Command Performance
Assuming
that a couple creative teenage boys could get away today with electrifying weapons
to dramatize a
mock sword fight during a high school production of a Roman battle,
you can be sure the suit of armor required by safety monitors would consist not
of coats of mail, but coats of rubber and fire retardant material, fully sealing
OSHA-approved goggles for eye protection, ear plugs, and electrical lineman's gloves.
Offstage would be certified fire fighting professionals (formerly
called firemen) and an emergency response crew specially trained in high
voltage electrical contact with a hospital-style emerge...
Contract for UAS C-Band PA
NuWaves Engineering, an international RF and Microwave
solutions provider, announced today that the company has been awarded a Phase I
SBIR contract from NASA to research and develop a linear C-band PA for unmanned
aircraft systems (UAS). NuWaves, in collaboration
with Auriga Microwave, proposed an innovative method to reduce the size, weight
and power (SWaP) of a linear C-band power amplifier
for non-payload command and control systems on UAVs by leveraging advanced MMIC
technology and linearization techniques. The team's PA solution is expected to help
overcome operational range limitations
for Analog Radios
The new R&S
CMA180 radio
test set uses state of the art digital measurement technology for testing analog
radios. Rohde & Schwarz designed the CMA180 radio test set especially for analog
radio production and maintenance. Equipped with a touchscreen for easy operation,
the new tester can generate any test signal of up to 20 MHz bandwidth and process
high input power levels of up to 150 W. It offers all of the functions of a
high end device at an attractive price.
by a Record Moocher
"A
record 'Moocher' is one of the lowest forms of human life. He
has no particular habitat but can be found wherever there is a record owner." Anyone
who grew up in the record player era, or for that matter the 8-track tape or cassette
tape era has known (or has been) such a moocher. This
is the person who was always asking to borrow your music media either for listening
to on his personal equipment or copying onto his own tape
(cassette or reel-to-reel). He rarely ever bought any of his own music, but
was more than happy to generously re-lend his copies to fellow Moochers, and of
course he never had anything you might want. The modern-day equivalent is...
This has been a big engineer
and technician job posting week on RF Cafe. Check the
Jobs page and/or look around
the homepage for what you might have missed. Here is my weekly collection of relevant
items found on the WWW:
¤
The Jobs Recovery Remains
Incomplete
¤
Is It Your Age or Your
Salary?
¤
College Grads: Here's the
Secret to Getting a Hiring
Manager to Notice You
¤
5 Ways to Put Spring into
Your Job Hunt
¤
The Right Keywords Are
Essential When Applying for
Jobs Online
¤
7 Legitimate Reasons You
Might Not Get the Job
0.5-6 GHz PA w/Gain
Control
The Windfreak Technologies
AmpNV is a 50 MHz
to 6 GHz RF Power Amplifier capable of supplying up to 1 Watt of RF power.
Gain is adjustable across a 31.5 dB range in 1/2 dB steps for up to 35 dB
of total gain with pushbuttons on the device or with the included open source
LabView software. Device settings can be remembered during power down for stand-alone
operation. The amplifier runs off of DC power in the range of 15 - 28 V and
draws around 5 watts. Dimensions are 2.75" wide x 2.15" deep x 1.95" tall (7.0 x
5.46 x 4.95 cm) not including mounting tabs and connectors.
Long-Time Support!
Linx Technologies'
RF modules,
remote controls,
evaluation kits and master development systems feature
straightforward hardware configuration
and clear documentation, making it simple for engineers and hobbyists to integrate
wireless features without the
hassle
and expense of engineering RF functionality from scratch. Design services including
board layout assistance, programming, certification advice and packaging design.
everythingRF wishes to thank everyone who
stopped by their booth at the IMS2014 trade show in Tampa. These newsletters highlight
some of the products, white papers, etc., that were featured at the show.
