The vacuum-tube cavity magnetron is nearly obsolete (except for the millions in consumer microwave oven. Its development was key to highly effective WWII radar, and it also led to other RF/microwave vacuum-tube devices. Vacuum tubes are so “yesterday,” aren’t they? They have been rendered obsolete and supplanted by solid-state devices for many reasons, except in […]
Analog IC Tips
Passive microwave components, Part 2: couplers and splitters
Part 1 looked at of isolators and circulators, which are basic RF/microwave passive devices. This part looks at couplers and splitters, which are two other basic passive devices. (Attenuators are another important class of passive RF/microwave devices. They are not covered here.) A: How is coupling and splitting done in the non-RF/microwave world? A: In […]
Altum RF announces RF Test Lab in Eindhoven, Netherlands
Altum RF, a supplier of high-performance millimeter-wave to digital semiconductor solutions for next-generation markets and applications, announces the expansion of its Eindhoven, Netherlands office with an RF Test Lab. Altum RF’s Eindhoven office is located on the campus of Eindhoven University of Technology and now includes full RF test and characterization infrastructure up to 40 […]
Passive microwave components, Part 1: isolators and circulators
Basic passive microwave components have a vital role in RF/microwave system design. Despite the apparent simplicity of their functions, their performance is based on electromagnetic theory and Maxwell’s equations for insight into their operating principles and performance. Design for the demands of microwave signals is a very different situation than working at lower frequencies. Although […]
What are MEMS microphone arrays?
Beamforming arrays let designers create directional microphones using MEMS devices. With the right signal processing algorithms, these can enhance the user experience delivered by many types of audio equipment. An array can be simple, comprising as few as two microphones, and can be arranged in various configurations depending on the expected location of the preferred […]
Simulation software models electrostatic discharge tests
Remcom announces the ability to simulate electrostatic discharge (ESD) testing in the latest release of XFdtd 3D EM Simulation Software, enabling engineers to identify potential locations of dielectric breakdown and components at risk of damage in their device designs. For less obvious damage this pre-prototype insight is especially valuable, as it enables optimized ESD mitigation […]
Simulation software handles high-frequency electromagnetics
Siemens Digital Industries Software announces today the latest version of Simcenter 3D software, with major enhancements for low- and high-frequency electromagnetic solutions to help accelerate electromagnetics simulation processes. The latest version advances simulation capabilities with increased multidisciplinary integration capabilities, faster CAE process, increased openness and scalability, and enhanced capabilities to integrate with the digital thread. […]
Analog Top Talks in June 2019 on EDABoard.com
Peer-to-peer, engineer-to-engineer questions and answers from the EDABoard.com engineering community around analog ICs and analog design. Click the “Read more” link and follow the entire conversation and maybe add your two cents by logging in to EDAboard.com. Pulse width stretching – I want to design a circuit for stretching the “0” output of my signal. […]
RF Switches, Part 2: Analog and MEMS switches
Part 1 of this FAQ looked at the venerable electromechanical RF switch – still widely used in some applications, where it is the only viable option – and use of PIN diodes as RF switches. This part looks at analog and MEMS-based switches. Q: What is an analog switch? A: It’s conceptually straightforward: in basic […]
RF switches, Part 1: Mechanical and PIN-diode switches
There’s a ubiquitous and increasing need to switch RF signals ranging into the tens of GHz; four basic switch technologies – electromechanical, PIN diode, analog, and MEMS – are available, each with different features and capabilities. The need to switch RF signals has been a necessary design function since the earliest days of “wireless.” This […]