The IEEE Microwaves Theory & Techniques Society (MTTS) International Microwave Symposium is the RF and microwave industry’s key technical, business, and social event. This year, IMS is being held from May 23 to 28 at the Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, CA). As usual, it includes a variety of conferences with outstanding technical presentations (see sidebar, “Conferences And Events Provide Places For Microwave Minds To Meet”). In addition, the exhibition floor is teeming with new product announcements, technology innovations, and enlightening demonstrations. From component manufacturers to test and measurement and software firms, the array of companies exhibiting at IMS represents every aspect of microwave design.

The test and measurement firms, for example, often launch major products at IMS. Their large booths also include excellent demonstrations. For example, Giga-tronics will be showing its most recent 26.5- GHz Universal Serial Bus (USB) power sensor. The firm also will be releasing information on its new RF interface unit and switch matrix.

Although it is not known as a supplier of test equipment, Hittite Microwave Corp. will be showing a portable synthesized signal generator covering 10 MHz to 20 GHz. The HMC-T2100B delivers continuouswave (CW) signals to +27 dBm in 0.1- dB steps over a 40-dB dynamic range (Fig. 1). It provides -113 dBc/Hz phase noise at 100 kHz offset from 1 GHz.

Rohde & Schwarz will be showing examples of its vector-network-analyzer (VNA) portfolio. The firm’s 67-GHz, fourport model ZVA67 VNA flaunts four independent sources and eight receivers. The company also will show options for the R&S ZVA 24/40-GHz VNAs demonstrating group delay with no local-oscillator (LO) access to the device under test (DUT) as well as pulsedradar/ EW measurements. Together with NMDG, the firm will be spotlighting the R&S ZVx Plus NM300 nonlinear VNA with S-functions. Specifically, NMDG will be showing its NM600 “fast” source and load-pull software running on the R&S ZVA24 VNA.

Broadband VNAs from Anritsu Co. promise to accurately characterize the nonlinear behavior of RF devices, such as amplifiers (Fig. 2). The new test systems combine the broadband VectorStar VNA with impedance tuners and software to create a solution for nonlinear device analysis. The software was developed with High Frequency Engineering Sagl (HFE). The hardware configuration provides optimal nonlinear load-pull data by using passive or active tuners or a combination of both.

Tektronix will be joined by various partners at this year’s IMS. Mesuro, for example, debuted its active load-pull system at IMS 2009. This year, the firm will introduce the extension of active load pull to ultra-high-frequency (UHF) applications as low as 200 MHz. In addition, Mesuro will demonstrate its 150-W high-power system with a 45-W gallium-nitride (GaN) transistor from Cree.

Tektronix partner SenarioTek will be spotlighting wideband microwave up/ downconversion and system integration for radar and satellite-communications applications. In addition, X-COM Systems will be showing its surveillance and EW recording solutions. This RF capture and playback solution is integrated with the Tektronix RSA6000 series real-time spectrum analyzers. Lastly, Maxtek will be on hand with its wideband data-conversion modules and information about its microelectronic engineering and manufacturing services.

Agilent Technologies is launching the Infiniium 90000 X-series oscilloscopes at this year’s IMS. The series’ six new models feature true analog bandwidths from 16 to 32 GHz. (For more on the Infiniium 90000 X-series scopes)

The company also will be exhibiting its PNA-X series of microwave VNAs, which now provide source-corrected noise-figure measurements to 50 GHz. In addition, Agilent will be showing the V3500A handheld RF power meter, which covers 10 MHz to 6 GHz. The power meter comes with a built-in display and integrated power sensor. It boasts dynamic range of +20 to –63 dBm with absolute accuracy to ±0.21 dB. The firm’s software division, Agilent EEsof, will be on hand explaining how system- level X-parameters in SystemVue 2010 and Genesys 2010 provide architecture-to-verification closure.

At the RFMW booth, Telemakus will be demonstrating a scalar analyzer using its USBcontrolled TEG2700-6 source and USB TED6000-50 detector. This demonstration will use custom software on a personal computer (PC) to sweep 1.8 to 2.7 GHz with the test results of power versus frequency displayed on the PC’s screen. A TEA4000-7 USB attenuator will be used as part of the demo to vary input power for this simple and inexpensive system.

SOFTWARE EXPANDS ITS REACH
The new EEsof capabilities are just one example of the multitude of software innovations that will be seen at IMS. Mentor Graphics will be showing the IE3D electromagnetic (EM) design and verification platform, which it acquired from Zeland Software. In addition, Mentor will feature its printed-circuit-board (PCB) design solution, which allows engineers to co-design RF/analog/digital and ensure optimal performance without requiring data translation between the RF and PCB environments.

Sonnet Software will be previewing Sonnet Suites Release 13, which is planned for later this year. This release will include new model extraction techniques and enhanced modeling capabilities. Like last year, Sonnet also is bringing an EM classroom to the show floor. The firm will educate IMS exhibition attendees with 20-minute training sessions in Sonnet’s booth. All class attendees will gain hands-on experience on its 3D planar EM tool and receive a free copy of Sonnet LitePlus ($495 value). There are 19 separate classes offered during the three-day tradeshow exposition. For a complete class schedule, visit www.sonnetsoftware.com/imsclass. Another hot software announcement is the addition of HFSS to Ansoft Designer, part of the ANSYS, Inc. product portfolio. Essentially, the firm has created a planar layout-based interface (optional to the traditional 3D interface) for HFSS (Fig. 3). It allows the user to drive HFSS from a schematic diagram—a bonus for non-specialist RF engineers, for whom three-dimensional (3D) drawing has always been a drawback. In addition, new integration with Synopsys’ HSPICE allows users to drive both HFSS and HSPICE from the same schematic interface. The firm also will be highlighting HFSS-IE, which is the new Method of Moments (MoM) solver for EM radiation and scattering studies. Finally, information will be available on the continued creation of multi-physics links with the ANSYS portfolio.

Among the wares from Synopsys is Galaxy Custom Designer, which now offers productivity innovations in the schematic editor, simulation, and analysis environment as well as enhanced schematic-driven layout applications. Synopsys also is known for the HSPICE circuit-simulation tool, which includes foundry-certified MOS device models with simulation and analysis algorithms. This year’s HSPICE demonstration will highlight the phase noise and jitter analysis of voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) and phase-locked loops (PLLs).

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