Math-O-Vision Competition
16-year-old
David Hamilton won 2nd place in the Math-O-Vision
contest held by Dartmouth College's computer science and math departments. David
uses the recently popular stop-motion cinematography method for rapid hand-drawn
illustrations that are accompanied by narration on how the GPS system works. His
7-year-old sister, Lizzie, provides the voice-over and dramatic hand/arm gesticulation
during personal shots. 1st place was a video titled "How I Met Your Mather," by
Tim Schauer. It was humorous, but I like
David's video better since it actually demonstrates a math application for a
familiar topic. Besides, the Hamiltons live just a few miles from me, so plugging
local talent is an expected courtesy.
Technologies for Their Support
We are passionate about developing products
that work better, and we have been delivering on that passion for
25+ years, helping dozens of companies bring
innovative
wireless products to market in a variety of markets. We design and develop products
that analyze, measure, control, and communicate. Our in-house developed customizable,
modular wireless platform,
RFOS™ ,
allows us to do this better, faster and with less NRE cost.
You and I know them as
'varactor diodes,' but originally the semiconductor junctions whose reverse bias
determines its capacitance was called the 'Varicap.' The new and wondrous semiconductor craze was in full
swing by 1958. Scientists, engineers, and hobbyists were burning the midnight oil
(to use a popular phrase of the day) performing experiments
and designing circuits to replace vacuum tubes and manual controls with transistors
and other electrically variable semiconductors. The Varicap had the ability to tune
receiver and transmitter oscillators and filters without the need for high tube
bias voltages and large mechanically variable...
Gets Its Workforce
For the first
time, according to Bloomberg Businessweek's demographic data assimilated
from 2008 to 2012, Asian Americans became the majority tech workforce constituents
in California's Silicon Valley: 50.1% vs. 40.7% for Whites. The map to the left
shows where The Valley's immigrant (foreign and domestic)
workforce comes from. Circle size indicates the relative number of people and distance
from the center indicates how far they have traveled to get there. The standout
circle represents immigrants from Mexico, which is interesting since this map purportedly
reports on "Tech Immigrants: A Map of Silicon Valley's Imported Talent." I could
be wrong, but I seriously doubt that all - or even the majority...
Stimson's Introduction to Airborne
Radar, by Hugh D. Griffiths, Christopher Baker, and David Adamy. Has any technical
book, radar or otherwise, presented the fundamentals and applications of a topic
with such clarity and interest as George Stimson's masterpiece has? Over 50,000
happy Stimson owners would say, "Not likely!" Now a skilled and respected team of
radar and EW engineers, working closely with a community of radar advisors and the
publisher's editors, have fully modernized coverage and maintained the unique Stimson
look and feel. Even the "timeless principles" and core fundamentals of general radar
have been updated...
for Ongoing Support
Antenna Factor is a world leader in
cost-effective antennas.
Standard and custom products are available to support a
wide variety of OEM applications.
Our monopole, dipole, embeddable, GPS, fixed-point, and many other varieties of
antennas are designed to offer maximum performance at a cost-effective price.
Technician, & Manager
NuWaves
Engineering currently has need of an RF Design Engineer to design and develop RF
circuits, components, and systems, create documentation, and support customer needs.
Experience with amplifiers and frequency synthesizers is required. An RF Engineering
Technician is also needed to support design and production efforts using a variety
of solder and rework tools, test equipment, and laboratory organizational skills.
An Engineering Manager is sought to write proposals, direct engineering and manufacturing
activities, set and analyze financial goals, oversee staffing, and perform RF design
as required.
Appreciation of Their
Support
Asian Circuits, with its HQ in Toronto, Canada,
and production facilities in China, has emerged as a well known turn-key
PCB assembly service provider. Asian
Circuits is known for providing electronic
manufacturing services, including PCB fabrication, components sourcing, and complete
electronic assembly. We cater to customers primarily located in the U.S. and
Canada.
"Bill
Gates is a very rich man today... and do you want to know why? The answer is one
word: Versions."
