Homepage Archive - May 2017 (page 2)

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 RF Cafe" box at the top of every page. About RF Cafe.

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Friday 19

Experimental Laser Engines

Experimental Laser Engines, June 1969 Electronics World - RF CafeIn 1969 when this article appeared in Electronics World magazine, laser technology was still in the realm of rare earth elements and bulky gas chambers with monster power supplies. Efficiencies for conversion of input line AC power to output laser light power was measured in the low single digits. Real science was a long, long way from the predictions of science fiction in terms of size and capability of lasers. Although laser technology has made much better progress than futurists' visions of flying cars and nuclear fusion power generation, we are just now deploying the first serious laser weapons. Semiconductor-based lasers have enabled ...

App Note to Optimize the OCW Coffee Can Radar Using NI AWR Software

New Application Note Describes How to Optimize the OCW Coffee Can Radar Design Using NI AWR Software - RF CafeA new NI AWR Design Environment application note describes how the original design of a simple coffee-can radar from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) OpenCourseWare (OCW) online course was redesigned and optimized using the system, circuit and electromagnetic (EM) analysis capabilities of NI AWR software. The redesign was done using Visual System Simulator™ (VSS) system-level design software and AXIEM and Analyst™ EM simulators such that the "re-caffeinated" radar system ...

See Pasternack in Booth #514 at IEEE IMS 2017 in Honolulu

Pasternack to Exhibit at the 2017 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium in Honolulu - RF CafeThis year at IMS 2017, Pasternack's team of engineers will be in booth #514 promoting hundreds of newly released products. Since the 2016 exhibition, the company greatly expanded its portfolio of waveguide products including waveguide direct read attenuators, waveguide directional couplers, waveguide bends, transitions and much more. Additionally, Pasternack will be exhibiting new active components including USB controlled PLL synthesizers, high-power GaN amplifiers, active frequency ...

Raytheon to Integrate High-Power EM into Cyber and EW

Raytheon to Integrate High-Power Electromagnetics (HPEM) into Cyber and Electronic Warfare (EW) - RF Cafe"RF and microwave experts at the Raytheon Co. are helping U.S. Air Force researchers find ways to integrate high-power electromagnetics (HPEM) technology into military cyber and electronic warfare (EW) systems. Officials of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Directed Energy Directorate's High-Powered Electromagnetics Division (RDH) at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., announced a $10 million contract Wednesday to the Raytheon Missile Systems segment in Tucson, AZ, for the High Power Electromagnetics Cyber Electronic Warfare Applications (HPEM ..."

General Electric Models G-105 and G-106 Radio Service Data Sheet

General Electric Models G-105 and G-106 Radio Service Data Sheet, December 1938 Radio-Craft - RF CafeGeneral Electric engineers were really thinking 'outside of the box' when designing the 1938-vintage Model G-106 console radio. In addition to its stylish wooden cabinet, the 13-station, piano-keyboard-like 'Touch-Tuning' tuning scheme employed a motor-driven variable resonant tank circuit. No doubt the sound of a motor spinning inside was a major selling point for hooking techno-audiophiles of the era. There are some good photos of a restored GE Model G-106 console radio on the Radio Museum website that includes details of the tuning mechanism ...

Axiom Test Equipment Offers Many White Papers on Testing

Axiom Test Equipment Offers Many White Papers on Testing - RF CafeAxiom Test Equipment, a provider of efficient and cost effective solutions customers' test equipment needs, publishes a blog containing how-to articles and tutorials covering the use and application of many types of test equipment. Examples include "Measuring Phase Noise And Why It Matters," "Gain Some Guidance On Amplifier Measurements," "Add an Amplifier for High-Power RF Testing," and "Considerations In Choosing an Environmental Chamber." Since 2005, Axiom Test Equipment has ...

Troll's Network LinkBox Network Bridge Between Air and Ground Operations

Troll's Network LinkBox Provides a Network Bridge Between Air and Ground Operations - RF CafeTroll's LinkBox manages IP network payloads, cameras, antennas, encoding, decoding, encryption, reception and transmission using DVB-T, TCDLs and MIMO. The LinkBox is compatible with leading mapping interfaces and provides seamless network bridge between air and ground operations. Its multi-port Ethernet switch and power distribution systems allows for the rapid integration of third-party equipment, ensuring that ...

