group and engineering team constantly
introduces new, top of the line products into our product line. Custom designs on
request.
 Helleroy is a startup working on building high-quality waterproof
audio systems for extreme watersports (e.g. surfing, kayaking or sailing).
Currently, we're just 3 people - an award-winning industrial
 designer and
graduates from Harvard and uPenn. Our mission is to enable people to have next-level
experiences on the water through music. So far we've built and tested a series of
prototypes and have build a large pre-sales list. As an RF Engineer, you will be
involved in all stages of engineering from R&D to DFM.
NOTE: The schedule begins in April, so do not delay
if you are interested!
 "Nothing spoils numbers faster
than arithmetic!" - Peppermint Patty, from the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M.
Schulz. The
Peanuts comic strip has been a lifelong favorite of mine.
on Michigan's Long Lake
Are you looking for a quality starter home, retirement home, vacation home, or
a home for a small family? This home has quality construction that includes a maintenance-free
full brick facing from the ground up to the soffits, all the way around. Windows
are double paned and airtight. R-45 insulation in the attic keeps heating bills
at a minimum as does the metered gas supply for the furnace and water heater. That,
and sitting on 1.28 flat acres with beautiful trees, on a private road 100' from
the main highway,
deeded access to a boat launching area on Long Lake, a large 2-story
pole barn, with boat/camper storage, topped off by great neighbors, makes this estate
an ideal choice for your lifestyle. Low taxes, very high speed cable Internet are
a bonus to boot. SimpliSafe alarm installed.
Crossword for April 6, 2014
 I have no idea
whether the engineering and science themed crossword puzzles I have created every
Sunday for the last decade are worked by anyone. Occasionally, an editor from an
engineering school newsletter will ask for permission to reprint one, or some company
might ask to include one in a corporate email, but other than that, I usually do
not receive any feedback. Please let me know if you have ever worked one of my custom-made
crosswords. Thanks.
5 Wanted Household Inventions
 TGIF.
To top off your good fortune, here is a little levity from the "Hobnobbing with Harbaugh" series of comics that appeared in
Popular Electronics. Unfortunately, none of the "The 5 Most Wanted Household
Inventions" have come to full fruition in the marketplace yet, although the Conversation
Jammer can be found on the Internet in various unofficial forms. Personal computers
were a pipe dream in 1963, but nowadays we do have software like TurboTax to take
care of filing taxes, although you still can't simply dump all your receipts into
a bin and have it work. Flat-fixing robots...
from TradePub
 TradePub is a service that
offers free whitepapers and magazine subscriptions to qualifying engineers
and technical professionals. I have downloaded many over the years and find them
to usually be useful. A few turn out to not be what I wanted, but since they're
free, all that was lost was a few moments spent filling out the form. Here are a
few of the trending "hot" topics per TradePub that might be of interest. Many are
geared more toward business and management, but even if you are 100% engineer, it
never hurts to round out your knowledge base a bit and get an insight into how the
company managers think...
Vertical Antenna
 As
with just about every other type of hobby anymore, creativity and mechanical aptitude
is not much of a necessity if you have money to spend. Heck with all the government
handouts these days, all you need is other people's money. There is such a plethora
of options available for every conceivable need to satisfy whatever degree of complexity
you want your hobby to entail. The back 1/3 of every edition of the ARRL's QST
magazine is loaded with advertisements offering antennas, radios, towers, test equipment,
guy wires, insulators, cables, connectors, soldering stations, semiconductors, tubes,
nuts and bolts. It is a wonderful world we live in if your desire is to engage...
 Ribbon cable has
been around and familiar to most of us for as long as we can remember. The advent
of personal computers in the 1980s brought ribbon cable into the homes of millions
of people in the form of the interface to disk drives. In 1957, however, when this
news story appeared in Popular Electronics, ribbon cable, known initially
as "tape cable." was just being introduced to industry. There was also a story on
what might have been the first flat panel display screen, the "Sylvatron," developed
by Sylvania. Finally, we have a report on bouncing radio signals...
& BPF, and Ceramic BPF
 Anatech Electronics has released new designs for
a 825-835 MHz, 870-880 MHz cavity duplexer, a 950 MHz cavity bandpass filter, and
a 748 MHz surface-mount ceramic bandpass filter . All can be ordered directly through
their AMCrf web store.