-
Dave Barry, humorist.
to Deliver RF Cafe
Advancing the Wireless Revolution®. The wireless
revolution that brought smart phones and wifi-enabled everything to you, is largely
thanks to AWR. Our software is what microwave
and RF engineers use to design wireless products... from base stations to cellphones
to satellite communications. We accelerate the design and
product development
cycle of high-frequency ICs and systems found within the aerospace/defense, semiconductor,
computer, consumer electronics, and telecommunications markets.
Hittite Microwave
Earlier
this year, two analog and microwave component corporate giants, RF Micro Devices
(RFMD) and TriQuint, announced a merger that took
the industry by surprise. Yesterday, we were knocked back on our heels again by
a headline telling of plans for
Analog Devices
and Hittite Microwave to merge into a single company for a paltry $2.45B. Not
being a business or finance guru, I don't know whether to interpret the actions
as a sign of a booming economy or a desperate attempt to keep making a profit in
bad times. Regardless of the motive, I wish the companies and, most importantly,
their employees well...
Do
a Google search on "variable
inductance servo" or "inductive feedback servo" and you will not find anything
useful. That alone these days is sufficient to prove that the concept never caught
on in popularity. I don't think it is because the configuration is not good, it
is just that the problems associated with early potentiometer feedback elements
were solved long ago. Prima facie evidence of that is seen in the millions upon
millions of servos sold yearly for model airplanes, helicopters, cars, boats, and
drones. They all use servos with potentiometers mechanically coupled to the rotating
output shaft. That said, this article is an excellent example of research and development...
3 New Filter Models
Anatech Electronics has released new designs for a 2033.5 MHz cavity bandpass
filter, a 2077 MHz surface mount SAW bandpass filter, and a 2002.5 MHz surface mount
ceramic bandpass filter. All can be ordered directly through their
AMCrf web store.
Smart
Car Tipping
It wasn't until I moved to Vermont in
the mid 1980s that I first heard about cow tipping (which
is mostly just legend). Now there is a high tech version of cow tipping known
as Smart Car tipping, and it is
definitely NOT legend. 'Smart' began as an adjective that referred to a
class of hybrid cars whose small, lightweight form factor resulted in high fuel
efficiency, but 'Smart' became a noun when Mercedes-Benz capitalized on the nomenclature
to name its car that. Hopefully, only the all-electric Smart Cars are being tipped
or the eco-warriors...
for Continued Support
NoiseWave
Corporation is an international supplier of noise
sources and test equipment. At NoiseWave, we have one goal:
to give you the most reliable, the most advanced and the most cost effective Noise
products, while providing unmatched, superior service. NoiseWave was founded by
microwave and RF
engineers with many decades of design experience
in noise theory and noise fundamentals! Only experts with hands-on experience in
AWGN could deliver such a high quality product and the personal service.
Yields 20 GHz SG
With the addition of the new R&S SGU100A RF upconverter, Rohde & Schwarz
expands its tried and tested
R&S SGS100A vector signal generator to cover microwave applications. The
combination of the two instruments yields the most compact vector signal source
on the market with up to 20 GHz. The R&S SGU100A is available as a pure CW upconverter
or as an upconverter for I/Q-modulated signals
Observes its 10th Birthday
Just
before Christmas in 1947, Bell Labs' John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William
Shockley announced their invention of the first semiconductor device capable of
producing positive signal amplification. They dubbed it the 'transistor'
because it was a transconductance amplifier. In very short order, the laboratory
experiment consisting of a metallic point contact (a piece
of gold foil) interfaced with a slab of purified and doped germanium became
commercially available at a price that easily competed with a vacuum tube...
That
Hugo Gernsback was a profound and prolific visionary is obvious
by anybody's estimation. Throughout the early and middle 20th century, the man both
predicted and participated in as many technical creations as any of his contemporaries.
Being a publisher of both science fiction and science fact books and magazines,
Gernsback wrote of fantastic inventions ranging from weapons to medical equipment
to space travel (and the vehicles that would shuttle mankind
about his quests). Just as Arthur C. Clarke's talents extended
beyond sci-fi adventures to include devising a scheme for geosynchronous orbit...
