ISSUE DATE: FEBRUARY 2007   OPTIONS
Integrated Circuits

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February 2007 - In This Issue

[Cover Story]
Speedy Synthesizers Shoot For Low Noise
Frequency synthesizers come in many forms, depending upon the needs of an application.For the price of banks of filters and large bulk, direct analog frequency synthesizers offer unmatched frequency switching speed, although usually with trade-offs in spurious and phase noise. By sacrificing switching speed, few sources can match the low-noise performance of a phase-locked-loop (PLL) synthesizer with narrow loop filters and a high-quality crystal reference oscillator.1-7...  — Jack Browne

[News]
Microwave Modules Increasing Integration
Integration packs multiple microwave functions into a single housing. Military requirements, and to a less degree commercial systems, are driving increased integration of microwave functions into smaller and smaller footprints, often to accommodate a growing amount of digital hardware in these systems. In general, most companies that manufacture microwave components also offer some level of integration at a standard or custom level. A variety of approaches are being tried to...  — Jack Browne

[News]
Crosstalk: An Interview with iTerra’s Peter Walters
Peter Walters is president and CEO of iTerra Communications (Palo Alto, CA). iTerra designs die, packaged components, and multi-chip modules (MCMs) that give customers strategic system performance advantages. The company specializes in semiconductor-based products such as narrowband and broadband MMIC amplifiers, low-noise MMICs and discrete FETs, buffer and variable-gain amplifiers, modulator amplifier drivers, NRZto-RZ converters...  — Jack Browne

[Design Features]
Tackle Wideband RF Switching With PIN Diodes
Costly mechanical switches can be justified when used in precision test equipment, such as vector network analyzers. For mass-produced consumer products like cable- or satellite-television (CATV/SATV) delivery systems, however, less-expensive electronic switches are a better fit. These switches are based on either transistors or PIN diodes. The semiconductor switches have no moving parts. As a result, they provide faster response times and longer life spans than their...  — Chin-Leong Lim

[Design Features]
Reviewing RoHS Compliance For Harsh Environments
Pressures to eliminate materials deemed hazardous throughout the world have led to uncertainties about the long-term reliability of replacement materials, especially in hazardous environments. Initiatives such as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances1 (RoHS) by the European Economic Union (EU) in particular have targeted six materials for removal from electronic manufacturing. Although studies have shown replacement materials to be effective in many applications,...  — Richard A. Anderson

[Design Features]
Bluetooth Bolsters UWB Performance
Data transfer speeds are important to most, although the cost in terms of power consumed must also be considered. Communications systems designers normally choose a single technology to transfer and control the flow of data. For example, ultrawideband (UWB) technology offers high data rates, but has some trade-offs. For example, the time needed for connection to another UWB device can be considerably longer than other wireless communications formats, such as Bluetooth. UWB systems use very...  — Tom Siep

[Product Technology]
LNA Line Extends Coverage Through 20 GHz
News is made when a firm associated with a particular product line branches out into uncharted territory. Such is the case with longtime power-amplifier supplier CTT, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA) that recently announced an extensive line of low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) in broadband and narrowband configurations through 20 GHz. Suitable for both commercial and military applications, the amplifiers aim at a different part of the communications system block diagram than the company's...  — Jack Browne

[Editorial]
Ultra Wideband Takes To The Road
Everywhere one turns, wireless technologies are increasingly being used for safety, entertainment, convenience, and other measures. In the automotive arena, for example, wireless applications range from remote-keyless-entry (RKE) systems to tire-pressure monitors and Bluetooth-enabled wireless communications. Soon, wireless technology also may be making long family car trips at least somewhat more bearable. Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology has taken its most often-cited...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Feedback]
Wireless Devices
It was with much interest that I read Nancy Friedrich's editorial on wireless power transmission ("Energy-Harvesting Solution Powers Wireless Devices," Breaking News, January 2007 Microwaves & RF Notepad.) This time they did it at 900 MHz! This is a problem that Mr. Tesla already tried to solve. It comes back again and again. The fact that Ms. Friedrich wrote, that you can get ~1 mW over one meter from a 10-W transmitter, has been known since 1900; possibly...  — Jiri Polivka

