ISSUE DATE: JANUARY 2010  OPTIONS
Test & Measurement

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January 2010 - In This Issue

[Cover Story]
Broadband VNAs View Nonlinear Behavior
Last year, the new Vectorstar microwaVe Vector network anaLyzers (Vnas) from Anritsu created a stir in the industry, with their powerful combination of high accuracy, fast measurement speed, and broad bandwidths (see Microwaves & RF, January 2009 Cover Feature). Since then, the industry’s appetite for nonlinear S-parameter measurements has grown. To satisfy that need, the firm has made its MS4640A family of VNAs...  — Steve Reyes

[News]
Nonlinear S-Parameters And SDR Impact Test And Measurement Equipment
Test and measurement is crucial for research and development through production. As a result, test-equipment manufacturers have had to speed the evolution of their instruments to keep up with rapidly changing wireless-communications standards. They also are relying more on software—either through links to electronic-design-automation (EDA) tools or via software-designed-radio (SDR) architectures. At the same time, test equipment is increasingly being ...  — Nancy Friedrich

[News]
Spectrum Analyzers Open Windows On An RF World
Spectrum analyzers have changed drastically in recent years, due largely to the use of digital components. Once predominately based on a superheterodyne receiver architecture to downconvert input signals to intermediate-frequency (IF) signals that were then filtered and processed, newer spectrum analyzers are just as likely to be called “signal analyzers” and employ sampling techniques with a high-speed analog-to-digital converter (ADC). As...  — Jack Browne

[News]
An Interview With Jim McGillivary
NF: Software—especially EDA software—is increasingly playing a bigger role in test and measurement. How do you see that trend growing? JM: There’s currently a disaggregation of the design process as manufacturers focus on being a system integrator and trying to build software ecosystems. For example, handset designers have sockets and they want vendors to compete for those sockets. They need a...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Design Features]
System Performs FM Radio Drive Testing
Commercial automotive AM/ FM radios must perform dependably under a variety of operating conditions. Because designers of these radios employ digital-signal-processing (DSP) algorithms to overcome the effects of reflections, signal multipath, and fading, they often spend weeks in the field analyzing the effects of different signal conditions. A more practical and less time-consuming solution is the use of actual recorded radio signals to simulate the...  — David Brace , et al.

[Design Features]
Analyze Phase Noise In A Sampled PLL, Part 1
Phase locked loops (PLLs) have been used for years to stabilize signal sources such as oscillators. In the past, loop bandwidths tended to be small compared to the sampling frequency, but with modern communications systems, requirements for faster switching times mean that this is no longer the case. Narrow-bandwidth PLLs can be effectively modeled and simulated by means of linear analysis, but these same approaches fall short for ...  — Peter Beeson

[Design Features]
Match Loop Antennas Via Mutual Inductance
Loop antennas are widely used in small wireless products, particularly for UHF bands between 300 and 1000 MHz. They are small in size relative to wavelength, independent from a ground plane, and relatively immune to the influence of nearby objects. They are also easily implemented in printedcircuit form with corresponding low cost. But their low radiation resistance makes them difficult to match and subject to low efficiency. They exhibit high...  — Alan Bensky

[Design Features]
Dissect PA Distortion From OFDM Signals
Power-amplifier (PA) distortion must be minimized in any broadcast application to prevent interference with adjacent channels. Distortion can be present in the form of amplifier clipping, intermodulation distortion (IMD), and memory effects. For some communications standards, such as Brazil’s ISDB-T standard, which is based on orthogonal frequency- division-multiplex (OFDM) modulation, excessive phase distortion in the transmit amplifiers...  — Jose De Souza Lima , et al.