Appreciation of Their Support
Amplical
was founded by Engineers for Engineers. Amplical is determined to be a leading supplier
of quality RF microwave components.
Utilizing
the latest in RF Microwave technology, Amplical focuses on premium quality amplifiers
and attenuators at affordable prices. Amplifiers are tuned for exceptional amplitude
flatness and our attenuators are designed fo
r
precision and the utmost in accuracy. Our products are typically available from
stock.
Crossword for June 8, 2014
Take a break
and let this week's
physics and engineering-themed crossword puzzle be a Father's
Day present to yourself. All the words are pulled from a hand-built list of terms,
names, and abbreviations that have only to do with science, mathematics, and engineering.
If you want a crossword with names of movie stars and obscure countries, try the
local newspaper.
D-Day Invasion Story
On June 6, 1944, the Associated
Press' (AP)
Wes Gallagher filed the first news report from the beachhead at Normandy. The
code name was "D-Day" (see today's
RF Cafe logo).
It has now been 70 years since the day "American, British and Canadian forces landed
by daylight in massive strength on the Normandy coast of France today and sped inland
from quickly-established beachheads. Gen. Dewight[sic]
D. Eisenhower told his troops this grand assault was a crusade which must bring
'nothing less than full victory.'" The animation below shows day-by-day progression
of WWII in all theaters of operation - sobering to see how bad things got before
the U.S. entered the war.
for an RF Engineer
KEYW is a specialized provider of
cybersecurity and geospatial intelligence solutions to commercial enterprises and
Government defense, intelligence, and homeland security agencies. They are looking
for an innovative RF engineer and technical leader who likes unconventional design
work at the component level. This position affords an opportunity to work with a
team to design systems that solve complex and unique mission and operational requirements.
Most projects involve the entire gamut of engineering: concept, design, development,
test
New
Grad Special
Over
the last couple weeks, lots of
tassels were shifted
from one side to the other and mortarboards tossed into the air at graduation ceremonies.
Accordingly, this week's job hunting and career tips lean more heavily toward new
college graduates than to the general population.
-
Finding, Landing and Loving
a Hard-to-Fill Job
-
10 Easy Tips to Take You
from College to Success in
Jobs, Love and Life
-
The Top 5 Job-Hunting Tips
for 2014 Grads
-
How to Evaluate a Job Offer
to Job Searching
-
10 Career Tips For a
20-Something <
-Making
the Most of an
Unpaid Internship
-
Career Tips from the World's
Leading Bosses
of Breakthrough Ultra LNAs
Skyworks Solutions today unveiled a suite of new,
ultra-low
noise amplifiers (LNAs) for cellular infrastructure,
wireless connectivity and broadcast communication applications. The new LNAs provide
best-in-class noise figure as well as high gain and linearity, improving receiver
sensitivity and dynamic range. Receiver sensitivity is a key specification of any
radio used in wireless communications given its important role in detecting and
separating signals, as well ensuring effective operations. "Skyworks' new ultra-low
noise amplifiers offer unprecedented performance levels for 4G wireless
with Versatile Tarzian Tape
Honestly, I don't
remember why I scanned this advertisement for
Sarkes Tarzian recorder tape that appeared in a 1962 edition of
Popular Electronics. Maybe it was to illustrate how far personal recording technology
has come in the half century since the ad ran. Today's recorders are in the form
of a very small digital device the size of a pack of gum, and not only is the miniature
recorder capable of storing longer sessions, but the quality of the recording is
probably better. The cost of a digital recorder is about the same...
for Wireless Systems
Engineer
BOSH specializes in unmanned systems-related
operations and technology services (sUAS). They are
currently looking for an engineer with extensive knowledge and experience in RF
communication for line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight technologies. Knowledge
and experience with military (e.g., UHF, C-band, S-band)
and commercial (e.g., GSM, W-CDMA, LTE) radio systems,
and leadership experience on technical projects is required. Design, test and implementation
of RF systems delivering real-time video and other data for military aerial platforms
(aka drones - a great opportunity for sport aeromodelers).