Anatech Electronics Newsletter - May 2017

Anatech Electronics Newsletter for May 2017 - RF CafeAnatech Electronics, a manufacturer of RF and microwave filters, has published its April newsletter. As always, it includes both company news and some tidbits about relevant industry happenings. In it, Sam Benzacar discusses, among other topics, the challenge the Department of Defense will have with commercial services looking to operate in the millimeter-wave bands for 5G, where military satellite and radars now operate without significant threat of interference. He also mentions research in progress that allows Wi-Fi to generate 3D tracking maps ...

Thursday 18

Moving Microwave Weapons from Lab to Battlefield

Moving Microwave Weapons from Lab to Battlefield - RF Cafe"Massive ray guns that use microwaves to instantaneously down a swarm of incoming enemy drones are approaching prime-time reality, and could propel New Mexico into a leadership role in the next wave of modern defense technology. The Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base is leading an effort to move such weapons out of the lab and into the hands of war fighters, with help from industry partners like Raytheon Missile Systems' Ktech division in Albuquerque. Those efforts have strong backing from New Mexico's congressional delegation ..."

Aaronia Intros IsoLOG 3D Mobile Antenna

Aaronia Intros IsoLOG 3D Mobile Antenna - RF CafeThe new IsoLOG 3D Mobile, Aaronia's latest development, is an ultra-light and small isotropic antenna which is compatible to any spectrum analyzer. It is directly ready for use and is a perfect plug and play solution for 3D measurements in limited time frames. The antenna requires no software installation, no power connection and no hardware changes. It is connectable via the N (male) connector to any analyzer or oscilloscope. Each IsoLOG 3D Mobile includes an internal, rechargeable battery, offering a run-time of 6 hours, and a switchable low ...

Notice to RF Cafe Software Customers

Software Orders from EU Problems - RF CafeSince Tuesday, May 16, I have received half a dozen orders from people using e-mail addresses in EU countries that return sever error notices when I reply to the e-mail address provided by PayPal. It happens both with and without a file attached. The strange thing is all the order amounts are for $20 items, and every e-mail fails. I called PayPal and they claim no knowledge of any problems. Please contact me ASAP if you placed an order and have not received your file.

Comics with an Electronics Theme from Popular Electronics

Comics with an Electronics Theme, April 1974 Popular Electronics - RF CafeHere are a couple more electronics-themed comics from vintage Popular Electronics magazines. Only one comic appeared in each of the May 1962 and April 1974 issues, so I combined them onto a single page. The comic from 1962 has a message I had not considered before about otherwise unassociated businesses horning in on a traditional business' purview, in this case drug stores selling replacement vacuum tubes, thereby robbing sales from the electronics repair shops ...

Mobile Operators to Spend $21B on 5G by 2025

Mobile Operators to Spend $21B on 5G by 2025 - RF Cafe"Mobile operators will spend more than $21 billion on standardized 5G New Radio (NR) infrastructure by the end of 2025, according to SNS Research. Of course, pre-standards 5G work is already well underway and SNS Research previously released an estimate saying that by the end of 2017, pre-standards 5G network investments are expected to account for over $250 million. Based on early contract wins, it is evident that existing vendors including Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and Huawei will benefit the most ..."

Empower RF Systems IMS 2017 "Multi-Use Interoperable RF Amplifier"

Empower RF Systems IMS 2017 Technical Presentation "Multi-Use Interoperable RF Amplifier" - RF CafeOn Tuesday, June 6th, Empower RF's CTO, Paulo Correa, will be presenting the topic "Multi-Use Interoperable RF Amplifier" to an audience of IMS attendees at the Exhibitor Workshop, 1pm to 3pm, Room 318/319 of the Hawaii Convention Center. The RF system amplifier has not evolved in any significant way since the inclusion of the microcontroller twenty years ago. That's a remarkable statement given the advancements seen in virtually every other application of RF products and test systems. In this workshop, we will define and evaluate power amplifier ...

Microwave Journal Announces Redesigned Web Site

Microwave Journal Announces Redesigned Web Site - RF CafeMicrowave Journal has released a redesigned web site on ePublishing's latest responsive platform for the best viewing experience on all types of devices and screen sizes. The ePublishing platform is a SEO-friendly, taxonomy-driven web site that automatically presents related content, community, commerce, advertising and special offers. The new Microwave Journal home page is more image-driven providing a more visual experience for the user and features embedded video, featured stories, white papers, current issue, buyer's guide ...