[Feedback]
New Product Correction
There is an error in a New Product listing from Elcom Technologies that was titled "26.5-GHz Down-converter Offers 500-MHz Bandwidth" in the January 2007 issue of Microwaves & RF Notepad. The last sentence in the listing reads, "The broadband-microwave version costs approximately $800,000." Elcom Technologies had actually received orders for the broadband-microwave version that totaled $800,000. One single unit is not priced at $800,000, as was stated in the listing in...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[The Front End]
Software-Defined Radio Is Expected To Find Strong Acceptance In Mobile Phones
EL SEGUNDO, CA—Mobile phones are increasingly evolving into all-in-one devices, combing communications, computing, and entertainment functions that require support for multiple RF standards, including Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and audio and video broadcasting. All of these RF standards make mobile-phone designs more complicated, demanding the use of larger numbers of components, thus impacting factors including the Bill of Materials (BOM) cost, printed-circuit-board (PCB) size,...  — Compiled by John Curley

[The Front End]
Strong Growth Is Seen For Video Services
MORGAN HILL, CA—Video is seen as a big boon for both cable operators and carriers, states a report from Anritsu. From a wire-line perspective, it is the evolution of video, stretching from conventional video services to video-on-demand (VoD) and IPTV. The wireless sector has many technical issues to resolve, but it's a foregone conclusion that mobile video has great potential. Despite the fact that a number of quality- and content-related issues must be resolved,...  — Compiled by John Curley

[The Front End]
QUALCOMM Expresses Disappointment Over Jury Verdict
SAN DIEGO, CA—QUALCOMM, Inc., a developer of code-division multiple access (CDMA) and other advanced wireless technologies, stated that a federal jury in San Diego has found that Broadcom did not infringe two of QUALCOMM's patents related to video encoding, although the jury ruled that the patents are valid. The two patents are US Patents Nos. 5,452,104 and 5,576,767 relating to techniques for compressing digital video signals for more efficient storage or transmission...  — Compiled by John Curley

[The Front End]
Kudos
MOORESTOWN, NJ—Syscom Tech has announced that it has become the first integrated custom electronics manufacturer in the United States to achieve and implement both the IECQ HSPM QC Q80000 (RoHS) and ISO 9001:2000 certifications. ROGERS, CT—Frances Walsh, safety engineer at Rogers Corp., has received the 2006 Safety Professional of the Year (SPY) Award from the connecticut Valley Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). This award...  — Compiled by John Curley

[Financial News]
Telecom Growth Is Tied To Broadband
In 2006, the US telecommunications market grew at its fastest rate since 2000, showing that the drive toward convergence continues to stimulate the telecommunications industry, according to TIA's 2007 Telecommunications Market Review and Forecast. Each year, TIA's Telecommunications Market Review and Forecast analyzes the trends affecting the information and communications technology industry. The report includes an overview of the entire industry, as well as detailed...  — Compiled by John Curley

[Company News]
Company News
CONTRACTS Nokia—Has won a major GSM/GPRS/EDGE network-expansion contract from Russian operator MegaFon that will see it deliver both radio and core equipment as well as a range of services, helping MegaFon deliver mobile solutions to its fast-growing subscriber base.The value of the agreement is over EUR 320 million (approximately $414.56 million US), and equipment deliveries have already begun. Nokia will supply...  — Compiled by John Curley

[People]
People
Adhesives Research Names Bennett As New President Adhesives Research, Inc. has promoted GEOFF BENNETT to the position of president. Bennett succeed Karen M. Olson. Most recently, Bennett assumed the role of COO with responsibility for the ARcare®, ARclad®, and ARmark™ divisions. RF Magic—ANGLEO STEPHANO to the position of senior vice president of marketing; formerly...  — Compiled by John Curley

[Educational Meetings]
Educational Meetings
SHORT COURSES Besser Associates Short Courses RF CMOS Design February 26-27 (San Diego, CA) Applied RF Techniques I February 26-March 2 (San Diego, CA) May 14-18 (Burlington, MA) RF Transceiver Architecture, Design, and Evaluation February 26-March 2 (San Diego, CA) May 14-18 (Burlington, MA) RF and Wireless Made Simple February 28-March 2 (San Diego,...  — Compiled by John Curley

[R&D Roundup]
MEMS Switches Make Slot Antennas Reconfigurable
Since their emergence in the late 1990s, several research groups have studied RF-microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) antennas. To achieve multiple octave tunability, emphasis was placed on reconfigurable aperture (recap) and microstrip antenna structures. The integration of RF-MEMS with the antenna was just demonstrated recently, however, thanks to the efforts of Xinglong Guo, Jianming Cui, Miao Cai, Lei Liu, Zongsheng Lai, and Peisheng Xin from East China Normal University....  — Nancy Friedrich

