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4 of the May 2024 homepage archives. Tuesday the 14th
 Big plans were being made for solid state
electronics by the time this "How
They'll Grow TV Sets Like Tomatoes" article appeared in a 1961 issue of
Popular Science magazine. The weird title alludes to "growing" integrated circuits
(ICs) from crystals. Fairchild Electronics' Robert Noyce had demonstrated the world's
first monolithic IC two years earlier, and rightly so, futurists were creating fantastic
schemes for not just limited functionality IC like amplifiers and logic gates, but
entire systems comprised of mixed signals (digital and analog) ranging in frequency
from DC to light. Dr. Noyce died in 1990, so he had plenty of time to watch
the explosive grown of the technology he co-invented. Unfortunately, he missed the
smartphone and cellular telephony system build-out, the Internet, and millimeter
wave / optical wavelength ICs, micro electro-mechanical systems(MEMS), integrated
fluidic circuits, and much more in the ensuing two and a half decades. Interestingly,
gallium arsenide (GaAs) is featured at a time when germanium and silicon were the
majorly dominant semiconductors.
 TotalTemp Technologies offers advanced and
innovative methods for meeting and
optimizing your thermal testing requirements. We specialize in benchtop thermal
testing because small batches are typically the most cost- effective approach. We
offer heat transfer by conduction with thermal platforms, forced convection as in
traditional temperature chambers, combined systems, and thermal vacuum for Space
Simulation. The advanced Synergy Nano controller has many time saving features that
make the job easier: Dual or Multi Zone control. Advanced control by reading DUT
temperatures. Capable logging features including Network Plotting / Printing and
multi sensor readings. Local and remote control/monitoring with RS-232, Ethernet,
GPIB option and more. Ramp and dwell, inputs and conditional outputs, configurable
including text and email alarms. Cloud storage capable We offer refrigerated platforms
for applications where expendable cryogenic cooling is not possible...
 Early
masers (microwave amplification by simulated emission of radiation), as with
lasers (light amplification by simulated emission of radiation), began life with
the requirement of a rare earth-based mineral composing its core. In the case of
this article in a 1960 Popular Electronics magazine article, it was a ruby. Early
applications of the maser were primarily concentrated on radar systems. At the time,
high amplification and high power was beyond the capability of common semiconductors
like Si, GaAs, or GaN. Required substrate impurities, gate widths, and thermal control
were well beyond the state of the art of the day. As always, the early pioneers
like Dr. Charles H. Townes, inventor of the maser, accomplished incredible feats
with rudimentary tools, including the venerable slide rule for calculations...
 "NFC Forum, the global standards body for
Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, has announced the availability of
Test Release 13.2 (TR13.2) which adds new capabilities to its certification program
to simplify the testing of NFC end-products. This addition makes the certification
process easier and more affordable for businesses, and enables other standards bodies
using NFC technology to more easily test product functionality and deliver better
user experiences. The NFC Forum Certification Program confirms that certified devices
are compliant with NFC Forum Specifications. Conformance ensures a consistent behavior
of devices across different NFC-ecosystem and sets the foundation for interoperability
within each use case of diverse markets. The added NFC Forum testing approach provides
new capabilities for market-ready products allowing for release candidate software
to be evaluated rather than engineering software designed exclusively for testing..."
 This is part 9 in a series published
by Radio News and the Short-Wave magazine in the early 1930s. As with most
topics pertaining to electronics, the theory is still relevant and applicable to
many modern circuits and systems.
Piezoelectric principles are introduced for determining the frequency of oscillators.
I have to admit to not having heard of the "pyroelectric" effect. A pyroelectric
crystal when heated or cooled develops charges on the extremities of its hemihedral
(another new word for me, meaning "exhibiting only half the faces required for complete
symmetry") axes. Types other than the familiar quartz include tourmaline, boracite,
topaz, Rochelle salts, and even sugar. Another new term for me here is magnetostriction,
which is when a material changes its shape or dimensions during the process of magnetization.
BTW, this was erroneously labeled as Part 8, but that appeared in the May issue...
 This assortment of custom-designed themes
by RF Cafe includes T-Shirts, Mouse Pads, Clocks, Tote Bags, Coffee Mugs and Steins,
Purses, Sweatshirts, Baseball Caps, and more, all sporting my amazingly clever "RF Engineers - We Are the World's
Matchmakers" Smith chart design. These would make excellent gifts for husbands,
wives, kids, significant others, and for handing out at company events or as rewards
for excellent service. My graphic has been ripped off by other people and used on
their products, so please be sure to purchase only official RF Cafe gear. I only
make a couple bucks on each sale - the rest goes to Cafe Press. It's a great way
to help support RF Cafe. Thanks...