3-D Printers Quickly Construct Electromagnetic Metamaterials

3-D Printers Allow Quick Construction of Electromagnetic Metamaterials - RF Cafe"A team of researchers at Duke University have 3-D printed potent electromagnetic metamaterials, using an electrically conductive material compatible with a standard 3-D printer. The demonstration can revolutionize the rapid design and prototyping of radio frequency applications such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, wireless sensing and communications devices. Metamaterials are synthetic materials composed of many individual, engineered devices called cells that together produce properties not found in nature. As an electromagnetic wave moves ..."

Triad RF Systems' 20-1000 MHz Bidirectional Low SWAP Amplifier

Triad RF Systems Intros 20-1000 MHz Bidirectional Low SWAP Amplifier - RF CafeTriad RF Systems introduces the TTRM1019 broadband bi-directional low SWAP amplifier utilizing GaN devices, making it well suited for EW / SIGINT applications. Its extremely fast switching speed and high linearity also make the TTRM1019 an ideal solution for JTRS applications. This class AB GaN module is designed for both military and commercial applications. It is capable of supporting any signal type and modulation format, including but not limited to 3-4G telecom, WLAN, OFDM, DVB, and CW/AM/FM ...

Wednesday 17

Smartphones That Charge in 5 Minutes

Smartphones That Charge in 5 Minutes - RF Cafe"Smartphones with batteries that fully charge in five minutes could be available to consumers next year. The technology was first shown off in 2015, when Israeli start-up StoreDot demonstrated its FlashBattery at the CES tech show in Las Vegas. Chief executive Doron Myersdorf told the BBC it is now expected to enter production in early 2018. However, Ben Wood, a technology analyst at CCS Insight, said he had doubts about the claims. Mr Myersdorf said he could not reveal which manufacturers were ..."

IPP Intros the IPP-3206 Broadband Dual Directional Coupler

IPP Intros the IPP-3206 Broadband Dual Directional Coupler - RF CafeInnovative Power Products, Inc., is proud to introduce one of its newest broadband Dual Directional Couplers, Model IPP-3206, a 200 watt coupler covering 20-520 MHz., in a very small 1.16" X 1.76" package with SMA connectors. Insertion loss is <0.40 dB, main line VSWR is <1.25:1, coupled flatness is +/-0.60 dB and directivity is greater than 20 dB ...

Log All Continents on the Broadcast Band

Log All Continents on the Broadcast Band, June 1959 Popular Electronics - RF Cafe'DXing,' or long distance communications, has been a goal of amateur radio operators since the inception of radio. The sport is a popular today as it was in 1959 when this article appeared in Popular Electronics magazine. As you might expect, achieving success at making contacts like-minded hobbyists half-way around the world has been made quite a bit easier both by vastly improved transmitters, receivers, and antennas and by a much greater knowledge of propagation paths and accommodating atmospheric ...

Modelithics COMPLETE Library v17.1 for NI AWR Design Environment

Modelithics COMPLETE Library Release v17.1 for for NI AWR Design Environment - RF CafeThe latest release of the Modelithics COMPLETE Library™ for NI AWR Design Environment™, version 17.1, is now available, containing 44 new models and introducing several new model features. New advanced scalable simulation models for RF and microwave components from twenty (20) different vendors have been added to the version 17.1 release, including Microwave Global Models™ for capacitors from ATC, AVX, IPDiA (now part of Murata), Johanson Technology, KEMET, Murata, ST Microelectronics, and Taiyo Yuden. New inductor models are ...

WiFi Connects Soldiers for Underground Combat

WiFi Connects Soldiers for Underground Combat - RF Cafe"The Army's Rapid Equipping Force is testing a wave relay radio technology that enables soldiers to connect with one another while fighting underground, service officials said. When in a subterranean environment, line-of-sight radio connectivity and other forms of networking are often compromised. To address the issue, the Army is evaluating a small terrestrial-based ad hoc radio that uses frequency modulation, said Lt. Col. Dominic Ciaramitaro, Chief of Outreach and Assessments ..."

