Expert Advice

Broadband amplifier

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:27:00 -0400

Recently released ultra-broadband amplifier offering low noise figures, good gain flatness, and output power. Model MSH-6492401 operates on 1.0-10 GHz with 28dB gain, noise figure of 2.5dB, +20.0 Min Pout (1dBm), VSWR 2.0:1, and DC Power +12.0V / 300mA. The bandwidth makes this amplifier useful for many applications including ECM instrumentation and test sets.

The Most Common High Power RF Design Error:

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Leonard Pelletier is the Application Support Manager for Freescale RF in Tempe, AZ and is in charge of providing technical assistance to the amplifier design community. He has been with the company since 1995 working in this position supporting any and all RF applications. Prior to his work with RF components, Mr. Pelletier held amplifier design engineering positions with both the Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group in Arlington Heights, IL and the Motorola RF Products Division in Torrance, CA

Combinations of Various Print Transmission Lines

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Leo G. Maloratsky received his MSEE degree from the Moscow Aviation Institute and his PhD degree from the Moscow Institute of Communications in 1962 and 1967, respectively. Since 1962, he has been involved in the research, development and production of RF and microwave integrated circuits at the Electrotechnical Institute, and was assistant professor at the Moscow Institute of Radioelectronics. From 1992 to 1997, he was a staff engineer at Allied Signal. From 1997 to 2008, he was a principal engineer at Rockwell Collins, where he worked on RF and microwave integrated circuits for avionics systems. He joined Aerospace Electronics Co. in 2008. He is the author of four monographs, one text-book, over 50 articles and owns 20 patents.

Microwave Oscillator Design using the Open-loop Cascade Method

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Randall writes about Oscillator Design and Computer Simulation using material from his recent Agilent/MWJ Webcast. Rhea also responds to several of the questions asked by attendees.

MMIC Design: Besser Webinar Questions

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Ali Darwish received his PhD degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, in 1996. He currently works for the Army Research Laboratory. Darwish is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD, where he teaches a course on RF and mixed-signal circuit design. He has published over 30 technical articles, and has developed a number of short courses on microwave circuit design. He is currently conducting research on thermal effects in MMICs and innovative power amplifier topologies.

The Masters of MIMO

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

This month, we asked several of our contributing experts to "The Masters of MIMO" August cover story to respond to audience questions from our last webinar on MIMO. Below are the individual replies from repesentatives from SATIMO (Microwave Vision Group) and MI Technologies.

Solving the RFIC Design for Yield and Verification Dilemma

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

today’s highly integrated RFICs for digital wireless communications. Along the way, we will look at this problem from the foundry, EDA and designer perspectives to hopefully give a comprehensive picture of where we are today and what choices exist to improve RFIC verification and design for yield.

III-V Processes: Integration is the Future

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Derek considers the standing of III-V processes in the technological landscape, both now and in the future and how higher performance, higher integration and integrated options, together with more stringent requirements, have not only made III-V devices essential today but are ensuring that they will remain so for many years to come

At Last: Exciting Times in the Microwave Point-to-Point Market

Fri, 07 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Microwave Point-to-Point radio links, typically used in cellular backhaul applications, are getting an unprecedented amount of interest from the cellular industry. As cellular networks transition from voice-centric to data-centric services, the need for improved performance in radio links for wireless backhauling is imperative.

Electromagnetic System Simulation with HFSS HPC

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Alain Michel of Ansoft France, a division of ANSYS Inc., discusses how to get more out of HFSS when designing antenna arrays through circuit co-simulation featuring “push” excitation capability and complete electromagnetic system simulation with HFSS HPC.

RF Component Level Modeling for System Level Simulation

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Wayne Struble, Distinguished Fellow of Technology at M/A-COM Technology Solutions, discusses various approaches to modeling RF components including IP encryption, behavioral and X-parameter based models, model extraction, simulation speed, ease of end use, model accuracy and model limitations.

RF Inductor Selection Tool Speeds Circuit Design

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Len Crane, Technical Marketing Manager at Coilcraft, has over 30 years of inductor design experience. He talks about a new interactiveonline inductor selection tool that helps engineers compare inductors and their critical performance data such as Q, equivalent series resistance and self-resonant frequency.

Is GaN the New RF "Superman"?

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Mike Lincoln of TriQuint Semi- conductor discusses the advantages of GaN RF technology available through modules and other packaged products, die-level devices and foundry services, the technological alternatives to GaN and why engineers should consider Gallium Nitride for their next design.

I'm Just an Engineer

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

"The fact that constant innovation leads to success in the engineering business is obvious. What is not obvious, however, is that the current economic and socio-scientific climate makes the microwave industry ripe for engineering-minded entrepreneurs."

Network Engineering with Adaptive Modulation

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

As Ethernet services and backhaul networks are becoming commonplace, adaptive modulation is becoming more widely used in the microwave backhaul layer. Adaptive modulation offers significant networking benefits which include increased capacity, improved availability, reduce spectrum usage, smaller antenna sizes, and expanded network coverage. At the same time, adaptive modulation introduces new complexities to RF engineering that must be fully considered when deploying an Ethernet backhaul network.

