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Friday 20
 "Meeting the Challenges of the Millimeter Wave Radio Frequency
Environment for 5G" Date: Thursday, October 26, 2017, Time: 2:00 PM
ET. "One of the primary challenges of 5G testing is both capturing information on
the millimeter wave radio frequency environment as well as just understanding its
operation. Both industry and academic research is still at an early phase of this
work and for it to progress work must be done on a number of fronts in terms of
test and measurement. For instance, better models are need
 "ViaSat has decided to throw a hissy-fit over the Ofcom decision
to grant Inmarsat a license for its European Aviation Network, threatening legal
action over the move. Ofcom must be sitting back and wondering if it is able to
do anything right. Every decision it seems to make is met with a chorus of lawyers
serenading the watchdog to the legal dance floor. Three is usually the one who complains
it isn't getting more help despite not putting its hand "
 Author Len Buckwalter states in this 1972
article from Popular Electronics that at the time, radio channels were
so crowded in California that police were using spectrum in the
TV broadcast band for communication. The FCC was denying recreational
boaters channel space on favor of commercial operators. The problem could not be
blamed in available frequency space, but rather on the lack of inexpensive electronic
components that worked above a kHz or so. Nowadays when you read in the news about
such desperate need of spectrum that network owners pay millions or billions of
dollars for a few measly MHz of bandwidth, the cause is truly an overabundance of
devices vying for space. Although truthfully, you could claim that exactly the same
Mini-Circuits announces
the availability of four new devices in its lineup of RF and microwave components.
Included are an extra-long-life absorptive electromechanical SP4T switch for DC
to 18 GHz, a 2.4 mm (female to male) adapter covers DC to 50 GHz
for industry-leading value, a surface-mount bandpass filter for 95 to 105 MHz
with excellent selectivity, and an ultra-high dynamic range MMIC amplifier providing
+46.1 dBm IP3 from 0.03 to 2.7 GHz
 "Deutsche Telekom has got four of its radio cells in Berlin pumping
out shiny New Radio goodness in a real-world setting, claiming a European first.
Technically this is 'pre-standard 5G NR,' but the lack of a standard hasn't stopped
everyone banging on about 5G for year and DT isn't about to miss out on all the
gun-jumping fun. We're told this mini-network is managing a throughput of 2 Gbps
so a single device and a latency "
 Anatech Electronics,
a manufacturer of RF and microwave filters, has published its October newsletter.
In it, Sam Benzacar asks the question "Whatever happened to NFC?" He does a brief
history on the big plans for near field communication (NFC) as well as what likely
doomed it - at least as originally envisioned. Finally, Sam suggests a great application
for NFC that, combined with contactless charging (my interjection), could prove
to be a huge market to resurrect NFC fever. There are also a few news items relevant
to Anatech Electronics' business (that would be RF filters)
Thursday 19
 "Researchers have modeled the actions of
electrons under
extreme temperatures and densities, such as those found within
planets and stars. The work could provide insights into the behavior of matter in
fusion experiments, which may one day lead to a sought-after source of clean energy.
Electrons are an elementary component of our world and determine many of the properties
of solids and liquids "
 Nova Microwave is a leader in technically
differentiated electronic and radio frequency Ferrite
Circulators and Isolators
that connect, protect and control critical commercial and military wireless telecommunications
systems. Our staff is dedicated to research and development of standard and custom
design quality Ferrite Circulators and Isolators from 380 MHz to 26.5 GHz.
Please visit Nova Microwave today
 Did you know that General Electric introduced
the first
silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) for commercial use? It was
in 1957. The SCR was one of the first really high power devices in the semiconductor
industry, not for its voltage and power gain, but for its ability to switch very
large currents on and off while having a relatively low "on" voltage drop. This
article gets into the basic theory, operation, and application of the SCR. The S-band
airport surveillance radar that I worked on in the USAF originally used a vacuum
tube thyratron to trigger the magnetron's pulse forming network, but that tube was
replaced with a solid state SCR circuit that plugged directly
Keysight Technologies will showcase the latest releases of its high-frequency
simulation and measurement tools at the electrical performance of electronic packaging
and systems 2017 () conference, the premier event for advanced and emerging issues
in electrical modeling, analysis and design of electronic interconnections, packages
and systems. Keysight will demonstrate the following new software capabilities at
the event
 "After the destruction inflicted across the
Caribbean by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, renewable energy advocates are
calling for a rethink of the region's devastated power systems. Rather than simply
rebuilding grids that delivered mostly diesel generation via damage-prone overhead
power lines, renewables advocates argue that the island grids should leapfrog into
the future by interconnecting hundreds or thousands of self-sufficient
solar microgrids"
Wednesday 18
 "Over the last 10 years Comsol has grown
from providing Integration solutions to providing fully managed wireless services.