[Product Technology]
Portable Testers Provide Flexibility
Portable RF/microwave test equipment may fall short in performance compared to their benchtop counterparts, but they provide other benefits, including adding test power in places that larger gear won’t go. This survey samples available portable high-frequency test instruments and how they are being used in traditional and some novel applications. Perhaps one of the most popular of portable RF/microwave test instruments is the spectrum...  — Jack Browne

[Product Technology]
LTE Challenges Test Gear Suppliers
Untitled Document Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless networks pose some challenges for test equipment suppliers. The LTE air interface, as defined by Release 8 of the Third Generation Partnership...  — Jack Browne

[Product Technology]
Upgraded CAE Software Simulates RFIC Designs
Low-cost wireless products rely on the timely design and cost-effective production of radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs). To help that cause, Agilent Technologies has released version 4.4 of its GoldenGate RFIC simulation, verification, and analysis software with new capabilities in RF mixed-signal simulation. This latest version of the computer-aided-engineering (CAE) software supports...  — Jack Browne

[Product Technology]
Signal Generator Ranges To 20 GHz
Testing microwave components usually calls for a highquality signal source. The model HMC-T2100 synthesized signal generator from Hittite Microwave Corp. provides reliable, accurate test signals from 10 MHz to 20 GHz. It can be used for CW, sweptfrequency, and swept-power testing using its front-panel controls or a choice of programming interfaces. The HMC-T2100 signal generator (...  — Jack Browne

[Editorial]
Sniff Out The Best Security Solution
For decades, generations of children have fantasized about what they could do if they had Superman’s x-ray vision. Now, privacy advocates are worried that airline and other screeners will soon have comparable capabilities. The call for the widespread use of full-body scanners in airports is a response to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s attempt to blow up an airliner over Detroit this past December 25. The question is whether such scanners are actually the most effective...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Feedback]
Feedback
Error In Figure I found a small error in Fig. 2 in the December 2009 article, “Mixers Terminate Intermod Distortion.” In the figure, the labeling on the y-axis for the 1-dB compression plot has been reversed. From top to bottom, the axis should go from +25 dBm down to 0 dBm. The printed version is reversed, making the T3 appear to have worse 1 dB...  — Various Readers

[The Front End]
Wireless Monitors Enhance Sport And Fitness Equipment
WELLINGBOROUGH, UK—The use of wireless monitors and sensors to enhance physical activity is a trend that is sweeping the fitness and sports-equipment industry as well as the general public. Wireless technologies, such as 5-kHz, ANT, Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy, GPS, ZigBee, NFC, and Wi-Fi low energy, each could be the front-runner for devices like consumer heart-rate monitors, speed and distance or cadence sensors, and foot pods. However, the playing fields aren’t...  — Dawn Hightower

[The Front End]
AT4 wireless Is First To Qualify Bluetooth Low Energy Controller
MALAGA, SPAIN — AT4 wireless, a wireless certification and testing laboratory, has announced the qualification of the first worldwide Bluetooth low-energy (dual-mode) design. The Bluetooth low-energy specification was adopted by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG; www.bluetooth.com) on Dec. 17, 2009. The product that was qualified is the BlueLink 7.0 (BL6450-L) solution from Texas Instruments, Inc....  — Dawn Hightower

[The Front End]
Partnership Will Transform Communications Infrastructure For Turkey’s Lighthouses
ISTANBUL, TURKEY—Turkcell will collaborate with Turkey’s Directorate General of Coastal Safety on the pioneering “Remote Management of Lighthouses” project. This project will bring the latest technology to lighthouses while reinforcing existing infrastructure. The contract was signed by Sureyya Ciliv, Turkcell CEO, and Salih Orakci, Director General for Coastal Safety. During the first phase of the project, Turkcell will provide...  — Dawn Hightower

[Financial News]
Cree Acquires Daimler AG SiC And Power Patent Portfolio
CREE, INC. has acquired a portfolio of patents and patent applications related to semi-insulating siliconcarbide (SiC) material and power device technology from German car corporation Daimler AG. The portfolio consists of approximately 20 patent families including issued patents in the US, Germany, Japan, and China. Financial terms were not disclosed. U.S. Patent No. 5,856,231 ('231) titled “Process for Producing High- Resistance Silicon Carbide” is...  — Dawn Hightower