Saelig Intros Spectran HF-80200 V5 RSA 20 GHz Realtime SpecAn

Saelig Introduces Spectran HF-80200 V5 RSA 20 GHz Realtime Spectrum Analyzer - RF CafeSaelig Company announces the availability of the Spectran HF-80200 V5 RSA rack-mounted real-time 9 kHz-20 GHz Spectrum Analyzer that can capture even intermittent signal transmissions. Most spectrum analyzers take time to scan through the frequency range and can miss sporadic signals. But the Spectran HF-80200 V5 RSA has been designed with a remarkable scanning speed and recording time: the analyzer scans from 9 kHz to 20 GHz in less than 20 ms, so that even erratic transmissions or interference can be captured ...

Understanding the Limitations of Modern Military Radio Testbeds

Understanding The Limitations of Modern Military Radio Testbeds - RF Cafe"JFW Industries, specialists in attenuation and RF switching, designs and manufactures a wide range of solutions fortesting military radios. For those test engineers wanting to build their own testbed by piecing together individual components, JFW provides the necessary programmable attenuators, as well as the power divider/combiners to be cabled together. JFW also provides RF test systems with components already packaged together with a computer interface for test engineers in need of an all-in-one solution. These test ..."

Tuesday 16

5G Spectrum and Standards (Mobile Communications)

5G Spectrum and Standards (Mobile Communications) - RF CafeThis new resource by author Geoff Varrall provides key insight into future 5G radio systems and the technical and economic impact on industries, communities and end-users. 5G Spectrum and Standards offers a comprehensive understanding of the options available for teams tasked with bringing 5G products and services to market or developing supporting standards and regulatory frameworks ...

Psssst... See Leaked Screenshots of Wireless System Designer

Wireless System Designer v1.00 - RF CafeJust leaked from the super-secret laboratories of RF Cafe are these screen shots of a new cascade calculator code named "Wireless System Designer!" For more than a decade, "RF Cascade Workbook 2005" has been the de facto standard for spreadsheet-based RF system cascade analysis. "Wireless System Designer" is the next (at last!) phase in the evolution. Detailed information will be provided as the planned release date of June 1, 2017 gets nearer, but for now feast your eyes upon these screen shots of what is to come. Following hundreds of hours of user interface, formula, and VBA design, I am in the final testing and tweaking phase. Sure, neither Keysight Technologies nor NI AWR have anything to worry about in terms of overall capability, but "Wireless System Designer ...

Copper Mountain: Test an RF Coaxial Cable Using a VNA

How to Test an RF Coaxial Cable Using a VNA - RF CafeCopper Mountain Technologies has made available a whitepaper titled How to Test an RF Coaxial Cable using a VNA. "RF coaxial cables are high precision test assemblies, which along with a calibration kit, adapters and a torque wrench ensure the integrity of the measurements taken by test equipment such as a Vector Network Analyzer. An ideal cable transfers maximum RF energy while incurring as little loss as possible. To choose the best cable for a test solution, one has to consider several factors such as: operating frequency ..."

Mac's Service Shop: Electronics and the Energy Crisis

Mac's Service Shop: Electronics and the Energy Crisis, April 1974 Popular Electronics - RF CafeI'm old enough to remember the 1973 Oil Crisis era (the subject of Mac McGregor's and Barney's discussion) that resulted from an oil embargo instituted by Arab oil producing nations during the Yom Kippur War where Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel. I didn't get my driver's license until Fall of 1974 (turned 16 on August 18th), so the worst of it was pretty much over by then. However, I clearly remember sitting in long lines at the gas station with my father, and then being limited in the amount that could be purchased (i.e., no fill-ups). Gas prices jumped from a national average of 38.5¢/gallon in May 1973 to 55.1¢/gallon in June 1974 ...

Many Thanks to Centric RF for Their Continued Support!

Centric RF microwave components - RF CafeCentric RF is a company offering from stock various RF and Microwave coaxial components, including attenuators, adapters, cable assemblies, terminations, power Centric RF components - RF Cafedividers, and more. We believe in offering high performance parts from stock at a reasonable cost. Frequency ranges of 0-110 GHz at power levels from 0.5-500 watts. Order today, ship today! Centric RF is currently looking for vendors to partner with them. Please visit Centric RF today ...