These days, not
being on the right side of a government enforcement agency can cost your your life,
liberty, and/or pursuit of happiness - just ask about it from politically antipolar
citizens who have been descended upon physically by armed commando teams or financially
crippled by the IRS or EPA. The meaning of law is nowadays declared to be whatever
the bureaucrat involved thinks it should be, and nobody dares to challenge it. Amateur
radio operator
Daniel G. Churovich, N9RSY, of Ripley, Tennessee, recently learned
how failing to comply with one
FCC lawyer's interpretation of Section 97.111(a)(1)
- see letter below - can result in a scary contact...
Inductees for 2014
Do you know there is a
Wireless History Foundation,
whose charter it is, "to preserve and promote the history of the wireless industry?"
Bill Carlson, Rob Conway, Sam Ginn, and Dr. Jan Uddenfeldt certainly do since they
are the 2014 inductees into the Wireless Hall of Fame. "The selection committee
easily recognized that these inductees have all made unique, personal and important
contributions in selecting them for the Wireless Hall of Fame...
Ultrasonic Sound Waves
Aside
from the storyline, one notable aspect of this installment of Carl & Jerry is
one of the illustrations used in it. Jeff Duntemann (K7JPD),
himself a sci-fi and technical book author, wrote a piece on the evolution of John
T. Frye's
Carl & Jerry series in Popular Electronics, and in
it he commented on the changes in drawing styles and character appearances over
the many years that Frye inked his illustrations. I read Duntemann's article a while
ago, but remembered the picture of Norma and Carl's dog Roscoe when I saw it again
just now. The format obviously departs from the vast majority of Frye's typical
works due to its distinctly cartoonish look. As for the plot of the story...
This
vector circuit matching quiz will hurt the brain a little more
than most of the ones that were printed in Popular Electronics. 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...
Seeking RF Design Talent
If you enjoy working in a highly collaborative,
fast paced environment designing RF products in today's wireless technology, then
this is the
opportunity for you! In this role you will be
part of a product development team composed of other design engineers, technicians,
and layout designers effectively planning and executing RF/analog IC and printed
circuit board designs to meet critical deadlines within cost and performance criteria
provided by customers and marketing. You will face challenging performance parameters
in the design of power amplifiers
Vector Signal Generator 20
GHz
Rohde & Schwarz has expanded the frequency
range of its R&S SMW200A high-end vector signal generator to 20 GHz. The R&S
SMW200A is the only instrument on the market to combine a baseband generator, RF
generator and fading simulator in a single box. In addition, the R&S SMW200A
can be equipped with a second 20 GHz path, making it possible to simultaneously
generate up to two wideband microwave signals with any type of modulation. For these
types of complex setups, other solutions require at least three devices - and considerably
more
Vacuum Tube Amplifier Basics
Tubes and Circuits, by Bruce
Rozenblit. The most up to date vacuum tube design book currently available. Packed
with information...Loaded with projects...Nothing like it anywhere! Join Transcendent
Sound's Bruce Rozenblit as he takes you on a journey from the basics of tube circuitry,
through advanced designs. Tubes and Circuits is a condensed engineering manual that
teaches the theory and operation of vacuum tubes—as well as circuit design. In addition,
five projects are included that you can build that provide step-by-step design procedures...
Vacuum Tube Audio Amplifier
Audiophiles rejoice:
What's old is new again! If you have been longing for the fabled tones that, according
to the Apollonic faithful, only a vacuum tube amplifier can produce, then the
GemTune GS-02 might be what you have been seeking. Of course you
could buy a vintage tube amp off of eBay or at a Hamfest, but maybe you don't have
time or knowledge or desire to recondition it. One nice feature of the GemTune GS-02
is that the five vacuum tubes it uses, one (1) each 5Z3PA and two (2) each KT88
(matched pair) and 12AX7, are readily available, whereas you could have trouble...
with Applied Instruments
Applied
Instruments has a position available for a
Sr. RF Engineer. The
senior RF engineer is responsible for the design of RF circuits and circuit boards
for use in test instrument products. Products range in frequency from 5 MHz to 3
GHz. All RF aspects of product development are included: feasibility analysis, component
selection, schematic creation, board layout, prototyping, and testing. Projects
include signal generators, tuners, receivers, demodulators, filters and amplifiers.