Optimizing 4 and 5 GHz Antenna Systems

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In this article we will review some key tips on how to optimize microwave antenna systems for 4 and 5 GHz networks. The correct and optimal selection of antennas can be the most cost-effective way to improve network performance at these now commonly used frequencies.

X-parameters: Commercial Implementations of the Latest Technology Enable Mainstream Applications

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This article introduces significant advances in commercially available solutions for characterization, modeling, and design of nonlinear components and systems based on X-parameter* technology. X-parameters unify S-parameters, load-pull, and modern wave-form measurements for more complete nonlinear characterization and predictive nonlinear design of RF and microwave components and systems. Benefits never thought possible are being realized today by practicing engineers.

The Gigabit Millimeter-wave Superhighway

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This article provides a look at the use of the 60 GHz frequency band to deliver high definition TV to the home wirelessly.

A Practical Guide to 3D Electromagnetic Simulation

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

It is widely accepted that three dimensional numerical simulations of electromagnetic fields are essential to the success of in the design of passive components. Obviously simulating a virtual prototype is much cheaper than building hardware and measuring it, in particular if the design cycle time is considered as well. It is arguable whether complex design be possible at all without electromagnetic (EM) field simulation tools, without automatic optimization, without the possibility to visualize the previously invisible. But saying “all right, let’s go and buy a 3D EM field simulator and everything will be fine” is probably not sufficient. A discussion of the pros and cons of different methods follows here.

Low Power, Low Noise and Power Amplifiers: Design and Optimization

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

RF circuit design is similar to any other analog circuit design in that achieving acceptable performance parameters (including requirements and constraints) not only relies on the ability of the designer to strike valuable and convenient trade-offs using design parameters but also on the ability of the designer to extract the full potential of the available components in achieving the needed performance.

IMS from the High Power PA Engineer's Point of View

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This article provides a perspective on upcoming IMS power amplifier papers and the potential impact of different papers on the field.

Future of RF Large-signal Measurement Systems

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This article describes the need for a large-signal measurement system that integrates the measurement of large-signal parameters and an active harmonics source/load pull system to facilitate a first-pass power amplifier design process.

Transitioning from SISO to MIMO

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In the beginning, life was simple, life was analog. One radio occupied a single piece of spectrum and the bandwidth of that spectrum was proportional to the amplitude or bandwidth of the information being transmitted. Then, some time in the last quarter of the twentieth century, commercial radio went digital.

Consider Outsourcing to Meet Your Complex RF Data and Model Requirements

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

In today’s challenging economic times, capital budgets and costly in-house capabilities are being reduced at many companies. For the sake of the long term health of the industry, we all hope this is a short-term trend. The fact is that RF and microwave characterization equipment and in-house modeling capabilities are cost centers at companies not in the business of providing directly related services to their customers. Moreover, to be effective at detailed RF characterization and modeling, a team of experts need to be retained to cover the spectrum of characterization measurements or custom models required for new product designs. Whether you are a circuit designer or a component, device or IC supplier outsourcing some of your measurement and modeling requirements to a company that specializes in RF measurement and modeling services may prove to be a cost effective way to get your job done and satisfy customer needs.

Forks in the Road of Antenna Analysis and Design

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

What might have happened if antenna theory had taken another path, one that led to simplification instead of increasing mathematical sophistication? This column will explore one such “what if”. The example comes from the world of wire antennas; however, thanks to the Theory of Complementary Antennas, it also embraces small apertures. No doubt, such stories can be told about the world of large apertures as well.

Microwave Component Opportunities for the Medical Market

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Pierre Piel, applications engineer at Freescale Semiconductor, talks about some of the areas where microwave technology is being utilized in medical applications and what some of the performance requirements are for LDMOS devices.

The Importance of Average vs. Peak Performance in Cellular Wireless

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

An attractive alternative for providing a true broadband experience for the nomadic user, by adding user-financed femtocells to the network which benefit from improved radio conditions, is explored.

System-level Analysis Moves “Up Front”

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

System-level analysis has moved from its former position at the end of the design process to the forefront where it can do the most good, at the least cost, with the least design disruption. Industry use of system-level analysis has lagged behind the level of “mainstream” high-frequency circuit design tool usage. It’s not surprising that many designers have created their own spreadsheets in Excel to perform these analyses. While many designers will no doubt continue to use spreadsheets for system-level analysis, their inherent limitations can prove costly.

Making the Switch: Converting Your Power Amplifier from LDMOS to GaN

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

GaN offers advantages due to its high efficiency, relatively high input and output impedances, and robustness; however, new designers may be wondering what surprises may crop up as they work with the new technology. The most common problems faced by designers moving from LDMOS to GaN are covered here, along with a discussion of similarities between the two technologies.

The Real Power of Microwave CAE Software

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

While user interfaces in microwave CAE software have remained relatively stable, important strides have been made in simulation technology. Today, more designs incorporate integrated chip, package, module and board systems which are more difficult to design, analyze, debug and deliver in high-volume than the typical design of 10 years ago.