[Company News]
Company News
CONTRACTS Harris Corp.—Has received a $228-million order from the US Marine Corps to provide Falcon II AN/VRC-104 highfrequency radio systems for use in US Department of Defense (DoD) MRAP-All Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs). The contract was awarded by the US Marine Corps - Systems Command on behalf of the Joint MRAP Vehicle Program. The AN/ VRC-104 is a vehicular transceiver/amplifier that includes the AN/PRC-150(C), the only...  — Dawn Hightower

[People]
People
Bruno Appointed To US Naval Research Advisory Committee DR. MICHAEL S. BRUNO, Dean of Stevens Institute of Technology’s Schaefer School of Engineering & Science, has been appointed to the Naval Research Advisory Committee (NRAC) by the Secretary of the Navy with the concurrence of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Since arriving at Stevens in 1989, Bruno has...  — Dawn Hightower

[Educational Meetings]
Educational Meetings
MEETINGS DesignCon 2010 Feb. 2-3, 2010 (Santa Clara, CA) Santa Clara Convention Center For more information, contact: Katie Post, Communications Manager International Engineering Consortium 300 West Adams St., Suite 1210 Chicago, IL 60606-5114, USA Phone: (312) 559-3658 FAX: (312) 559-4111 E-mail: kpost@iec.org IWCE ...  — Dawn Hightower

[R&D Roundup]
Modulation Approach Uses Arrays With Driven Elements
IN CONVENTIONAL PHASED-ARRAY TRANSMISSION, information is transmitted in undesired directions through sidelobes. To provide more secure communications, some research has delved into time modulation in arrays. While conventional arrays have static-element phase shifts and weighting, time-modulated arrays exploit an additional degree of freedom—time—in order to raise performance. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Michael P. Daly and Jennifer...  — Nancy Friedrich

[R&D Roundup]
PA MMIC Leverages GaN-On-SiC HEMT Technology
MODERN ELECTRONIC-WARFARE (EW) systems require amplifiers with high power, wide bandwidth, and high efficiency. One way to increase output power for high-bandwidth applications is to use a highvoltage transistor technology. Today’s galliumnitride (GaN) transistors operate with nearly an order-of-magnitude increase in power-supply voltage while delivering gain and efficiency that rival gallium-arsenide (GaAs) PHEMT devices. At TriQuint Semiconductor, the...  — Nancy Friedrich