This new market offering has allowed our customers to no longer invest in specialized
wireless infrastructure which creates strain on their balance
sheet but, rather, to buy an all-in connectivity service from Comsol and build this
into easily managed OPEX budgets "
 "I don't know the last time you purchased
some new coax, but it's sold by the foot and can cost an arm and a leg!" - H. Ward
Silver, QST magazine, October 2017,
Hands-on- Radio (p71).
 October 26, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm EST. Presenter: Hassan
Chreim. CST Webinar Series:
Automotive radar is becoming increasingly important for car designers,
due to the huge role it plays in securing and ensuring the driver's safety. In this
webinar, we will show how CST STUDIO SUITE can be used to perform and study all
of the design stages of automotive radars, starting from the basic element which
is the antenna, through its integration inside a radome, to actually placing and
calibrating the whole package
 Deciding which fuse to use as a replacement
for a blown fuse is usually a simple matter - read the part number or electrical
parameters (current, voltage) off the package and make sure of its type (fast or
slow blow). Of course whenever a fuse blows, you usually have more or a problem
than just a bad fuse. Deciding which
fuse to use when designing a circuit which requires overcurrent
protection requires a lot more consideration. This article from fuse making company
Bussmann's Charles James gives a brief introduction to the kinds of parameters you
need to factor into a selection. There's more to it in most cases - especially
 ConductRF's
SiteFlex
Range of ruggedized Field RF Test Cables are designed Field Test Engineers working
in applications that require on site RF Testing. These cables are directly compatible
with Hand-Held Network and Spectrum analyzers. Options include DC to 7 GHz
through DC to 50 GHz. The ruggedized construction includes anti-torque connectors
that are firmly attached to the cables external armor. Crush resistant SF series
cable can withstand 1,200 lbs/sq.in
 "Qualcomm was granted FCC authorization to
conduct experiments using a small 5G R&D development and demonstration network
at
4.4-4.94 GHz in its hometown of San Diego. Specifically, the location
is within a 0.5-mile radius of Qualcomm's campus in the Sorrento Valley area of
San Diego. The authorization is effective until October 1, 2019. The application
lists 30 mobile units and four base stations to be used in a test network that will
use a single TDD 100 MHz channel "
Tuesday 17
 "A new method that precisely measures the
mysterious behavior and magnetic properties of electrons flowing across the surface
of quantum materials could open a path to
next-generation electronics. Found at the heart of electronic
devices, silicon-based semiconductors rely on the controlled electrical current
responsible for powering electronics. These semiconductors can only access the electrons'
charge for energy, but electrons do more than carry a charge. They also have intrinsic
angular momentum "
RF Cafe typically receives 30,000-40,000 page views each weekday and about
half that on weekends. RF Cafe is a favorite of engineers, technicians, hobbyists,
and students all over the world. With more than 8,600 pages in the Google search
index, RF Cafe returns in favorable positions on many types of keyword searches,
both for text and images. New content is added on a daily basis. Advertising
plans start at a mere $35 per month
 Printed circuit boards (PCBs), especially
high density and many layered, were still a relatively new technology in 1969. Point-to-point
wiring was still a large part of most products in the commercial, military, industrial,
and aerospace worlds. Producing artwork and contracting for a lot of PCBs was rather
expensive, especially in small quantities. Many people, including me, made quite
a few single- and two-sided boards using photoresist pens and self-adhesive tape
and pads, then bathing them in an etchant solution of ferric chloride. Through holes
were made on a drill press and then traces and pads were tinned with flux and solder
 "Now in its 36th year,
MILCOM
continues to be the premier international conference for military communications.
At MILCOM, global military communications professionals face command, control, communications,
computing, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) challenges head
on. They look at them from every angle and discuss them from end to end - research
and development through future needs. The conference allows industry the opportunity
to hear and understand the requirements, pace of change and state of play in a variety
of C4ISR "
 "At a time when much of the industry's attention
has been on midband spectrum, Nokia is taking it up a notch by pursuing tests in
the
90-96 GHz range. The vendor filed an application with the FCC
asking for permission to conduct the tests over the course of two years at Nokia
facilities in Murray Hill, New Jersey; Arlington Heights and Naperville, Illinois;
and Sunnyvale, California. The application "
 Res-Net Microwave has a complete line of
precision RF & microwave components including attenuators, terminations,
resistors, and diode detectors for commercial, military, and space applications.
