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3 of the June 2018 homepage archives.
Sunday 10
 At least 10 clues with an asterisk (*)
in this
technology-themed crossword puzzle are pulled from this past week's (6/4 -
6/8) "Tech Industry Headlines" column on the RF Cafe homepage. For the sake of
all the avid cruciverbalists amongst us, each week I create a new
technology-themed crossword puzzle using only words from my custom-created
related to engineering, science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy,
etc. You will never find among the words names of politicians, mountain ranges,
exotic foods or plants, movie stars, or anything of the sort. You might,
however, see someone or something in the exclusion list who or that is directly
related to this puzzle's theme...
Friday 8
 "In use, the devices could deliver drugs, monitor
conditions inside the body, or treat disease by stimulating the brain with electricity
or light. The implants are
powered
by radio frequency waves and in animal tests the researchers showed that the waves
can power devices located 10 cm deep in tissue from a distance of 1 m. 'This
opens up entirely new types of medical applications,' said Fadel Adib, an
assistant professor in MIT's Media Lab and a senior author of a paper describing
the research, which will be presented at the Association for Computing Machinery
Special Interest Group on Data Communication conference..."
 Saelig Company announces the availability of the
TekBox TBMDA2 / TBMDA3
modulated wideband power amplifiers, which are designed to create an
inexpensive signal source for pre-compliance immunity testing of electronic PCBs
and products. Driven by the tracking generator output of a spectrum analyzer,
they provide the increased RF power outputs required by many test environments.
With an input power range of up to -8 dBm / 0 dBm, these amplifiers can boost
the output power of a tracking generator up to 500 mW / 5 W...
 The
2018 International Microwave Symposium (IMS2018) is upon us already,
beginning on Sunday, June 10th, and running through Friday the 15th. This year's
venue is the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Please be sure to stop by the booths of RF Cafe's advertisers and say, "Hello."
It wouldn't hurt to mention that you appreciate their support in making RF Cafe
available. Thank you, and enjoy the experience...
 Allegory is not an often seen style of prose in
the electronics writing world, and typically is not meant to be humorous; however, there
have been a few instances of it in the vintage electronics magazines I read. One of the
most famous examples of allegory is a story by Paul Bunyan titled "Pilgrim's Progress."
"She
Wore a Red Germanium," by Leta Foster Ide, is a more contemporary form of allegory
that RF Cafe visitors will appreciate. Mike R. Fonic (microphonic) is the lead character
in the story who complains to his doctor, "I'm off my feed. Got no capacity. Fact is,
I'm in a breakdown." Mike's wife's Aunt Enna (antenna) is no help, evidently. Come to
think of it, the author's name, Leta Foster Ide...
 "Planar Monolithics Industries, Inc. (PMI), a
leading provider of state-of-the-art Hybrid RF/Microwave and Monolithics Integrated Circuits
(MIC/MMIC), components, supercomponents, and subsystems, has signed an agreement with
Pasternack Enterprises who will private-label a selection of PMI manufactured products
under the Pasternack brand name. Through Pasternack Enterprises, this selection of products
will be available off-the-shelf for immediate shipping. Through this
private-label agreement,
PMI will have an opportunity to provide customers with off-the- shelf solutions
in situations where immediate need does not allow for long lead times..."
 "Developing novel
co-prime sampling and array
design strategies to achieve high-resolution estimation of spectral power
distributions and signal direction-of-arrivals (DOAs). A co-prime array uses two
uniform linear sub-arrays to construct an effective difference co-array with
certain desirable characteristics, such as a high number of degrees-of-freedom
for DOA estimation. In this research, the co-prime array concept has been
generalized with two operations. The first operation is through the compression
of the inter-element spacing..."