Skyworks' Ultra-Low Loss DPDT Antenna Swap Switch

Skyworks' Ultra-Low Loss DPDT Antenna Swap Switch - RF CafeSkyworks has launched its new ultra-low loss DPDT switch, the SKY13698-694LF, which is designed for smartphones, data cards, and MiFi® hotspots. This device delivers the lowest insertion loss, high isolation antenna swap DPDT switch currently available on the market. With industry-leading insertion loss across all cellular bands, the switch maintains isolation >30 dB at 3.8 GHz, preventing signal leakage and mitigating Rx desense issues. Its wide frequency range of 0.4 to 5.9 GHz makes it the first cellular antenna swap device to support ...

Pint-Size Satellites Promise Spy-Quality Images for Cheap

Pint-Size Satellites Promise Spy-Quality Images for Cheap - RF Cafe"An Iranian immigrant in Silicon Valley is challenging the $500 million behemoths and touting night shots that pierce cloud cover. A young company in Palo Alto called Capella Space, which announced $12M in new funding on May 9, has figured out a way to create much smaller, cheaper versions of SAR satellites. For decades, spy agencies have had access to a magic-seeming technology known as SAR, or synthetic aperture radar. A satellite with SAR onboard can send radar beams from space that bounce off Earth and then return to a sensor, which assembles the information ..."

Monday 15

Webinar: Recent Radar and Phased-Array Breakthroughs

Webinar: Recent Radar and Phased-Array Breakthroughs - RF Cafe

"Recent Radar and Phased-Array Breakthroughs" webinar sponsored by Microwave Journal and Rohde & Schwarz on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 11:00 am EDT. Presented by Dr. Eli Brookner. Abstract: The advent of the active phased array enabled significant improvements in radar capabilities. Beyond just the change in architecture, however, system capabilities are increasing, the confluence of improvements in microwave and signal processing technologies: GaN power amplifiers, MMIC and Extreme MMIC integration, T/R module cost reduction ...

Dilbert on Climate Change

Dilbert on Climate Change - RF CafeDid you happen to see Dilbert's take on global warming in yesterday's comics? Scott Adams is a brave man for taking on the issue and its fervent congregation of believers. The publication was followed today with an article on his Scott Adam's Blog titled, "How to Know You Won a Political Debate on the Internet."

Pasternack Intros 4.3-10 Connectors and Adapters up to 6 GHz

Pasternack Intros 4.3-10 Connectors and Adapters with Maximum Operating Frequency of 6 GHz - RF Cafe"Pasternack, a leading provider of RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, has released 18 new 4.3-10 connectors and adapters with maximum operating frequency of 6 GHz and VSWR as low as 1.08:1. Typical applications include custom cable assemblies, feeder cables, mobile communications systems, base stations, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and small cells. Pasternack's new 4.3-10 connectors and adapters feature low coupling torque and low-PIM performance ..."

Transistor Selection Guide for Experimenters

Transistor Selection Guide for Experimenters, June 1974 Popular Electronics - RF CafeBelieve it or not, there are still people out there - engineers and hobbyists - who design circuits using discrete transistors. Sure, there is a plethora of integrated circuits that combine multiple functions into a single package that performs often nearly like ideal components, and for a lot less money than building an equivalent circuit from individual components. Still, sometimes a lone transistor with a couple biasing resistors will do the job, and sometimes the designer just wants to do something different. There are also plenty of instances where you need to find a replacement of a failed transistor that has similar ...

ConductRF Phase Matching Cable Solutions

ConductRF Phase Matching Cable Solutions - RF CafeConductRF's skill in the manufacturing of Phase Matched RF Cable Solutions is second to none. We have phase matched a diverse array of solutions from Low Frequency RG and LMR Cables to more premium exotic cables up to 70 GHz. With a broad base of standard connectors and cables in stock, we turn solutions around fast. Phase Matched cables are required in many applications and for various reasons. Common application include Phase Arrayed Radar & Broadcasting systems to allow directional focus, but ...

Free e-Book: Test & Measurement Fundamentals

Free e-Book: Test & Measurement Fundamentals - RF CafeThis free 49-page "Test & Measurement Fundamentals" e-Book from Microwaves & RF and National Instruments. "This book addresses the knowledge needs of engineers, managers, and other technical professionals already working in or new to the wireless field who have not learned the basics of test and measurement (T&M), either through experience or other means. With fundamental T&M knowledge foundation, engineers will be better prepared to dig deeper as required by their work with ..."

