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July 2008 [Test & Measurement] AUTOTESTCON Gathers ATE Equipment Suppliers Automatic measurement solutions for military applications have their place, and each year they can be found in abundance at the annual IEEE AUTOTESTCON conference. The next AUTOTESTCON (www.autotestcon.com), which is scheduled for Sept. 8-11 in the Salt Palace Convention Center (Salt Lake City, UT), has been held annually since 1965. It features more than 250 exhibition booths. What follows is a... — Jack Browne July 2008 [Test & Measurement] Enhanced Scopes Race To 20 GSamples/s Oscilloscopes are still a main workhorse measurement tool for evaluating transient and difficult-to-find signal anomalies, and LeCroy Corp. has been relentless in its pursuit of improved scope performance. But the enhanced performance of the company’s WavePro 7Zi series of digital oscilloscopes may wipe away any thought on an engineer’s part that these are “just another” test instrument. The WavePro 7Zi digital oscilloscopes provide the performance ... — Jack Browne July 2008 [Communications] SiGe GPS Receiver Handles Two Antennas Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers are being embedded into almost any bit of electronic gear that moves, from the electronic circuits in automobiles to cellular telephones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). To support this “global” expansion, SiGe Semiconductor has developed its model SE4150L GPS radio receiver for next-generation embedded GPS applications. The tiny receiver targets the three main requirements of these emerging... — Jack Browne July 2008 [Test & Measurement] Integrated System Tests Device Flicker Noise Flicker noise is one of those important, but often misunderstood, semiconductor device parameters that can greatly impact the performance of wireless communications systems. Although measurement solutions for evaluating device flicker noise have often been “bootstrap” systems formed of available instruments and components, and with often questionable accuracy, Cascade Microtech (www.cascademicrotech. com) has announced a dramatic improvement to the... — Jack Browne June 2008 [Components] Cables And Connectors Deliver Robust Signals Cables and connectors are among the most overlooked components in any high-frequency system. Since they must deliver signals from one point to the next, without altering those signals, these transmission-line components are generally only noticed when they fail. In spite of the low profile, however, manufacturers continue to invest in these components in the quest of improved performance and reliability, to ensure that their cables and connectors ... — Jack Browne June 2008 [Test & Measurement] Compact Oscilloscopes Check Embedded Systems Embedded systems, complete with memory, microcontrollers, and digital signal processing (DSP), can be found in the majority of modern electronic equipment, be it for commercial, industrial, or military applications. Checking the serial communications buses in these systems can be challenging without the right tools. Fortunately, the DPO3000 Digital Phosphor Oscilloscopes (DPOs) from Tektronix (... — Jack Browne June 2008 [Test & Measurement] Microwave VNAs Add Nonlinear Network Analysis A dverse effects of nonlinear behavior in active and passive high-frequency components can disrupt communications systems. As a result, it is desirable to understand such behavior, which requires the right test equipment. To help, Agilent Technologies (www.agilent.com) has announced nonlinear vector network analyzer (NVNA) capability for its PNA-X series of microwave vector network analyzers (VNAs). ... — Jack Browne May 2008 [Components] Modular GPIB Switches Connect Test Applications Switching signals among test sources and devices under test (DUT) in a measurement setup can be cumbersome and time-consuming. Fortunately, the GPIB series 8000 modular switch assemblies help simplify complex test assemblies with reliable electromechanical microwave switches mounted in their own rugged enclosures. The switch assemblies are designed for applications from DC to 18 GHz... — Jack Browne May 2008 [Defense Electronics] Synthesized LO Spans 0.05 To 20.48 GHz Direct-digital synthesis (DDS) is capable of impressive frequency and amplitude switching speeds and, depending upon the bit resolution of the DDS architecture, extremely fine frequency and phase control. DDS technology is the basis for the WaveCor line of high-performance microwave signal sources from ITT Microwave Systems (Lowell, MA), notably the firm’s latest addition, the WaveCor synthesized local oscillator (SLO) model 20.0 frequency ... — Jack Browne May 2008 [Devices & ICs] LDMOS FET Drives UHF TV Transmitters Television broadcast systems in the ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) region from 470 to 860 MHz will make the transition from analog to digital technology next year, and broadcasters are taking advantage of digital performance while attempting to keep equipment costs low. Since one of the highest cost components is the transmitter, it is no surprise that the MRF6VP3450H 50 V LDMOS FET from Freescale Semiconductor (... — Jeannette Wilson May 2008 [Communications] High-Dynamic-Range