Thursday 7
 "The US must make big
changes to graduate education in the sciences and related fields
if it is to meet the evolving needs of students. That is according to a report published
on 29 May by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which looks
at graduate education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
The report calls for increased emphasis on teaching and mentoring of students as well
as recognition that increasing numbers of graduate students will find careers outside
of academia. The report was commissioned in the wake of increased evidence that many
graduate programmes..."
 Whitepapers, pamphlets, books, magazines, and
chapter examples listed here are a small sample of a lot of new items that are offered
for FREE through TradePub.
The publishers make them available to qualifying people as a promotional
campaign for their full line of offerings. Whitepaper topics include careers,
manufacturing, and engineering, while magazine titles include Microwave
Engineering Europe, Electronic Design, and Microwave Product Digest...
 Quadrature modulation and demodulation is
as commonplace and unremarkable today as were Space Shuttle launches before NASA
cancelled the program in 2011 (eliminating America's ability to send astronauts
into space). However, before integrated circuit implementation was available, it
was a relatively rarely employed scheme. Yes, there were many applications using
analog quadrature systems, but use with digital communications requires closely
matched (amplitude and phase) pairs of mixers and power splitters / combiners,
along with close tracking over time and temperature. The "magic" of quadrature
systems is...
 Advanced Test Equipment Rentals (ATEC), today
announced that it has added harmonics & flicker calibrations to their
A2LA certified ISO 17025 Scope of Accreditation, allowing ATEC to calibrate
harmonics and flicker testing devices with ATEC's accredited lab. ATEC is the
leading rental provider of test equipment for EMC, communications, aerospace,
automotive, semiconductor, consumer electronics and many other sectors, and now
a calibration service provider. The testing for harmonics and flicker
fluctuations and disturbances which interfere with power supplies, presents a
continuous challenge for manufacturers. Companies required to meet standards
like...
 Triad RF Systems designs and manufactures
RF power amplifiers and systems. Triad
RF Systems comprises three partners (hence 'Triad') with
over 40 years of  accumulated knowledge of what is required to design,
manufacture, market, sell and service RF/Microwave amplifiers and amplifier systems.
"We view Triad more as a technology partner than a vendor for our line-of-sight communications
product line." Please check to see how we can help your project...
 "Plasma physicists who publish on the arXiv preprint
server have the widest range of research interests. That is according to a new analysis
carried out by theorist Sabine Hossenfelder at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies
(FIAS) in Germany and Tom Price, who have introduced a new way to quantify a scientist's
'scientific broadness.' The authors of the paper, which is published
on arXiv, say that determining broadness could be used alongside other metrics
to measure a researcher's output. Scientists have long determined their output
by using quantities such as the h-index - a measure of the quality..."
Wednesday 6
 Arduino project kits are today's equivalent of
those electronics experimenter sets that Sears and Radio Shack used to sell - the ones
with spring terminal posts and assorted components like resistors, capacitors, flashlight
bulbs, a solenoid, a switch or two, and a handful of lengths of hookup wire. This Elegoo
EL-KIT-001 UNO R3 Project Complete Starter Kit with Tutorial for Arduino includes more
than 200 items for 63 different projects. A processor board, solderless breadboard, keypad,
LEDs, wireless remote, speaker, various sensors, and other parts that make up modern
devices are included. This is a mid-cost set that costs less than $50 - that's about
$11 in 1976 money
(the year I graduated from high school)...
 "Waste heat can be converted to electricity more
efficiently using one-dimensional nanoscale materials as thin as an atom - ushering a
new way of generating sustainable energy - thanks to new research by the University of
Warwick. Led by Drs Andrij Vasylenko, Samuel Marks, Jeremy Sloan and David Quigley from
Warwick's Department of Physics, in collaboration with the Universities of Cambridge
and Birmingham, the researchers have found that the most effective
thermoelectric materials can be realised
by shaping them into the thinnest possible nanowires. Thermoelectric materials
harvest waste heat..."
