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The promises and shortcomings of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch technology have become almost legendary. Perhaps no other electronic component in history has been the source of so much hype—and the cause of so much disillusionment. So much so, that Internet sites advise engineers to steer clear of MEMS switch...

In the past several years, the wireless local area network (WLAN) market has grown significantly due to the great demand for high speed wireless connectivity. Furthermore, there is a constant desire to keep power consumption, cost and size of the communication devices to a minimum. This has been possible...

Due to the increasing competition in the global wireless communication markets, many wireless terminals, such as mobile phones, personal dispatching assistants (PDA) and laptop computers, are being constructed to integrate more than one communication standard into the same apparatus. This allows the end-users to access different systems that provide...

Microstrip resonators have very important applications in microwave or millimeter-wave systems. They are important components of microstrip filters,1–2 microstrip oscillators3 and microstrip antennas,4 and enable microwave equipment miniaturization with improved performance. A stepped-impedance resonator (SIR) is the fundamental resonant element that can operate from RF to millimeter-wave frequencies and...

Digital TV offers a far wider choice of TV viewing and a reduction of the interference that may be experienced on analog TV. Recently, many RF circuits realized in the CMOS process have been reported and the 0.18 mm process is a good candidate for highly integrated systems-on-chip (SOC)...

Electromagnetic (EM) tools are indispensable for simulating high frequency designs, but they are poorly suited for synthesizing filters that require the determination of multiple parameters. Randall Rhea This article describes how to use EM simulation to aid a classic and under-utilized technique for filter design. The classic technique requires...

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, 7 mm coaxial transmission lines with standard SMA connectors were only used at frequencies between 10 and 12 GHz. In the mid-1960s, the US Department of Commerce established the Joint Industry Research Committee for the Standardization of Miniature Precision Coaxial Connectors (JIRF/SMPCC)....

Test instrumentation may need to accommodate signals having a wide-percentage frequency bandwidth. For ease of processing such RF signals, the input can be upconverted in order to reduce the percentage bandwidth. To facilitate upconversion ahead of higher frequency receivers, Mini-Circuits has developed a high performance passive mixer that allows...

Thinking that they were facing a “normal” set of technical challenges, MEMS switch developers consistently underestimated the difference between being able to sample a few prototype devices from a wafer and consistently manufacturing products that deliver high levels of quality and reliability. This created market expectations that are only...

The newly released Strategy Analytics GaAs and Compound Semiconductor Technologies (GaAs) service report, "Defense Spending Increases Provide Robust Market for Compound Semiconductors," projects that the market for GaAs devices will see continued growth at a CAAGR of 8% through to 2010. GaAs remains a staple ingredient in military and...