Industry News

Passive Sensors Using RF Backscatter

An application of RF backscatter to monitor passive (zero DC power) sensors is presented. The technique uses an RF signal, from a probing platform, to probe a passive sensor. The passive sensor contains a transducer that acts like an impedance to RF si...
Low power wireless sensors are receiving considerable attention due to their multiple applications in the commercial and military scenarios. Wireless networks of “power aware” smart sensors are being developed that are deployed and forgotten, 1 as well as the sensor elements themselves. Transducers integrated with radio transceivers and networking...
Read More

Cross-coupling in Microwave Bandpass Filters

The fast growing demand for microwave communication technologies, such as broadband wireless and satellite communication, point-to-point radio links, as well as a variety of radar systems, brings up stringent requirements to modern microwave filter design techniques aimed at minimization of electromagnetic interference, cross talks and jamming. The most critical...
Read More

A High Efficiency Class-F Power Amplifier Design Technique

In this article, a medium power pseudomorphic HEMT device is used in the design of a high efficiency class-F power amplifier (PA) operating at 900 MHz. The purpose of this article is to describe the design procedure of a class-F PA with a very low drai...
High efficiency microwave amplifiers with low supply voltages are required for mobile telecommunications services, such as GSM or DCS1800 systems. Theoretically, class-F power amplifiers (PA) can achieve 100 percent drain efficiency by maximally flattening the voltage and current waveforms of the active device. 1 By increasing the efficiency of...
Read More

Theory and Practical Considerations for Measuring Phase Noise Better Than –165 dBc/Hz: Part II

In part one of this article,1 the fundamental concepts of phase noise and phase noise measurements using direct spectrum analysis, instrument limitations, common sources of error and possible ways to minimize measurement errors were reviewed. In part t...
As discussed in part one of this article, the measurement of very good VCOs at large frequency offsets is limited by the spectrum analyzer’s dynamic range. This limitation can be overcome by using carrier filtering and selective amplification of noise at the offset frequency of interest. The bandpass filter...
Read More

New Products

Ultra-high Speed Attenuator The model ADVAN-218-15DD options HS25NS and 5B is a 2 to 18 GHz digitally variable attenuator. This model offers a dynamic range of 15 dB in 0.5 dB steps and uses 5 bit binary control. The switching speed is 15 ns maximum, 6 ns typical. The...
Read More

Around the Circuit

Industry News General Dynamics has completed its acquisition of Newton, NC-based TriPoint Global Communications Inc. , a privately held provider of ground-based satellite and wireless communication equipment and integration services for video, voice and data applications worldwide. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Modelithics Inc. , Tampa, FL,...
Read More