Monday the 13th
 In today's age of massive computing power
everywhere, it is difficult to imagine needing to manually search through a three
million record database of document topics as part of a
patent application process. That daunting task faced patent application examiners
in 1961 when a Popular Science reporter interviewed the commissioner of the USPTO.
Yes, computers existed which could perform the task, but no effort had been initiated
to generate punch cards and/or magnetic tapes encoded with titles, grantees, dates,
key words, status, and a host of other data for use in an exhaustive search. That
was the first step in the difficult but necessary task that faced the organization.
At the time, a thousand new patents were being granted every week. There are currently
nearly twelve million patents on record. Factoid: Per the USPTO's 2023 Annual Report,
the duration of protection for a patent is only 20 years - from the date of filing,
not granting, while that of a copyright is 70 years after the death...
 "Diagonal hopping by electrons explains
superconductivity in
cuprate high-temperature superconductors, according to researchers associated
with the Flatiron Institute in New York. The team used a straightforward two dimensional
model, the Hubbard model, and hundreds of hours of supercomputer effort to get results
that are close to those found in experiments. There was tremendous excitement when
cuprate superconductors were discovered, but no understanding of why they remain
superconductive at such high temperatures, said Flatiron scientist Shiwei Zhang.
'I think it's surprising to everybody that almost 40 years later, we still dont
quite understand why they do what they do..."
 A while back, I purchased a May 29, 1948,
edition of the Saturday Evening Post, because it contained one of Charles Schulz's
Li'l Folks (which became Peanuts) comics. I paid 99¢ on eBay. There were a couple
things that stood out as I perused the magazine. First was the vitriolic tone of
the Letters to the Editor, ripping the publication for articles in previous editions.
Another was that the majority of the artwork for stories and advertisements was
either a painting or a pencil drawing - almost no photographs. Both were common
occurrences with all magazines I am familiar with from the era (like all the ones
here on RF Cafe). There was not a single ad for any television set - B&W or
color - even though RCA had been selling color sets for four years by that time.
The following "Those Evil Radios!"
story appeared on the last page of the magazine. You'll get a kick out of its premise...
 Echo 1 launched in August of 1960,
finally allowing America to participate in the Space Race, which until then was
roundly being won by the USSR. Electronics magazines of the day were filled with
prognostications of the future of space communications. Electronics World
dedicated most of their November issue to
satellite Earth stations and advancements being made in ultra sensitive receivers
and powerful transmitters. Since the earliest satellites were literally metallic
balls for reflecting radio signals, it was necessary to optimize both ends of the
communications path since there were no circuits onboard the satellite to perform
signal processing and re-transmission. Bell Labs, of course, was at the forefront
of the technology. In fact a famously serendipitous discovery was made by a couple
scientists in 1964 using the very antenna featured in this advertisement...
RF Cascade Workbook is the next phase in the evolution of RF Cafe's long-running
series, RF Cascade Workbook. Chances are you have never used a spreadsheet
quite like this (click
here for screen capture). It is a full-featured RF system cascade parameter
and frequency planner that includes filters and mixers for a mere $45. Built in
MS Excel, using RF Cascade Workbook is a cinch and the format
is entirely customizable. It is significantly easier and faster than using a multi-thousand
dollar simulator when a high level system analysis is all that is needed...
 Anritsu has been a global provider of innovative
communications test and measurement solutions for more than 120 years. Anritsu manufactures
a full line of innovative components and accessories for
RF and Microwave Test and Measurement
Equipment including attenuators & terminations; coaxial cables, connectors &
adapters; o-scopes; power meters & sensors; signal generators; antenna, signal,
spectrum, & vector network analyzers (VNAs); calibration kits; Bluetooth &
WLAN testers; PIM testers; amplifiers; power dividers; antennas. "We've Got You
Covered."
Friday the 10th
 Prior to the detonation of atomic bombs
in order to finally bring an end to World War II, the general public didn't
know much about
nuclear radiation. Many had of course had x-ray images made of teeth and/or
bones during medical examinations, but the potential dangers of exposure to large
dosages were not considered. Except for unintended exposure in laboratories, even
technical personnel were generally unconcerned about radiation. Largely justified
based on the utter instantaneous destruction and long-term lingering effects of
the bombs, people were - and still are - dubious and fearful of large nuclear-based
installations such as electric power generation plants, research institutions, and
waste storage facilities. Nuclear industry proponents put a lot of effort into assuaging
the fears through promises of safety measures taken to mitigate the likelihood of
catastrophic accidents. This 1948 Popular Science magazine article was
one of the first attempts to address large audiences...