 In today's lingo this project might be considered
a cross between the Steampunk and the Maker realms. It is more than just a desktop conversation
piece - although it would be a very fitting fixture - in that the "Milliwatter"
Morse code transceiver is fully functional, portable (with it's steam engine
power source) radio. All the parts needed to build your own model - miniature
working steam engine, DC generator (aka a Dc motor), code keyer, and electronic
components - are still available. It appears you can build a bare-bones version
for under $100, or go all out with vintage-looking components for about
$300-$400. If you undertake this project, I'll be glad to post a photo of your
masterpiece here...
 Empower RF Systems
is once again conducting live demos of broadband, high power amplifiers with
compelling performance, industry leading small size, IOT interface, and user
selectable functionality that dares to challenge legacy products offered in the
market. Next appearing at IMS 2018 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in
Philadelphia, we will be showcasing a variety of RF modules along with our 1 to
3 GHz, 1 kW HPA in a 5U chassis. This is an extraordinary design which includes
an integrated (internal) dual directional coupler and instrument grade power
metering...
 President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt, June 6, 1944: "My fellow Americans: Last night, when I
spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the
United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater
operation. It has come to pass with success thus far. And so, in this poignant
hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer: Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our
Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our
Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering
humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to
their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need Thy blessings. Their
road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong..."
 "TE Subcom is to build a new
subsea data cable to connect island nations in the South Pacific.
The ICN2 submarine cable project will progress in collaboration with Interchange Limited
and will connect the nations of Vanuatu and The Solomon Islands, dramatically improving
connectivity in the region. 'This submarine cable link is an important part of connectivity
for this area of the world,' said Sanjay Chowbey, president of TE SubCom. 'We
are pleased to work with Interchange Limited and apply our expertise and
regional knowledge..."
Tuesday 5
 The exact details and methods of raising
financing and seed money for both new and existing businesses have changed over time,
but the fundamentals have not changed. Most important is to have a product or service
that people think they need or can be convinced that they need - the "create a need and
then fill it" philosophy versus "find a need and then fill it." Today's entrepreneurs
have the benefit of the Internet and its broad reach that makes just about anyone "discoverable"
via angel investment groups, Kickstarter type individual investors, and access
to countless numbers of establishment banks. Social networking with total
strangers might provide the spark needed to set an effort on fire. Overnight
successes...
 A team of researchers from the U.K., Germany and
Russia has found evidence of
magnetism at the edges of graphene.
In their paper published in the journal Nature, the researchers describe how
they made their discovery and why they believe it is important. Graphene is, of
course, a 2-D layer of carbon atoms forming a sheet. A lot of research has been
conducted into its unique properties seeking novel applications. One such
possibility is using it to build a truly quantum computer. But that idea has
been held back by the inability of researchers to take advantage of theorized
magnetism on the edges of graphene sheets. In this new effort, the researchers
report...
 While
you are roaming the floors at the 2018 International Microwave Symposium (IMS2018), please
be sure to stop by the
ConductRF
booth (#1650) and talk to those fine folks about your cable and connector
requirements. "ConductRF is continually innovating and developing new and
improved solutions for RF customers. As applications shift to higher
frequencies, we continually find customers that need our support. Our
manufacturing capabilities include phase matching, PIM testing, over-molding and
much more." Please also thank them for supporting RF Cafe with advertising...
 Tim Boles, of MACOM and Ferdinando Iucolano, of
STMicroelectronics, recently published an article titled, "RF GaN on Si Meets CMOS Manufacturing," in Microwave Journal.
Even after a couple decades of GaN (gallium nitride) research and improved manufacturing
techniques, its cost is still very high compared to GaAs and Si devices. Their report
discusses a new tack for attempting to overcome the price barriers. "GaN's pathway to
mainstream RF  commercialization hinges on its ability to
support the volume and cost requirements of end applications, including 4G and
5G base stations and emerging RF energy applications - cooking, lighting,
industrial heating and drying, medical, pharmaceutical..."