Products range from the small flange type to large 2 kW connectorized power
attenuators and/or terminations at frequencies up to 26.5 GHz. In-house photo
etch and laser trim capability. Please check out Res-Net Microwave's website
to see how they can help with your current project
Monday 16
 "TechInsights explored some of the Bluetooth
and cellular IoT devices that it expects will dominate the Internet of Things for
some time. Bluetooth 5.0 SoCs will be rapidly adopted by consumer IoT devices
such as smartwatches and health and fitness products. Two emerging cellular IoT
standards - narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and Enhanced Machine-type Communications (eMTC)
- will see wide applications in smart meters, bikes and other new emerging "
 "Every Wi-Fi connection is potentially vulnerable
to an unprecedented security flaw that allows hackers to snoop on internet traffic,
researchers have revealed. The vulnerability is the first to be found in the modern
encryption techniques that have been used to secure Wi-Fi networks for the last
14 years. The so-called 'Krack' attack has been described as a “fundamental flaw” in wireless
security techniques by experts. Apple, Android and Windows software are all susceptible
to some version "
 This Bulova
Accuquartz wristwatch is not the first quartz-controlled wearable
timepiece; however, it was the first to be manufactured in the U.S. Interestingly,
it is not a fully electronic watch because the quartz crystal stimulates a mechanical
tuning fork which ultimately drives the hands. Bulova's first tuning-fork-driven
"Accutron" was introduced in 1960. It sported a 360 Hz tuning fork that was
stimulated by a pair of electromagnets
 Please take a few moments to visit
the
everythingRF website to see how they can assist you with your
 project.
everythingRF is a product discovery platform for RF and Microwave Products and Services.
They currently have 169,552 Products from more than 1040 Companies across 258 Categories
in our database and enable engineers to search for them using their customized parametric
search tool
 "The corporate headquarters of test company
Keysight Technologies is shut down and suffered minor damage in
the wildfires that have wiped out parts of Santa Rosa, California. Although a local
news report claimed that the campus had been destroyed, the most recent update from
the company said that as of Monday afternoon, 'all four main buildings are intact,
although there appears to be some minor damage. Two modular structures and several
automobiles suffered more extensive damage "
Sunday 15
 For the sake of avid cruciverbalists amongst
us, each week I create a new
technology-themed crossword puzzle using only words related to
engineering, science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc. At least
10 clues in this puzzle with an asterisk (*) are pulled from this past week's (10/9
- 10/13) "Tech Industry Headlines" column on the RF Cafe homepage (see the Headline
Archives page for help)
Friday 13
 "Robust, flexible,
wireless
temperature sensor based on SansEC. NASA Langley Research Center has developed
a robust, wireless temperature sensor that does not require an electrical connection.
The temperature sensor is built on NASA's SansEC sensor platform, which takes advantage
of measuring dielectric changes. The temperature sensor is damage tolerant, wireless,
flexible, precise, and inexpensive. One promising application is for tire temperature "
 There are not too many honest-to-goodness
electronics repair shops around anymore - those where the proprietor
uses multimeters, oscilloscopes, and signal generators to troubleshoot and align
equipment. In fact, I would guess that most such shops do most of their business
based on customers who find their services as the result of a Google search. You
can find lots of cool videos of technicians demonstrating (and showing off) their
collection of test equipment and solder rework stations - mostly for fixing vintage
audio and video gear. Nowadays the smartphone screen replacement dude / dudette
working from a kiosk in the shopping mall is considered an electronics
 "An antenna designed for sense-and-avoid systems
for unmanned aircraft may not only help open the national airspace to unmanned air
vehicles but also transform the design of wide-bandwidth radar systems. The
Airborne Sense and Avoid Radar Panel is seen during installation
on a Twin Otter aircraft. Although unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have proven increasingly
useful in a variety of applications - disaster response operations, land and crop
surveys, aerial photography, and critical infrastructure protection "
Saelig Company has introduced the
GW Instek GPM-8213
AC Power Meter, which has been designed specifically for power measurements
on single-phase AC power supplies. This instrument offers high-accuracy voltage,
current, and power measurement capabilities from both front- and rear-panel inputs,
presenting users with clear, convenient, and accurate AC power measurements. The
GPM-8213 provides 2 display modes in order to maximize its measurement usefulness.
In the Standard Mode it simultaneously displays 8 measurement parameters; this is
ideal for R&D and engineering
 "Key to the stochastic-resonance device's
constant buzzing of movement is the use of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in parallel and spanning chromium electrodes, and phosphomolybdic
acid (PMo12) molecules [red and blue clusters]. It seems counterintuitive that background
noise - like a white noise - could actually be used to help detect faint signals.
