Industry News

Low Cost Plastic MMIC VCOs

A new line of multifunction monolithic microwave integrated circuit VCOs is this month's cover feature
Cover Feature Low Cost Plastic MMIC VCOs Hittite Microwave Corp. Chelmsford, MA Fig. 1 Ku-band VCO on an evaluation PCB. A breakthrough in monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) design and manufacturing technology has occurred with the introduction of a new multifunction VCO product line. The new VCO's phase noise...
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A DC to 50 GHz and Beyond MMIC Carrier

Introduction to a novel interconnection structure for high performance and high volume DC to millimeter-wave chip carrier applications
Product Feature A DC to 50 GHz and Beyond MMIC Carrier HEI Broadband, HEI Inc. Victoria, MN With frequency spectrum demands at a premium many of today's wireless applications are moving higher and higher in frequency. Many of the systems now operate in the Ku and Ka frequency bands....
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Network Analyzer Software for Simplified Bandpass Filter Tuning

Use of newly developed filter tuning application software to accurately tune coupled-resonator bandpass filters
Product Feature Network Analyzer Software for Simplified Bandpass Filter Tuning Agilent Technologies Inc. Santa Rosa, CA Tuning the multiple poles and zeros of a coupled-resonator bandpass filter is generally labor-intensive and time-consuming. Often performed by a company's most experienced technicians armed with a vector network analyzer, such tuning requires...
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Advanced RF Technologies for the Wireless Market

Detailed overview of the different architectures available for transceiver ICs with greater emphasis on near-zero IF configuration
Technical Feature Advanced RF Technologies for the Wireless Market Yvan Droinet Philips Semiconductors Caen, France Most products in the wireless world require more and more miniaturization. This incentive leads integrated circuit designers to develop innovative architectures with higher and higher integration levels. On the one hand, there is a...
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Spectrum Monitored Adaptive Feedforward Linearization

A method of maintaining a high level of cancellation of the distortion of a signal generated by a power amplifier
Technical Feature Spectrum Monitored Adaptive Feedforward Linearization This article describes a method of maintaining the best cancellation of the distortion of a signal generated by a power amplifier. Prior papers and patents have proposed various linearizer structures and control algorithms. The design presented here consists of a feedforward linearizer's...
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A Simple VVA RFIC Design with a Focus on Repeatability and Stability

Description of an FET-based voltage variable attenuator, its characteristics, design trade-offs and common topologies
Technical Feature A Simple VVA RFIC Design with a Focus on Repeatability and Stability A novel voltage variable attenuator (VVA) integrated circuit reduces the sensitivity of the transfer curves to temperature and process variations. The new solution is achieved without compromising the simplicity of a single positive voltage control...
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Research@mwjournal.com

Comprehensive overview of microwave technology research projects currently being investigated by European academic institutions and commercial organizations
European Supplement Research@mwjournal.com Richard Mumford Microwave Journal European Editor A commitment to well funded, focused, commercially viable research is critical to the future prosperity of the microwave industry. In this special report Microwave Journal takes a snapshot of the research projects being investigated by academic and commercial establishments across...
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Test Enables High Volume Manufacturing

Analysis of the impact of advanced test methods on the development of the mobile communications market
Special Report Test Enables High Volume Manufacturing Ernest Rejman Contributing Editor Fig. 1 A concept of a device capable of uploading and downloading data and video, and offering voice communications. Source: Nokia. A nightmare looms on the horizon for test manufacturers as well as their end-users, the device and...
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PLL Synthesizers: A Switching Speed Tutorial

Overview of switching speed as it relates to the design of phase locked loop synthesizers
Tutorial PLL Synthesizers: A Switching Speed Tutorial Bar-Giora Goldberg Peregrine Semiconductor Corp. San Diego, CA The phase noise and noise floor of signals is a fundamental property and a constant challenge in the design of radio and wireless networks. Traditionally, phase noise has been the main concern of phase...
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Design and Prototyping of a Transimpedance Front-end Amplifier for Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Circuits

Development of an optical power monitor for use in dense wavelength division multiplexing circuits using a logarithmic operational amplifier transimpedance front-end amplifier
Technical Note Design and Prototyping of a Transimpedance Front-end Amplifier for Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Circuits As part of the development of an optical power monitor for use in dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) circuits, the effectiveness of a logarithmic operational amplifier transimpedance front-end amplifier was investigated, and the...
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