• Laser
Weapon Installed on Royal Navy Ships
•
Made in China 2025: China Meets Most Targets
•
Guerrilla RF Acquires GaN Portfolio from Gallium Semiconductor
• Ford
BlueCruise Driver Assist in Trouble
• Turkey to Join
China-Russia Moon Base Project
 The energy density of
supercapacitors, devices similar to batteries that can recharge rapidly in just
seconds or minutes, can be improved by increasing the 'messiness' of their internal
structure. Researchers led by the University of Cambridge used experimental and
computer modeling techniques to study the porous carbon electrodes used in supercapacitors.
They found that electrodes with a more disordered chemical structure stored far
more energy than electrodes with a highly ordered structure. Supercapacitors are
a key technology for the energy transition and could be useful for certain forms
of public transport, as well as for managing intermittent solar and wind energy
generation, but their adoption has been limited by poor energy density. The researchers
say their results, reported in the journal Science, represent a breakthrough in
the field and could reinvigorate...
 Rauland (aka Rauland-Borg) has today on
its History webpage that it was founded in 1922 as the Rauland Company, by inventor
and
radio enthusiast E. Norman Rauland. Soon thereafter he became a pioneer
in the radio broadcast industry by launching the Chicago-based radio station, WENR
(which eventually became the well-known WLS, home of Jean Shepherd). In 1941 Norm
Rauland and George Borg entered a partnership, and a year later acquired Baird Television
of America. Rauland developed cathode ray tubes (CRT) and became an important supplier
of communications and radar equipment during WWII. After the war, Rauland began
manufacturing CRTs for 10" and 12" televisions. They were so successful that in
1948, Zenith Radio Corporation purchased them to get the CRT technology. This circa
1953 Rauland advertisement ran in Radio-Electronics magazine to pitch their
breakthrough aluminizing process that produced CRTs with brighter pictures...
 Axiom Test Equipment, an electronic test
equipment rental and sales company has published a new blog post that covers how
pressure calibrators can provide accurate pressure measurements essential to
many processes employed in major industries and military bases. Measuring and calibrating
pressure devices in manufacturing and production facilities contributes to the safety
of those locations and the quality of their products. Globally, many standards have
been established for evaluating pressure throughout many applications, since pressure
impacts many components within a pressurized system, including displays, sensors,
and transmitters. Pressure can be dangerous when excessive, but it can also provide
many benefits towards the efficient operation and prolonged operating lifetimes
of electromechanical equipment. Specifying a pressure calibrator for an application
or for different tasks requires knowledge of the required pressure measurement ranges
and conditions...
 If MacGyver had been around in 1935, every
episode would likely have included a
Fahnestock Clip as part of a scheme to get Angus (his first name - no kidding)
out of perilous situations. The handy little devices were very popular in electronics,
both for hobbyists and for commercial products, until fairly recently (within the
last two decades) because they provide a simple, reliable electrical connection
that does not require any tools for use - other than your finger. If you have never
heard of a Fahnestock clip, you will probably be surprised to learn what it is and
chances are you have seen one and maybe even used one. If you work in an electronics
prototyping lab area that has been around for a while, there are almost certainly
some in a parts bin somewhere or on some old mock-up gathering dust in the corner...
 With more than 1000
custom-built stencils, this has got to be the most comprehensive set of
Visio Stencils
available for RF, analog, and digital system and schematic drawings! Every stencil
symbol has been built to fit proportionally on the included A-, B-, and C-size drawing
page templates (or use your own page if preferred). Components are provided for
system block diagrams, conceptual drawings, schematics, test equipment, racks, and
more. Page templates are provided with a preset scale (changeable) for a good presentation
that can incorporate all provided symbols...
 Windfreak Technologies designs, manufactures,
tests and sells high value USB powered and controlled radio frequency products such as
RF signal generators, RF synthesizers, RF power detectors, mixers, up / downconverters.
Since the conception of WFT, we have introduced products that have been purchased
by a wide range of customers, from hobbyists to education facilities to government
agencies. Worldwide customers include Europe, Australia, and Asia. Please contact
Windfreak today to learn how they might help you with your current project.