UV Light Used to Alter Semiconductor Properties

UV Light Used to Alter Semiconductor Properties - RF Cafe"'There's a great deal of interest in being able to control cell behaviour in relation to semiconductors – that's the underlying idea behind bioelectronics,' said Albena Ivanisevic, a professor of materials science and engineering at NC State and corresponding author of the study. 'Our work here effectively adds another tool to the toolbox for the development of new bioelectronic devices.' The new approach is said to make use of persistent photoconductivity. Materials that exhibit persistent photoconductivity become more conductive when light is shone ..."

Please Thank LadyBug Technologies for Their Ongoing Support

LadyBug TechnologiesLadyBug Technologies means Peak Performance in Power Sensors: 9 kHz - 40 GHz and 80 dB dynamic range. LadyBug makes a broad line of First Tier NIST traceable USB power sensors that LadyBug Technologies waveform displayare compatible with Windows systems, along with Linux. LadyBug has the only SPI & I2C sensor available. Patented NoZero NoCal feature - Simply connect and measure to receive a high accuracy measurement. Please contact LadyBug today to find out how they can help you ...

Sunday 14

RF & Microwave Crossword Puzzle for May 14

RF & Microwave Crossword Puzzle for May 14, 2017 - RF CafeAvid cruciverbalists amongst us will appreciate this new RF & Microwave crossword puzzle that has a theme related to engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and other technical words. You will never be asked the name of a movie star unless he/she was involved in a technical endeavor (e.g., Hedy Lamarr). Enjoy! ...

Friday 12

Electronic Crosswords in the May 1967 Electronics World

Electronic Crosswords, May 1963 Electronics World - RF CafeThis crossword puzzle appeared in the May 1963 edition of Electronics World. If you happen to be an avid cruciverbalist, then you might want to try a few of the RF and microwave engineering themed crosswords that I have been publishing weekly for a decade. Unlike the crosswords I create that use only science- and technology-related words and clues, this one does contain a few irrelevant words ...

NI to Sponsor MWJ Webinar on RF/Microwave Filters

NI to Sponsor Microwave Journal Technical Webinar on RF/Microwave Filters - RF CafeNI will sponsor an upcoming Microwave Journal technical webinar on RF and microwave filter design. Presented by Dr. Bob Froelich, an RF and microwave engineer with 30 years of experience in designing circuits and systems for radar, radio astronomy and wireless communications, the webinar introduces attendees to core filter concepts, parameters and topologies. Topics covered will include low-pass filters with lumped elements, using filter tables, transformation to band pass, the importance of Q, the impedance inverter concept and coupled-resonator filters ...

Werbel Microwave Intros 2-way 5-2500 MHz Splitter

Werbel Microwave Intros 2-way 5-2500 MHz Splitter - RF CafeModel 2PSZ525 from Werbel Microwave is a low frequency broadband splitter, covering 5-2,500 MHz in a continuous band. Werbel's own, hand-wound coils make it possible to achieve such broadband performance. Typical SWR is 1.4:1, typical isolation 20 dB across the band. Phase and amp balance is 5 degrees, 0.7 dB max across the entire band. Case measures 1.8x1.5x0.9 inches. SMA or N female options available ...

Please Thank Saelig for Continued Support of RF Cafe!

Saelig Company ElectronicsSaelig sells and supports a wide range of electronic control and instrumentation equipment and components to customers ranging from Fortune 500 industrial users, military, educational institutions and hospitals to individual end-users. They've found remarkable test equipment and components from around the world with specs or prices you won't find anywhere else. Please visit Saelig today for your test equipment needs ...

Rohde & Schwarz: Spectrum Analyzer Fundamentals

Rohde & Schwarz: Spectrum Analyzer Fundamentals - RF CafeAs wireless devices and systems spread across every industry, spectrum analyzers serve as an essential RF test tool for characterizing signals and making frequency measurements. Download Rohde & Schwarz's definitive guide to understanding the technology behind spectrum analyzer measurements. In this primer you will learn about: Basics of Spectrum Analysis: Time and frequency domains, FFT analyzers, analyzers using the heterodyne principle, settings for using a spectrum ...

