RF & Microwave Industry News

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The reliability of GaAs power FETs used in solid-state power amplifiers (SSPA) is adversely affected when operated in an overdrive (excess input power) condition for a long time due to excess gate current. Manufacturers of SSPAs use different schemes to protect the FET power devices from overdrive conditions. One...

OEMs, operators and manufacturers of base station RF power amplifiers are constantly striving for greater efficiency, whether it be in the number of connections (calls) that can be made via a base station or the amount of DC power needed to make those calls. For both scenarios, the RF...

Thunderline MultiPins™ address the many space and time saving issues facing today’s high frequency designers. In addition to being more compact than individual feedthrus, the use of MultiPins saves installation time and automatically maintains critical pitch and spacing dimensions. They are available in a variety of styles from 2...

Most VNA measurements require the use of extension cables as part of the test set-up. Measurement accuracy can be severely degraded if these cables are not stable over time and flexure. Thus, the choice of measurement cables is as important as the instrument itself. The MegaPhase® VN series are...

Since the mid-1940s, there have been requirements for test sources above 50 GHz. Magnetrons were first pressed into this application during the early to mid-50s, and by the middle of the decade, some manufacturers, such as Demornay Bonardi, were constructing multipliers using a cartridge diode with a window milled...

A spectrum analyzer is an important instrument for all RF/microwave engineers. Measurements of spectral purity, phase noise and spurious signals are everyday tasks for which a spectrum analyzer is the instrument of choice. Additionally, in today’s world of digitally modulated signals, modulation accuracy is a significant category of measurements...

In developing microwave models, real-time verification of characterization data should be considered a priority to ensure its integrity. Sound models must be built upon accurate measurement data, and, as is generally the case, the ‘garbage in – garbage out’ principle applies to model extraction. Even if an instrument calibration...

The recent proliferation of new RF applications has brought about a dramatic increase in spectrum usage, particularly in the unlicensed bands used by many of the new devices. Crowding virtually guarantees the presence of RF interference. This has led to adaptive techniques that can change power, data rate and...

In communications, noise is an annoying phenomenon. Noise occurs naturally and is random, contrary to human-engineered intelligence. Engineers define the signal-to-noise ratio as the most important quantity that qualifies any information-transmitting system fit or unfit for use. Researchers utilize sensitive radio and microwave receivers (sometimes also transmitters) to obtain...

Testing speed is important for all electronic components, but it is vital for low price two- and three-terminal devices such as diodes and transistors. Before RF tests can be conducted, the devices must be tested for DC operation. For diodes, that includes forward voltage, reverse breakdown voltage and leakage...