Thursday the 9th
 Most people, even in this, the year of our
Lord 2024, still use old-fashioned cylinder locks on a regular basis. Your abode's
front door lock is almost certainly a
cylinder lock, as is the starter lock for your car. You likely have a metal
key in your pocket or purse for each. If you have recreational vehicles, chances
are they are started with a metal key in a cylinder lock. Variations on the basic
design of a cylinder lock have emerged which make them more difficult to pick, but
fundamentally they are mostly the same. We have all seen movies and television shows
where clever crooks, police, and private detectives pull out a professional lock
picking kit and jiggle a lock in mere seconds, no matter whether it is an office
door, a file cabinet, or a bank vault. This 1961 Popular Science magazine article
provides a good introduction into cylinder lock construction and operation. Of course
videos abound on YouTube for learning the fine art of lock picking. If you want
a good laugh, watch this...
 A Washington-State-based emergency management
and counter-terror specialist is the latest to loudly support the passage of the
AM for Every Vehicle Act. Jeff Burns wrote an opinion piece for the Seattle
Times emphasizing AM radio's role in safeguarding the public. Burns has more than
25 years of experience in high-threat protective services across government and
private sectors, including a decade in undercover law enforcement. He is a board-Certified
Dignitary and Executive Protection expert, a Certified Master Anti-Terrorism Specialist,
and is US Department of State Worldwide Protective Services 2 qualified. He is also
the founder of Burns Group International. In his article, Burns discussed how the
necessity of AM radio is particularly acute in Washington, a state prone to natural
disasters like flooding and wildfires...
 John T. Frye's monthly "Mac's
Radio Service Shop" techno-drama, written in story form - was usually an incognito
lesson on circuit functionality or troubleshooting, how to deal with customers,
industry regulations and news, or an introduction to new components and equipment.
As the "Unusual New Equipment" title suggests, this time Mac described a few new
items added to the service shop to aid in their work. Often when reading one of
the episodes, I do a Google search on specific components or equipment mentioned
in the article. He describes a special-purpose CRT (Sylvania's new 5AXP4 Television
Receiver Check Tube) that could be used universally for troubleshooting in place
of a wide variety of installed picture tubes. I've seem them on eBay for $30-$50.
There is not much you cannot find on eBay if you watch long enough. He also bought
a pair of 7x35 binoculars for inspecting TV antennas from the ground...
 "Ferromagnetism and superconductivity don't
play well together. Ordinarily the two phenomena - ferromagnetism grants garden-variety
permanent magnets their magnetic fields and superconductivity expels the internal
magnetic fields of certain materials cooled below critical temperatures - seem to
cancel each other out. But under uncommon circumstances, the two phenomena can behave
with one another. One such circumstance could be a promising boon for future
spintronic devices that operate
more quickly and use less energy than their electronic counterparts. Researchers
have now etched magnetic patterns into micrometer-sized 'islands' of a superconductor
topped with a ferromagnetic material. These kinds of magnetic textures usually are
not very stable, but..."
 In this May, 1964 issue of Electronics
magazine, editor Lewis Young cites the continued rebuilding of Europe after the
economic and societal upset of World War II as the reason many - maybe most
- companies there are still, two decades later, concentrating
engineering and financial resources on getting back on a solid footing rather
than chasing after the latest and greatest in nonessential technologies. It was
probably an accurate assessment of the situation. However, I do take issue with
his admonishment to American companies to emulate Europe's "practical approach"
to innovation and manufacturing. There was absolutely no reason to dissuade and
throttle activity here, there, or anywhere for that matter. It truth, engineers,
scientists, and businessmen of Europe were probably not happy with the existing
mindset of government policymakers and would have preferred to progress without
restraint...
Windfreak Technologies designs, manufactures,
tests and sells high value USB powered and controlled radio frequency products such as
RF signal generators, RF synthesizers, RF power detectors, mixers, up / downconverters.
Since the conception of WFT, we have introduced products that have been purchased
by a wide range of customers, from hobbyists to education facilities to government
agencies. Worldwide customers include Europe, Australia, and Asia. Please contact
Windfreak today to learn how they might help you with your current project.
With more than 1000
custom-built stencils, this has got to be the most comprehensive set of
Visio Stencils
available for RF, analog, and digital system and schematic drawings! Every stencil
symbol has been built to fit proportionally on the included A-, B-, and C-size drawing
page templates (or use your own page if preferred). Components are provided for
system block diagrams, conceptual drawings, schematics, test equipment, racks, and
more. Page templates are provided with a preset scale (changeable) for a good presentation
that can incorporate all provided symbols...