 Phosphorous: From Latin phosphorus "light-bringing,"
from Greek Phosphoros "morning star," literally "torchbearer," from phos "light," contraction
of phaos "light, daylight" + phoros "bearer," from pherein "to carry." Long before mankind
had developed methods of bombarding phosphorous compounds with electron beams to make
them glow, 17th-century scientist Hennig Brand observed the characteristic light
emitting property of phosphorous when exposed to oxygen. No doubt the Ancients
noticed the naturally occurring glow of bioluminescent plants and animals, and
maybe even luminescent glow caused by the breaking open of
phosphorous-containing rocks. Radioactive decay in the vicinity of
phosphorescent materials can also cause a...
 "The 'valleytronics'
transistor material could enable chipmakers to pack more computing power onto
microchips, extending the limits of Moore's Law. Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California For several decades, improvements in
conventional transistor materials have been sufficient to sustain Moore's Law -
the historical pattern of microchip manufacturers packing more transistors (and
thus more information storage and handling capacity) into a given volume of
silicon. Today, however, chipmakers are concerned that they might soon reach the
fundamental limits of conventional materials..."
Monday 4
 Concentric
Technology Solutions (CTS) has graciously decided to sponsor RF Cafe as an advertiser.
CTS manufactures the industry's finest RF shielded enclosures
for test and measurement. CTS has the solution to your needs for off-the-shelf
manually or pneumatically operated RF shield boxes and TEM cells for wireless
product testing. Bluetooth, RFID, WiFi, cellular, and ISM bands can be
accommodated when you need maximum RF shielding and testing features with a
solid RF shielded enclosure to produce repeatable results. CTS also will be glad
to work with you on a custom solution if needed. Please contact CTS today to see
how they can help your project...
 In 1965, there were only two countries that had
rockets capable of launching
orbiting telecommunications satellites: the United States of America (USA)
and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Three other countries, the
United Kingdom (UK), Canada, and France, had placed satellites in orbit atop
U.S. rockets by then. A total of 45 had been launched by 1965 according to a
list on Wikipedia; however, many - if not most - had re-entered the atmosphere
by then due to their low initial orbits and three of them targeted the sun,
Venus, and Mars. Others might still have been orbiting, but their power supplies
had expired. Many of the electronics magazines at the time published a monthly
list of active satellites that were available for tracking and monitoring of
signals - a nerd sport of the era. OSCAR 1...
 While at the
IMS show next week, you might want to attend the
IEEE 5G Summit on Tuesday,
June 12 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 103ABC. "The IEEE Microwave Theory
and Techniques Society (MTT-S) and the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) have
been working together to organize a special joint 5G Summit with expert speakers
covering both the hardware / systems and networking/services aspects for the
fifth-generation (5G) communication. As part of the 5G Summit series, this
summit will provide a platform for leaders, innovators, and researchers from
both industrial and academic communities..."
 The June 2018 issue of the ARRL's QST
magazine has an interesting article titled "Aircraft Scatter," which addresses a relatively recent method of
making long distance (DX) contacts by
 bouncing
radio signals off high altitude commercial aircraft. The technique and equations are
akin to bistatic radar (W3EP), and are the basis for W3SZ's AircraftScatter
Sharp software(click thumbnail) that uses information culled from online flight
tracking databases to calculate aircraft scatter contact geometries and signal
properties. This is typical of the extreme level of technical prowess employed
by Hams to accomplish their goals. Of course you also have the option used by
early practitioners of aircraft scatter, which is to simply look up into the sky
for an airplane at which to point your antenna...
 "Russian researchers from the Moscow Institute
of Physics and Technology (MIPT), the Technological Institute for Superhard and Novel
Carbon Materials (TISNCM), and the National University of Science and Technology MISIS
have optimized the design of a
nuclear battery
generating power from the beta decay of nickel-63, a radioactive isotope. Their
new battery prototype packs about 3,300 milliwatt-hours of energy per gram,
which is more than in any other nuclear battery based on nickel-63, and 10 times
more than the specific energy of commercial chemical cells..."