Established for 2014
 An archive of 2014
press releases has been created to help if you recall seeing something but do not
remember exactly when or by whom. These press releases were either submitted by
the manufacturers or I created them on request based on information on the companies'
websites. If I create them, the format is my copyright and cannot be distributed
to other media outlets. I strongly encourage you to write and submit your own
press releases. Due to time availability, I am currently posting press releases
only for advertisers, but occasionally I do so others as well, particularly for
upstart companies.
for Quick Action
 Our two intrepid techno-sleuths
are in college by now, but that does not keep them from applying their well-honed
mystery solving skills to hometown situations while on spring
break. The boys invoke the scientific method of Mr. R.R. Dibble, a New Zealand scientist,
to help prove to county commissioners that a certain part of their critical infrastructure
was in need of repair. An nth-generation farmer's observation was not proof enough,
so indisputable empirical data would be needed. Real-life inventors and company's
unique instruments are often incorporated into the
Carl & Jerry series that ran for many years in Popular Electronics.
Away Alinco DR-135T Radio
 This month,
as an advertising promotion, American radio Supply is giving away an Alinco DR135T
2-meter mobile transceiver to a lucky ham radio operator. No purchased
necessary; however,
registration is required. At American Radio Supply we recognize
the importance of amateur radio operators and the valuable service they render to
the public. As a token of our appreciation we give away an amateur radio each month
to a licensed amateur radio operator. To enter our random drawing
Drawing Winner David L.
Congratulations to Mr. David L., of High Point, NC, the latest RF Cafe
Book Drawing
winner for March 2014. David chose
Digital Front-End in Wireless Communications and Broadcasting: Circuits
and Signal Processing, by Fa-Long Luo. The book was graciously provided
by Cambridge University
Press.
 Paul Rockwell wrote
a 4-part series on station design for long distance (DX) communications
that covered antenna selection and siting (Part I), economics and construction (Part II), station configuration and receiver topics
(Part III), and propagation quirks and operating tips
(Part IV). This is part III, and discusses topics such as
Receiver preamplification, preselectivity and matching.
 Z-Communications announces a new RoHS compliant
fixed frequency synthesizer model
SFS10625E-LF. The
SFS10625E-LF is a single frequency PLL solution that is pre-programmed to operate
at 10.625 GHz. This fixed frequency device utilizes ceramic resonator topology
to achieve integrated RMS noise performance of better than 0.4° while consuming
less than 500 mW of power. It is designed to operate over the temperature range
of -30 to +70°C and delivers +3 dBm of output power into a 50 Ω load.
Package measure 1.0 x 1.0 x 0.22 in.
- Patent Design Cases
This
article by Joshua Fruchter, writing for
IMS ExpertServices, tells an interesting tale of what can happen
when a powerful megacorporation, in this case Apple Computer, decides
 to match wits with a 10-year-old child prodigy
who, by no coincidence, was named
Dilbert by his adoring engineer father. The few minutes it will
take you to read will leave you with a sense that yes, there is still a bit of sanity
remaining in today's court system.
Daubert, for the uninitiated, is a landmark legal decision regarding
expert testimony in damage liability litigation.
Phase Shifter for 6-18 GHz
 PMI Model No.
PS-360-DC-3 OPTION 618-15D is an 8-bit, digitally controlled phase
shifter operating from the 6.0 to 18.0 GHz. frequency range. This unit has
a typical insertion loss of 10 dB, accuracy of ±15°, switching speed of 500 ns
maximum, and a VWSR of 2.0:1 maximum. It is supplied with removable SMA(F)
connectors in a housing measuring 1.6" x 1.75" x 0.5".
the Transcontinental Air Record
 "Compactness
distinguishes the Western Electric 8A airplane receiver." That statement describes
a 160-pound system that included a wind-driven electricity generator for the equipment
used by Captain Frank M. Hawks when setting coast-to-coast time records in the year
1929 using his
Lockheed Air Express airplane, dubbed "Texaco 5." A simple 4-tube
AM radio, its chassis measured a whopping 6" x 10" x 12". There were no radio direction
finding stations enroute at the time, so the radio's usefulness was limited to being
"comforting to listen in every half-hour and be advised of general conditions...
Magazine Subscriptions
 Today might be
April 1st, but these giveaways are not a joke! Many of your favorite magazines offer
free subscriptions
to qualifying people. Qualifying usually means that you are currently employed in
a field related to the primary theme of the magazine, and often you also need to
be a decision maker for buying products represented within the pages. Technical
magazines, like RF Cafe, get paid by advertisers and therefore need the public to
support those companies by purchasing their products and/or services. If you believe
you meet the standards and can use a subscription...
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