Anatech Electronics Product Update, May 8, 2017

Anatech Electronics Product Update, May 8, 2017 - RF CafeAnatech Electronics offers the industry's largest portfolio of high-performance standard and customized RF and microwave filters and filter-related products for military, commercial, aerospace and defense, and industrial applications up to 40 GHz. Anatech has introduced 3 new products for your convenience: a connectorized 1.300-1.530 GHz circulator, a 10.7 MHz crystal filter, and a 902-928 MHz ceramic bandpass Filter for the ISM band ...

2D Superconductors Promise Future for Quantum Computers

2D Superconductor Materials Show Promise for Future of Quantum Computers - RF Cafe"Advanced electronics, such as quantum computers,, have taken a huge step forward thanks to the work of scientists at University of California, Irvine. The UCI researchers worked in conjunction with physicists and scientists from a variety of institutions, including Princeton University, Fudan University, the University of Maryland, UC Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, to create new 2D superconductor materials that could change the future of the advanced electronics. Over the course ..."

Thursday 11

Electronics-Themed Comics

Comics with an Electronics Theme in Popular Electronics Magazine - RF CafeHere are a few more tech-themed comics from older editions (1962 and 1970) of Popular Electronics magazine. The first comic with the transistors and fuse is really clever, IMHO. There is a hyperlinked list at the bottom of the page of most of the other comics I've posted over the years. It's a shame that comics rarely appear in contemporary technical ...

Secret U.S. Spacecraft Returns to Earth After >700 Days in Space

Secret U.S. Spacecraft Returns to Earth After >700 Days in Space - RF CafeAfter over 2 years in space, advanced U.S. re-entry X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle spacecraft successfully landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. According to the US Air Force, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is 'the newest and most advanced re-entry spacecraft.' This was the fourth flight of this vehicle. Boeing started the secret X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle project under NASA's aegis in 1999. Originally, the reusable X-37 was intended to repair satellites in orbit. However, in 2004 the program ..."

National Company Advertisement, April 1942 QST

National Company Advertisement, April 1942 QST - RF CafeThe National Company of Cambridge, Massachusetts, was one of the first large distributors of electronics components and appliances. It began life as the National Toy Company. Under the leadership of Mr. James Millen, W1HRX, National quickly became a market leader in designing and marketing high quality radio products for both amateur radio operators and casual listeners of shortwave radios. National Company very often ran full-page advertisements in the American Radio Relay League's QST magazine, that were more in the form ...

Walmart RFID to Take on Amazon in the IoT

Walmart RFID to Take on Amazon in the IoT - RF Cafe"Walmart has long been active in the RFID space, but now comes evidence that it's increasingly taking on the internet of things (IoT) with a patent application unearthed by CB Insights. The data provider says the system outlined in the application is reminiscent of the Amazon Dash, the connected buttons offered by Amazon that let users quickly reorder products. Walmart's system would require even less effort than Amazon's, integrating IoT into the products themselves for automatic reordering with no user input at all. The patent application, filed in October, described adding IoT tags to products based on Bluetooth ..."

Empower RF Systems' 2017 / 2018 Corporate Capabilities Catalog

Empower RF Systems' New 2017 Corporate Capabilities Catalog - RF CafeNewly available is Empower RF Systems latest brochure describing the capabilities and features of the most advanced RF amplifier systems available in the world. Topics include: Big Power Best in Class SWaP, Industry First Scalable Pulsed Power, Software Definable – Future Proof - Reconfigurable, Interoperable – Multi Domain, Remote Control, Monitoring, and Debug, Multi Function Building Block Modules. Empower RF Systems is the technological leader in smart ...

IoT Sensors to Communicate via Ambient Radio Waves

IoT Sensors to Communicate via Ambient Radio Waves from TV, Radio and Cell Phones - RF Cafe"Internet of things (IoT) systems usually link networks of sensors via radio, but radios demand battery power thus limit their usability. Disney Research has determined that one solution may be to get rid of the radios all together and communicate via the ambient radio waves from TV, radio and cell phones. Researchers led by Alanson Sample, associate lab director and leader of Disney Research's Wireless Systems group, devised an ultra-low-power system of sensors that transmit data to a central receiver by reflecting the ambient radio waves from commercial broadcasting systems that already bathe most office ..."