[R&D Roundup]
Radar Sensor Has Roots In Antenna Switching
FOR PHASED-ARRAY RADAR sensors, the design should be a simple structure with fewer receivers than antennas. A K-band, frequency-modulated, CW (FMCW) phased-array radar sensor with a low-complexity receiver based on antenna switching was recently proposed by Moon-Sik Lee from Korea’s Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute together with Yong-Hoon Kim from Korea’s Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology. Using a beamforming method, the ...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Application Notes]
Front-End Modules Narrow Wireless Performance Gaps
In wireless digital communications, the integrated transceiver often fails to produce enough power to realize the full potential of a specification (typically +20 dBm). For a fully integrated CMOS radio on a single die, for example, output power seldom exceeds 0 dBm. In a white paper titled “RF Front-End Integrated Circuits,” RFaxis, Inc. notes that the limitations of today’s high-density radios have created a need for external amplifiers in various wireless...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Application Notes]
Smart-Grid Communication Needs Become Clearer
Thanks to dIstrIbuted computing and communications, the smart grid will be able to deliver real-time information when and where it is needed. To implement such capabilities, the system must leverage two-way data communications systems that will manage both new applications and assets. In a white paper titled, “Developing a Communication Infrastructure for the Smart Grid,” individuals from WireIE Holdings International and the University of Ontario Institute of...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Editor's Choice]
Electro-Absorption Modulator Reaches 60 GHz
PHOTONICS INNOVATIONS are behind the release of a combined modulation and photodetection transducer that can work to 60 GHz. The device, dubbed the 60G-REAM- 1550, exhibits just 3.6 dB insertion loss. It provides digital optical modulation at 50 Gb/s and RF modulation over its bandwidth. In terms of photodetection, the transducer offers 1.0 A/W responsivity and 43 GHz bandwidth. The 60G-R-EAM-1550, designed for use with a laser diode source, operates within the...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Editor's Choice]
Cable Assemblies Attenuate 0.22 dB/ft. At 18 GHz
THE LL335 SERIES of extremely low-loss cable assemblies features attenuation of 0.22 dB/ft. at 18 GHz. The 0.335-in. cable assemblies achieve typical attenuation of 0.048 dB/ft. at 1 GHz and 0.17 dB/ft. at 10 GHz. They can handle 1800 W CW input power at 1 GHz and 600 W CW input power at 10 GHz. The cable assemblies offer shielding effectiveness of greater than 95 dB with a low coefficient of thermal expansion from -55° to +200°C, thereby ensuring that...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Editor's Choice]
EMI Shielding Maintains Strength In Harsh Conditions
TO MAINTAIN STRENGTH at elevated temperatures and under cryogenic conditions, new tubular braided electromagnetic-interference (EMI) shielding combines the conductivity of an outer metal coating with the strength, light weight, and flexibility of genuine KEVLAR fibers. Dubbed ARACON, it comes in standard inner-diameter sizes ranging from 0.62 to 2.00 in. When braided into a shield, it vows to provide impressive performance against EM and RF interference. The conductors of...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Editor's Choice]
Frequency Synthesizer Acts As Broadband Signal Generator
TO SERVE A VARIETY of applications requiring a portable test source, the MBS-8000 broadband RF signal generator covers 500 to 8000 MHz. The unit tunes in 100-kHz steps with better than 10 ms switching speed. It utilizes a 10-MHz external or internal reference. The MBS-8000 operates from +5 VDC at 230 mA. From -30° to +70°C, it features +7 dBm output power and less than -95 dBc/Hz phase noise offset 100 kHz from an 8-GHz carrier. The 3.5-x-2.5-x-0.6-in. signal generator ...  — Nancy Friedrich

[Focus]
Shrinking Directional Couplers Boost Power And Bandwidth
Directional couplers are often needed to monitor incident or reflected power, sample signals, or inject signals onto transmission lines. These passive components are critical to power-measuring instrumentation and communication systems. By combining construction techniques with simulation software, directional-coupler makers have been able to reduce real estate as they boost the power-handling capability of their units at higher frequencies and with broader bandwidths. A large...  — Ashok Bindra