But that's what happens in an unexpected phenomenon known as stochastic "
Thursday 12
Pasternack, a leading provider of RF, microwave and millimeter wave products,
has introduced a new line of
cross guide waveguide couplers with 4 port, 3 port and 2 port
with coax interface that work across C to K bands. Typical applications include
instrumentation, test benches, product development and characterization. Pasternack's
new line of cross guide couplers consists of 160 parts in three sub-categories:
cross guide couplers (4 waveguide ports), cross guide couplers with terminations
(3 waveguide ports) and cross
 "Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) developed the first on-chip
metamaterial with a refractive index of zero, meaning that the
phase of light could be stretched infinitely long. The metamaterial represented
a new method to manipulate light and was an important step forward for integrated
photonic circuits, which use light rather than electrons to perform a wide variety
of functions. Now SEAS researchers have "
 One article by Danny Rockett introduces an
approach to selecting the most suitable battery for a mobile device. I have posted
many of my own commentaries on the importance of
critical
battery selection based mainly on my use of various technologies in my flying
models. Kickstarter and other startup funding websites are full of gizmos people
have invented that are battery-powered, so it is not just the "big boys" who need
to be concerned. Back in the early days of Bluetooth, I jokingly said that I should
invest in battery company stocks because if the scheme took off, I would be rich
in a couple decades due to all the wireless devices. Well, I didn't - but it did
- and now I'm still not
Triad RF Systems announces the
TA1167, a compact 5 W amplifier suitable for COFDM video
links in the UAS and DTV broadcast space, covering 6,400 to 7,100 MHz. It's
compact, efficient, design allows for camera-back installations or other applications
that are SWaP constrained. The amplifier is capable of 1 W COFDM meeting -30 dB
ACPR. Features include: Over / under / reverse voltage protection, optional heatsink,
high speed On/Off control, and thermal shutdown
 It has been over a year since I have worked
on any old electronics gear, so the need for hand-dandy
color code charts has not been at the top of my list for publishing.
My bad. Every day there are untold thousands of people hard at work - although most
wouldn't consider it work - restoring and maintaining a bit of world history. If
you do a search on the RF Cafe website, you will find many types of color code charts
that were published over the decades by the likes of Electronics World, Popular
Electronics, Radio & TV News, Short Wave Craft
 "When you're really harried, you probably
feel like your head is brimful of chaos. You're pretty close. Neuroscientists say
your brain operates in a regime termed the 'edge of chaos,' and it's actually a good thing. It's a state that
allows for fast, efficient analog computation of the kind that can solve problems
that grow vastly more difficult as they become bigger in size. The trouble is, if
you're trying to replicate that kind of chaotic computation "
Wednesday 11
 "If you haven't discovered
MATLAB shortcuts yet, you really should. Shortcuts are very useful
and could save you a ton of time and effort. For instance, if you find yourself
typing the same lines of code everyday why not store them as a shortcut? Think of
the amount of time and effort this will save you in the long run. It really will
pay dividends. We've gathered together a few commonly used ones that, we hope, will
make your MATLAB experience a little bit more enjoyable. This list is clearly not "
 Georg Simon Ohm's eponymous "law," i.e.,
Ohm's law, is perhaps the best-known formula in the realm of electricity
and electronics. Although Mr. Ohm did not know it at the time, his conclusion
holds up in both the macro and micro scale worlds of electron behavior. Voltage
is equal to the product of a resistance and the current flowing through it, E =
I * R. It is hard to believe that we have only had his result, announced in 1825,
at our disposal for less than 200 years. A thorough grasp of Ohm's law is a minimum
requirement for entry into the fields of electrical and electronics work; fortunately,
only a fundamental grasp of algebra is required. Kirchhoff's law is a relatively
easy next step. The big hurdle comes with wanting
 Anatech Electronics manufactures and supplies
RF and microwave filters for military and commercial communication systems, providing
standard and custom RF  filters, and RF products. StandardRF filter and cable assembly
products are published in their website database. Custom RF filters designs
are used when a standard cannot be found, or the requirements dictate a custom approach.
Please take a moment to visit Anatech's website to see how they might be able to
assist with your current project
 everythingRF is once again this year providing
on-the-scene coverage of the European Microwave Week show. The 20th European Microwave
Week (EuMW 2017), in Nuremberg, Germany, October 8 to 13, will bring industry, academia
and commerce together during a 6 day event that will consist of three conferences
and one exhibition. The event expects to see over 4000 visitors and will have in
more than 300 exhibitors. Keep up to date at everythingRF
Keysight Technologies today announced that its corporate headquarters, located
at 1400 Fountaingrove Parkway, Santa Rosa, California, is due to the wildfires
burning in the area. Contrary to some news reports, as of 3 p.m. PT, a Keysight
representative confirmed that all four main buildings are intact, although there
appears to be some minor damage. Two modular structures and several automobiles
suffered more extensive damage. The company will provide further information after
they are granted full access to the facility
 "Researchers at Columbia University in New
York have created an
RF circulator that works at 25 GHz. It uses a non-reciprocal
structure - one whose physical characteristics differ depending on the direction
of flow. In this case, seen as the straight section in the double ring circulator
in the diagram, it is a pair of transmission lines that are either directly-connected
or cross-connected by switches at the ends. If the length of the section is just
right, and the switches at one end are 90° out of phase "
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