Pat Hindle, MWJ Editor

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After crusing around the inner harbor (aka the exhibition floor) for three days, here is a quick rundown of some interesting products we came across: - Agilent's integrated vector signal generator up to 44 GHz and analog signal generator up to 67 GHz (operational to 70 GHz), and the first microwave analog signal generator to break the 1 W output power barrier. - Anritsu introduced a new broadband VNA system that provides single-sweep coverage from 70 kHz to 110 GHz with operation from 40 kHz to 125 GHz, and utilizes an advanced design that eliminates the need for large, heavy...

The Baltimore inner harbor area is a beautiful setting for the IMS2011 and certainly convenient for us on the east coast. The sessions are in full swing with some very interesting topics being presented. I see trends in very high efficiency amplifiers with better modeling/measurement techniques, new packaging techniques from LCP to fusion bonded laminates, very wideband active devices to cover multiple frequency bands, highly integrated modules that solve co-existence problems, new signal generators that provide real life signal replication and storage and more. The exhibition is very lively and positive - attendance looks very good this year. The...

The "dance card" is full (actually overflowing) and the pre -show coverage, articles, May show issue and Online Show Daily are ready. Our Online Show Daily page will be updated each day (or even more often) with the latest news items and features a real-time Twitter Feed, blog updates, exclusive show articles and chair message plus will have pictures and videos just following the show. The biggest surprise leading up the show for me was all the acquisitions ( Skyworks acquired SiGe and Advanced Analogic Tech plus NI acquired AWR and Phase Matrix). In addition, the abundance of news items...

There's only 12 days left until IMS2011 in Baltimore. I've been looking forward to this event since I was hired as MWJ's staff editor in April. But as the event draws near, I am starting to think about what I need to do to prepare and what my strategy should be for getting the most out of the show. Publisher Car Sheffres has already given me some good advice -- don't buy a new pair of shoes the day before the trip. Carl told me he did just that before his first trade show (in 1988 in NYC) and ended...

Strategy Analytics reports that the success of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in providing real-time information to military commanders has contributed to both mission effectiveness and personnel protection. Despite budgetary pressures, a number of factors will help drive demand. The Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense Systems (ADS) service forecasts that US expenditure for military unmanned aerial platforms is approaching $64 billion, cumulatively, over the 2011 to 2021 timeframe, as described in the report, “US DoD Budget Implications for UAS Electronics Demand.” While the global economic crisis has led to a reexamination of defense budgets, there remains concern for improved battle space...

The Joint Strike Fighter, F-35C version, made its first public appearance this past weekend at Andrew's Air Force Base in Maryland. The flyover on Saturday originated from the F-35C's primary test site at Naval Air Station Patuxent River , Maryland . The aircraft, CF-2, flew within its approved flight envelope and was accompanied by an F-18 Hornet flying chase. The F-35C is a 5 th generation strike fighter with stealth capability and has larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for the demanding carrier environment for the Navy. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program is...

I attended the Anritsu Techtime Tour this week (co-sponsored by AWR ) since it was in our neighborhood in Chelmsford , MA. The Techtime Tour is a complimentary full-day educational seminar focused on the applications of Vector Network Analyzers ( VNAs ). Presentations included both lecture and live demonstrations presented by industry experts and allowed everyone to ask questions. The topics covered were: VNA Fundamentals Advanced Amplifier Design and Test Including Nonlinear Measurements Advanced Time Domain Techniques Co-Simulation with Real-Time Channel Measurements The session covered everything from the basics to the more advanced subjects in the afternoon so there...

We learned last week that Navy SEALs probably used advanced technology on the Sikorsky choppers used in the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan. Military aviation experts have been poring over photographs of the debris (photo courtesy of Reuters), particularly the tail section, of the Black Hawk that had a hard landing and was purposely destroyed to protect its technology. Exactly how the Black Hawk helicopters were modified is not completely known, but the photographs of the wreckage offer new clues to the military's cutting-edge methods. Several analysts agreed the aircraft used technology that appeared to stem...

The buzz this week was of course the big announcement from Intel that all their new processors will use 3D transistor technology. Their "Tri-Gate" transistor that will allow the company to keep shrinking chips and keep up with Moore's Law which for a while looked to be an impossibility in the near future. Intel says the transistors will use 50 percent less power, conduct more current and provide 37 percent more speed than their 2D transistors while only adding an estimated 2-3 percent cost to existing silicon wafers. This isn't future technology any more as Intel says the it will...

The devastating tornadoes last week were tragic, but I saw some amazing photos of the intense storms while watching the news. Many of these photos and animations are enabled by advanced radar technologies that our industry has developed. One NASA platform that provided vital information is the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ( TRMM ). The TRMM has several instruments including a Precipitation Radar that was the first space borne instrument designed to provide 3D maps of storm structure. These measurements yield information on the intensity and distribution of the rain, on the rain type, on the storm depth and...