[Focus]
Ceramic Duplexer Serves 1900-MHz Base Stations
A surface-mount, monoblock ceramic duplexer dubbed the model AM1880-1960D268 serves wireless-base-station transceiver communication applications from 1850 to 1960 MHz. In terms of transmit-to-receive response, the 50-Ω duplexer exhibits insertion loss of 3.4 dB or less from 1850 to 1910 MHz and minimum return loss of 11 dB. It provides attenuation ranging from 45 dB for DC to 1000 MHz to 38 dB for 2040 to 2100 MHz. Regarding antenna-to-receiver response, it ...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
Broadband Capacitors Provide DC Blocking Through 40 GHz
A series of ultra-broadband capacitors has been developed to address DC-blocking issues from 16 kHz to 40 GHz. In most applications, the GX series of capacitors exhibits resonance- free insertion loss below 0.5 dB through at least 40 GHz. At higher frequencies, insertion losses will depend at least partially on installation parameters. The capacitors are offered in 0.1-F capacitance with tolerances of ±10 or ±20 percent. They are rated to handle +16 VDC...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
System Tests Two-Tone Passive Intermodulation To 25 W
Passive intermodulation (PIM) is an unwanted mixing effect that is caused by the nonlinear behavior of passive components when handling multitone signals. The Booton PIM 31 precision analyzer tests the PIM of both RF components and assemblies. The analyzer provides two signals to 25 W each. The analyzer's accuracy and sensitivity of -175 dBc at 2 x +43 dBm allow for applications ranging from the performance evaluation of RF infrastructure to RF component testing. The PIM 31 analyzer is well...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
LC Bandpass Filters Cover 1616.0 To 1626.5 MHz
A pole-mounted series of compact, rugged LC bandpass filters is now available for use in the Iridium telephony band. These filters pass frequencies from 1616.0 to 1626.5 MHz while exhibiting insertion loss to 2.6 dB. They provide at least 15 dB isolation at GPS L1 and 70 dB at GPS L2 frequencies. In addition, the filters offer 45 dB isolation from 1710 to 1850 MHz and 55 dB from 1.85 to 10.00 GHz. Measuring just 0.5 x 0.5 x 2.0 in., the rugged filters are suitable for a...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
100-W Terminations Offer PIM Below -165 dBc
To satisfy the needs of demanding wireless applications, a new series of 100-W terminations typically boasts passive-intermodulation (PIM) performance below -165 dBc. They guarantee performance below -160 dBc (measured using two 20-W test tones). The 50- TK-27MN (male N connector) and TK-27FN (female N connector) have been designed using mechanically stable connections. They achieve typical VSWR better than 1.05:1 from 700 to 2700 MHz and better than 1.15:1 down...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
Connectors Boast 5000+ M? Insulation Resistance At +500 VDC
By implementing an aluminum-compatible hermetic receptacle, the microComp rectangular connectors promise to shave weight in harsh-environment applications. That hermetic receptacle provides an insulation resistance of greater than 5000 MΩ at +500 VDC when tested in IAW MIL-STD 1344, Method 3003. It is built with beryllium copper-alloy contacts that are finished in nickel/gold. The microComp receptacle operates from -55° to +170°C. It is designed for aluminum,...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
Mechanically Forgiving Interconnect Handles 165 W At 3 GHz
A range of board-to-board, module-to-module, and panel-to-panel RF coaxial interconnects have been spawned to address telecommunications applications required for new compact infrastructure equipment, such as base stations or handheld devices. Four different product groups and 10 connector series are offered including the latest SMP-MAX, SMP-Spring, IMP-Spring, and other misalignment solutions. For its part, the SMP-MAX large-misalignment solution has a patented...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
Limiting-Port Copper SFP+ Cables Use Low-Loss Dielectric
By leveraging both the Eye- Opener+ conductor technology and a low-loss expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) cable dielectric, a series of “limiting-port” SFP+ cables fully complies with the SFF-8431 Revision 4.1, Chapter 3 specification for limiting modules. This product satisfies the limiting-port specification to 7 m without using active technology. SFP+ limiting ports are not required to provide electrical dispersion compensation (EDC) on the...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
Coaxial Terminations Peak At 10 kW
A pair of coaxial terminations promises to deliver extreme ruggedness for applications ranging from instrumentation to transmitters in the field. The models 368BNM and 369BNM operate from 2 to 18 GHz and 700 MHz to 18 GHz, respectively. The model 368BNM handles RF input power to 500 W average and 5 kW peak. It boasts a maximum VSWR of 1.40:1 from 2 to 3 GHz, 1.30:1 from 3 to 12.4 GHz, and 1.45:1 from 12.4 to 18 GHz. At 6.5 lbs., the model 368BNM measures 11.9 x...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
Dual-Pan Coiling Machine Neatens Cables
The CableCoiler 1300 is a fully synchronized, high-speed coiler that interfaces with cut or cut-and-strip machines. Two high-speed coiling pans and a user-friendly color touchscreen make the CableCoiler 1300 a fast and efficient means of coiling wire, cable, and other round materials. The all-electric coiler processes cable diameters to 0.5 in., coiling diameters from 4.3 to 9.0 in., and weights to 22 lbs. The alternating process of a dual-pan...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
VCO Features Phase Noise Of ?119 dBc/Hz At 10-kHz Offset
The ZRO1820A1LF VCO operates at L-band from 1818 to 1822 MHz with tuning voltages from +0.5 to +4.5 VDC. This oscillator features typical phase noise of -119 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset and typical tuning sensitivity of 5 MHz/V. The ZRO1820A1LF is designed to deliver typical output power of +4.5 dBm from a +5-VDC supply while drawing 20 mA (typical) over the temperature range of -40° to +85°C. It features typical second-harmonic suppression of -25 dBc. The oscillator ...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
Pallet Amplifiers Satisfy S- And L-Band Radars
A pair of pallet amplifiers is available for use in S-band and L-band radar systems. The IBP2729MH300 is a 50--matched, high-power pulsed pallet amplifier for S-band systems. It operates over the instantaneous bandwidth of 2.7 to 2.9 GHz. The amplifier supplies at least 300 W of peak pulse power with 100-s pulses at a 10 percent duty cycle. At 2.7 GHz, it operates at +36 VDC with 22.62 A collector current while delivering 363 W output power. It exhibits 11 dB input return...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
CMOS Clock Generators Allow Frequency Selection From 1 To 200 MHz
Using a flexible web-based configuration utility, the Si5355/56 CMOS clock generators can be ordered for operation at any frequency from 1 to 200 MHz. These eight-output members of the Any-Rate clock generator family can synthesize four unique, non-interger-related frequencies. The devices promise to provide 0-ppm frequency-synthesis error for any combination of frequencies. In doing so, they enable the replacement of multiple clock ICs and crystal oscillators with a single device. To...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Focus]
37- To 40-GHz Upconverter Comes In QFN Package
The XU1019-QH upconverter is a gallium-arsenide (GaAs) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) spanning 37 to 40 GHz. It integrates an image-reject balanced mixer, local-oscillator (LO) buffer amplifier, LO doubler, and RF buffer amplifier within a fully molded 4-x-4-mm QFN package. The upconverter offers an input third-order intercept point of +20 dBm. It boasts conversion gain of 7 dB and image rejection of greater than -15 dBc. The device can...  — The Editors of Microwaves & RF