Preference will be given to experience with modern digital tuner design. Familiarity
with various RF signal formats (QAM, QPSK, 8VSB, NTSC)
required
WWV is
the oldest continuously-operating radio station in the U.S. since first going on
the air from Washington, D.C. in May 1920. It moved around an area near D.C. for
a few years before being relocated to its current location in Boulder, Colorado,
in 1966.
WWVB, another time standard transmitter, had already been established
in Boulder a few years earlier. Sister station
WWVH is located in Hawaii. The National Bureau of Standards
(NBS) was renamed National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST) in 1988, nearly a century after
its inception in 1890. Having grown up not too far from...
to Bring HFSS into MWO
AWR Corporation, the innovation leader in high-frequency
EDA software, and ANSYS, Inc., a global leader and innovator of engineering simulation
software, announced today 
that they have integrated
ANSYS HFSS into AWR's Microwave Office™ high frequency circuit design software.
This integration unites the industry standard for full-wave EM field simulation
and NI AWR Design Environment / Microwave Office to quickly and accurately simulate
microwave circuits. With this design flow
Nikola Tesla
"Since
many years scientific men engaged in the study of physics and electrical research
have taken it for granted that certain quantities, entering continuously in their
estimates and calculations, are fixed and unalterable. ...some of the quantities
referred to are variable and that, owing to this, a large portion of the technical
literature is defective." -
Nikola Tesla, New York Sun, January 30, 1901
Winning the May Drawing!
Chris M., of
Durham, NC, is the May 2014 book drawing winner. Chris opted for Antennas and Site Engineering
for Mobile Radio Networks, by Bruno Delorme. Each month I randomly select a
name from the people who order one of my software items and offer them a free book;
I even pay shipping. Graciously provided by
Artech House
"What are these
devices?" "How do they work?" "What are their characteristics?" "How are they used?"
Those are the kinds of questions about
semiconductor diodes posed - and answered - in this article in
a 1961 issue of Popular Electronics. Author Jim Kyle runs through a short
history of he diode and then delves with more detail into physical construction,
I-V curves, power handling, junctions capacitance, resistance, etc. An interesting
point mentioned is that while a semiconductor diode will conduct some finite amount
of current when biased in the reverse direction (sometimes
a desired characteristic), a vacuum tube diode will not conduct at all when
reverse biased...
SM Bandpass Filter
KR Electronics part number
3154 is a 1325 MHz
bandpass filter. The filter has a minimum 2 dB bandwidth of 750 MHz. An
Elliptic type filter is used for high selectivity. Typical insertion loss is <1 dB.
The filter is supplied in a small surface mount package measuring .88" x 0.38" x
0.235". Other frequencies and bandwidths are available.
Crossword for June 1, 2014
Every Sunday
I create a
crossword puzzle using a word list that I personally created and
added to during over a decade of making puzzles. All of the words are related to
engineering, science, mathematics, chemistry, astronomy, etc. There are no numbnut
clues about movie stars or clothing designers. Enjoy.
EDN, Microwave Product Digest (MPD) have published
another find batch of articles. This is a sampling of ones that interested me most,
but your needs might be different, so be sure to check out everything offered.
Δ
Ultra Low Noise Amplifiers,
S. Moreschi & J. Skeen (I know Jody - good guy!)
Δ
How Much Return Loss is
Too Much?, E. Bogatin
Δ
Reduce
Defense Products
Cost,
Lead Time with Highly
Efficient
Manufacturing,
JJ. O-Neil Δ
Troubleshooting EMI on
Your Bench Top, K. Wyatt
Δ
GaN
Solutions for Next
Generation
Military
Communications,
R. Baker Δ
Measure Throughput of
Cellular and WiFi MIMO
Radios, F. Mlinarsky