Mixer Upconverts 1.5 To 3.8 GHz Active frequency mixers provide the frequency-translation function required in modern communications systems, with the added benefit of conversion gain in contrast to the conversion loss of passive mixers. Model LT5579 from Linear Technology (www.linear.com) is such an active mixer, designed for upconversion applications from 1.5 to 3.8 GHz. It offers enough bandwidth to cover the 1.9-GHz cellular... — Jack Browne May 2008 [Components] VCOs Offer Linear Tuning Through 10.9 GHz Linear tuning is essential for a wide range of applications requiring frequency precision over time and temperature. The latest series of voltagetuned oscillators from Synergy Microwave (www.synergymwave.com) provide outstanding tuning linearity at frequencies through 10.9 GHz. The first three models in the DCO and DXO families of voltage-tuned oscillators provide frequency coverage of 4730 to 5420... — Jack Browne May 2008 [Components] Custom Synthesizers Range 144 To 4500 MHz Frequency synthesizers provide the fixed and tunable signals for local oscillators (LOs) in a wide range of commercial and military communications systems, including in wireless base stations. Technologies for creating frequency synthesizers are diverse, from traditional analog methods using phase-locked loops (PLLs) to direct digital synthesizers (DDSs) that rely on high-speed digital-to-analog converters (DACs) to transform digital input words into... — Jack Browne April 2008 [Computer-Aided Engineering] Advanced Simulators Focus On EM Fields Electromagnetic (EM) simulation software is no longer a luxury but now an essential tool in any practical highfrequency design effort. The number of commercial programs has grown steadily over the years, providing RF/microwave designers with an unprecedented number of choices in EM simulators, including software for analysis of planar designs as well as full three-dimensional structures. Most of these EM tools link seamlessly to other... — Jack Browne April 2008 [Components] VCO Source Programs Arbitrary Waveforms Frequency agility is a key requirement for a variety of military systems, including electronic warfare (EW), electronic countermeasures (ECM), secure communications, and electronic intelligence platforms. For these systems, conflicting requirements in technical performance, power management, packaging, and environmental survivability often give rise to interesting and innovative designs. The engineers at Narda Microwave-East resolved these conflicts... — Neil Heft , et al. April 2008 [Test & Measurement] Field Operations Kit Aids High-Power Testing High-power attenuators are often used to decrease the power level from a base station or communications tower when making measurements with a spectrum analyzer or portable communications instrument. Test instruments are usually only rated for input power levels approaching 1 W (+30 dBm) at most, and power levels from wireless communications transmitters can easily exceed 100 W. Unfortunately, the attenuation value of a high-frequency fixed... — Jack Browne April 2008 [Test & Measurement] Broadcast Signal Generator Integrates Test Functions Broadcast television equipment production testing usually requires a trio of tools: a signal generator, modulator, and high-power amplifier for distributing test signals throughout a manufacturing facility. They combine to evaluate televisions, set-top boxes, and other broadcast products in accordance with a specific standard or standards at multiple frequencies and with different waveforms. To simplify matters, the R&S SFE100 broadcast signal... — Jack Browne April 2008 [Components] Surface-Mount VCO Tunes 800 To 1000 MHz Signal generation is a critical component of most highfrequency systems. Oscillator suppliers are being asked to develop higher-performance solutions in smaller packages, to meet the needs of multi-mode, multiband wireless communications systems. In response, Synergy Microwave (www.synergymwave.com) has developed its latest series of compact, surface-mount voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) for systems with... — Jack Browne April 2008 [Communications] Eight-Channel ADCs Cut Wireless Power Needs Multichannel wireless applications require a generous complement of signal-processing components. To save space and power in such systems, Texas Instruments has packed a line of eight-channel analogto- digital converters (ADCs) in tiny 9 x 9 mm 64-lead QFN-64 housings. The ADS528x line of data converters offers as much as 12-b resolution at sampling rates to 65 MSamples/s with industry-low power consumption. The ADS528x family includes ... — Jack Browne March [Materials] Microwave Materials Help Build An Industry Materials suppliers are constantly refining their recipes in search of products that offer greater value and increased reliability for a variety of commercial, industrial, and military applications Jack Browne Technical Director Microwave materials represent building blocks for high-frequency circuits and systems. Whether they are used to hold circuit traces, absorb or suppress radiofrequency interference (RFI), or form resonant... — Jack Browne  prev. page
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