Wednesday the 8th
 Concepts for the weaponization of space
began long before the first satellites were launched in the late 1950s. Science
fiction writers dreamed of battles in outer space to repel alien invaders, and war
planners cogitated over such needs in warding off enemy attacks back when long-range
rockets were in the design and planning stages. This "U.S.
Plans First Warship in Space" from a 1961 issue of Popular Science
magazine reports on the state of the art. Some of the countermeasures are comical,
but were serious concepts being proposed at the time. I particularly like the scheme
where an anti-satellite "warship" would essentially throw sand in the face of the
offending craft in order to blind it's video surveillance capabilities. Another
option would was to hit its camera lens with some spray paint. A robotic pair of
bolt cutters might also snip off antenna elements, and maybe as a next-to-last ditch
resort, a giant reflector could focus the sun's heat on the satellite and fry it
to a crisp...
 "Researchers at Linköping University in
Sweden have developed a new method that could lead to the synthesis of hundreds
of new
2D materials,, which are only a few atoms thick and exhibit unique properties
useful in various applications like energy storage and water purification. This
advancement, based on a theoretical model validated in the lab, has broadened the
potential for creating more 2D materials beyond the known family of MXenes, paving
the way for diverse technological applications. Materials that are incredibly thin,
only a few atoms thick, exhibit unique properties that make them appealing for energy
storage, catalysis, and water purification..."
 We really have it good today compared to
the early days of the semiconductor revolution. Most of the most difficult problems
were solved long ago. Point contact devices were still fairly commonplace even in
1964 when this ad appeared in Electronics magazine. Recall that the very
first manufactured
solid state diodes and transistors were the point contact type that were encapsulated
in glass with a space gap where the contact was made. That left the device vulnerable
to vibration and impact damage and to contamination if the hermetic seal failed
between the metal lead and the junction(s). Unitrode claims to have been the first
to eliminate that issue with essentially a fully bonded package. Keep in mind, however,
that even the early semiconductor device packaging was no worse than the vacuum
tubes that they replaced, since the tubes also suffered from the same vulnerabilities
due to their construction...
 Werbel Microwave's WM8PD-0.5-6-S is
8-way in-line power splitter covering the continuous bandwidth of 500 MHz
to 6 GHz in an enclosure measuring 6.50 x 4.97 x 0.55 inches with versatile
mounting options. The device is RoHS compliant. Wide spacing between the output
pairs of connectors allows for ease of the technician to access connection points
using a torque wrench. Consequently, the device saves space in rack mounting applications.
Return loss 16 dB typical. Insertion loss 1.0 dB typical. Isolation 20 dB
typical. Amplitude balance 0.4dB typical. Phase balance 6 degrees typical.
Designed, assembled, and tested in the USA...
 I suppose the term "Subminiature"
as it applies to electronics components is as relative as the word "Modern" is in
book titles. They might be accurate at the time of the writing, but passage of time
renders them ambiguous. Subminiature in 1957, when this Radio & TV News
magazine article appeared, meant anything other than full-size vacuum tubes, huge
power transformers, multi-layer wafer switches, and hookup wire larger than 20 AWG.
The advent of peanut tubes, very early versions of transistors and solid state diodes,
and ever-higher operational frequencies permitted component sizes to be shrunk by
a factor of two or more. Rather than using a pistol-style soldering gun or a soldering
iron designed for assembling copper guttering, a precision pencil-type iron could
be used and greasy tools from the garage no longer sufficed for turning screws and
nuts...
RF Cascade Workbook is the next phase in the evolution of RF Cafe's long-running
series, RF Cascade Workbook. Chances are you have never used a spreadsheet
quite like this (click
here for screen capture). It is a full-featured RF system cascade parameter
and frequency planner that includes filters and mixers for a mere $45. Built in
MS Excel, using RF Cascade Workbook is a cinch and the format
is entirely customizable. It is significantly easier and faster than using a multi-thousand
dollar simulator when a high level system analysis is all that is needed...
 Werbel Microwave is a manufacturer of RF
directional and bidirectional couplers (6 dB to 50 dB) and RF power dividers
/ combiners (2- to 16-way) with select models operating up to 26.5 GHz and
100 W of CW power (3 kW peak). All are RoHS and REACH compliant and are
designed and manufactured in our Whippany, NJ, location. Custom products and private
label service available. Please take a couple minutes to visit their website and
see how Werbel Microwave can help you today.
These archive pages are provided in order to make it easier for you to find items
that you remember seeing on the RF Cafe homepage. Of course probably the easiest
way to find anything on the website is to use the "Search
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