Sunday 3
 At least 10 clues with an asterisk (*)
in this
technology-themed crossword puzzle are pulled from this past week's (5/28 -
6/1) "Tech Industry Headlines" column on the RF Cafe homepage. For the sake of
all the avid cruciverbalists amongst us, each week I create a new
technology-themed crossword puzzle using only words from my custom-created
related to engineering, science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy,
etc. You will never find among the words names of politicians, mountain ranges,
exotic foods or plants, movie stars, or anything of the sort. You might,
however, see someone or something in the exclusion list who or that is directly
related to this puzzle's theme...
Friday 1
 Unless I find one I missed from my collection
of vintage Popular Electronics magazines, this could be the last Friday electronics
quiz for a while. All of the quizzes were created by Robert p. Balin, and range
in difficulty from relatively easy to head scratchers (for typical test takers like myownself).
Sometimes modern readers will be stumped by references to dated drawings and/or terms
like vacuum tubes and CRTs (which are themselves vacuum tubes, of course). This
Electronics Geometry Quiz might require a Millennial handicap on item "E" if
you spaz out over the picture, but if you get the other nine correct, you'll get
all ten by default. This is probably...
 That's right, and RF Cafe covered the
first 6G report
years ago. "Companies have barely begun deploying 5G networks, but that just means researchers
are thinking about what comes next. The first thought that popped into your head as soon
as you read this article's headline was likely something along the lines of 'Wait, I
thought we were still waiting on 5G.' And that's true: This is the year 5G deployment
is finally picking up steam. But that's precisely why ComSenTer, a
multi-university research effort into the fundamentals of what 6G might look
like, is already turning its attention to the next..."
 My long-established collection of
soldering aid and tuning wand tools still gets a fairly regular workout - but not
necessarily for soldering tasks. Because of their purpose-designed ends, they come in
handy for all sorts of model building activities. Most are non-metallic, meant for bending
and poking, and are very strong and heat resistant. The metal types are still required
for direct contact with molten solder. One of the best tips offered in this Electronics
World article is for when replacing a leaded component on a printed circuit
board (PCB). If possible, rather than heating the landing pad and plated
through-via to remove the leads, just clip the leads far enough from the PCB
surface to create a post or loop to solder the new component to...
 Rob Spiegel, at Design News, posted a
piece titled, "You Might Be an Engineer If...," where he presents 15 images and
challenges you identify which one does not fit the theme (aka a "fake image"). Reading
the viewer comments leads you to believe the answer is subjective rather than objective.
I've got my own choice, but will withhold it for now - in case I'm wrong ;-) The
"real" answer had better be very clearly obvious and irrefutable or Mr. Spiegel
might be the recipient of some heated arguments ...
 Walter
Sneijers, an RF Applications Engineer at Ampleon, offers this paper titled "Doherty
Amplifiers in UHF." It is an abbreviated version of his more extensive white paper
titled "Doherty Architecture in UHF," both of which feature Ampelon's BLF8xx
transistor family. An introduction to the Doherty amplifier is given along with
basic design and test configurations. Both the classical 2-way and the ultra
wide-band (UWB) architectures are discussed...
Engineered Band Gap Pushes Graphene
Closer to Displacing Silicon
 "Graphene might be the best conductor of electrons
we know. However, as a pure conductor it can't stop the flow of electrons like a semiconductor
such as silicon can. Silicon's ability to create an on/off state for the flow of electrons
makes it possible to create the "0" and "1" of binary digital logic for computing. While
many believe this has pretty much taken
graphene
out of the running for digital logic applications that depend on turning the
flow of electrons on and off, it hasn't stopped researchers from looking to see
if there's a way to engineer a band gap into it that will make graphene behave
like a semiconductor..."
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