[R&D Roundup]
Feeding System Gives Systematic Approach To Vivaldi-Antenna Design
Among their diverse uses, Vivaldi antennas have been utilized in Ultra Wideband (UWB) designs and in less traditional fields, such as microwave imaging. Yet little work has delved into the theoretical aspects of Vivaldi antenna design and synthesis. To fill this gap, Marco Chiappe and Gian Luigi Gragnani of Italy's University of Genoa studied the geometrical and electrical features of the frequency-independent antenna theory. The researchers derived a scaling principle...  — Nancy Friedrich

[R&D Roundup]
Artificial Neural Network Determines Consistency Of Paper Stock
Microwave sensors can be applied to a variety of industrial measurement problems. Often, however, it is necessary to sift through large amounts of data in order to extract the parameter of interest from a given sensor's output. At Baylor University in Waco, TX, Eric C. Green, Buford Randall Jean, and R.J. Marks II developed a method for calibrating a microwave sensor. This method utilizes an artificial neural network, which is trained to infer the consistency and conductivity of pulp...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Application Notes]
Radio-Frequency Measurements Target DVB-T And DVB-H
Efficient use of available spectrum is a driving factor for increasingly advanced digital modulation of RF channels. Those modulation formats can be classified in numerous ways. For example, modulation can be considered as being over a single carrier or several orthogonal carriers. Either way, the intention is to carry the most information over the spectrum available in the communication channel. In the case of digital television, both approaches are used. Tektronix (Beaverton, OR)...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Application Notes]
Measuring And Troubleshooting For IEEE 802.16e OFDMA
The measurement and troubleshooting of orthogonal-frequency-division-multiple-access (OFDMA) or mobile-WiMAX signals, components, and systems is not limited to digital demodulation or modulation-quality analysis. In fact, some of the most productive types of analysis for OFDMA signals can be grouped under time-domain and frequency-domain or vector-signal analysis. In a 62-page application note, Agilent Technologies (Santa Clara, CA) offers a general process for the most effective...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Editor's Choice]
Combiners Span UHF, VHF, And 746 To 869 MHz
Control centers are the backbone of all cellular networks. To simplify cable installation and antenna mounting in these centers and mobile command vehicles, the TX RX Control Station Combiner (CSC) product line has been spawned. These products are especially designed for use with very-high-frequency (VHF), ultra-high-frequency (UHF), and 746-to-960-MHz communications systems. The devices target the following frequency ranges: 132 to 174 MHz, 380 to 520 MHz, and 746 to 869 MHz....  — Nancy Friedrich

[Editor's Choice]
High-Q Inductor Saves Board Space
By leveraging advancements in micro-fabrication technology and internal coil formation, a mini-inductor has been created. Measuring just 0.4 X 0.2 X 0.2 mm, the RoHS-compliant LQP02TN offers high Q characteristics. In addition, inductance is between 0.4 and 10 nH with a tolerance of ±0.3 nH/±5%. Compared to conventional 0201 Electronic Industries Association (EIA)-sized inductors, the 01005-sized inductor claims to offer a 40-percent reduction in mounting space. The...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Editor's Choice]
T/R Switch Handles 50-W CW Power
By relying on a proprietary multi-octave technology, a family of high-power transmit/receive (T/R) switches promises to be compatible with the latest gallium-nitride (GaN) and LDMOS solid-state amplifiers. The switches cover the 20-to-2500MHz band. The model M20-064 T/R switch, for example, is capable of handling up to 100 W with a low insertion loss of 1.0 dB maximum. Its output voltage-standing-wave ratio (VSWR) is less than 1.42:1. The switch operates from –40° to...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Editor's Choice]
2-W Amplifier Covers 800 To 1000 MHz
A new power amplifier (PA) promises to satisfy applications ranging from RF-identification (RFID) readers to cellular infrastructure. Specifically, the 2-W MAAP-007649-000100 covers the 800-to-1000-MHz frequency band. At 900 MHz, its typical performance is 19 dB gain, +34 dBm output power at 1-dB compression, and +49 dBm output third-order intercept point. The device features good adjacent-channel-power-ratio (ACPR) linearity performance for cellular-infrastructure standards. It...  — Nancy Friedrich