[Microwaves in Europe]
ZigBee-Based Transmissions Use Only 100 ?J Of Harvested Energy
SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND—The JN5148 controller from Jennic is able to perform multiple packet transmissions from 100 µJ of energy harvested from an electromechanical switch. The demonstration showed that only a single switch press is required to enable the JN5148 to carry out system startup and initialization, followed by a succession of packet transmissions to increase the probability of packet delivery to the receiver. According to Jennic, this product...  — Paul Whytock

[Microwaves in Europe]
Microwave Sensor Can Identify Dangerous Liquids At Airports
JUELICH, GERMANY AND BEDFORD, ENGLAND— Emisens and Microtek have introduced a liquid-identification system that could enable airport authorities to lift restrictions on passengers carrying bottles of liquid in their hand luggage. The system, which is known as EMILI 1+, uses a microwave-sensing technique to identify whether the contents of a bottle are harmless, inflammable, corrosive, or explosive. At the heart of the system is a multimode ...  — Paul Whytock

[Microwaves in Europe]
SMD Antenna Supports 10 Wireless Protocols
CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND—A switchable-magnetic-dipole (SMD) antenna capable of supporting 10 wireless protocols has been developed by Antenova (www.antenova.com). The Agilis A10346 is a small, switchable magnetic dipole antenna (MDA) providing global dual-mode GSM/LTE capability plus Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and WiMAX in a single structure. “There has been an increasing demand from device manufacturers for small, embedded LTE antennas for mobile devices such as...  — Paul Whytock