Passive intermodulation (PIM) is a pernicious and destructive phenomenon for cellular network operators. PIM shows up as a set of unwanted signals created by mixing two or more strong RF signals. Mixing generally produces the sum and difference frequencies of the two transmit signals F1 and F2. These signals are F1 + F2 and F1 […]
Applications
VSWR and impedance, Part 6: Microstrip and stripline
Understanding the role and implications of impedance in RF transmission lines and antennas is vital to successful system performance. The traditional matching approaches are still in wide use, but new application requirements and advances in components, modeling and simulation, and manufacturing precision have also provided new ways to address the matching problem. Q: What is […]
VSWR and impedance, Part 5: Making a match
Understanding the role and implications of impedance in RF transmission lines and antennas is vital to successful system performance. The importance of impedance matching, minimizing reflections, and keeping a low VSWR means these topics have been studied extensively, ranging from analytical perspectives through many physical designs and implementations. This section looks at some matching techniques. […]
VSWR and impedance, Part 4: Measurements
Understanding the role and implications of impedance in RF transmission lines and antennas is vital to successful system performance. The previous section looked at the basics of VSWR. This section looks at two approaches to measuring impedance and VSWR. Q: What do engineers and users need to know? A: For some applications, such as connecting […]
VSWR and impedance, Part 3: Implications
Understanding the role and implications of impedance in RF transmission lines and antennas is vital to successful system performance. The previous sections looked at the basics of impedance and VSWR. This section looks at the implications of VSWR measurements. Q: Why should I care about reflected waves due to impedance mismatch and resultant non-unity VSWR? […]
VSWR and impedance, Part 2: Reflected power
Understanding the role and implications of impedance in RF transmission lines and antennas is vital to successful system performance. Part 1 of this article looked at the basics of impedance matching and power transfer. This part looks at the closely related topic of nominal impedance and VSWR. Q: Why all this worry? Aren’t RF systems […]
Design kit provides full coverage of flow to design and simulate analog and mixed-signal ICs
X-FAB Silicon Foundries SE has announced the release of a reference design kit for Tanner analog/mixed-signal (AMS) software from the EDA segment of Siemens Digital Industries Software. The new kit is based on silicon-proven circuitry, providing full coverage of the flow to design and simulate analog and mixed-signal ICs. More complex designs, shorter time-to-market pressures, […]
Dev kit works with ADC for mixed-signal, subsystem implementations
Teledyne e2v has expanded the scope of engineering support accompanying its popular EV12AQ60x analog-to-digital converter (ADC) series. The new EV12AQ600-FMC-EVM development kit will be an invaluable tool for those implementing mixed-signal subsystems. Intended for prototyping work relating to avionics, military, space, telecommunications, industrial, and high energy physics applications, this kit may be used for evaluating […]
DOCSIS 3.1 compliant switch delivers high linearity across 5 – 1794 MHz
pSemi Corporation introduces a DOCSIS 3.1-compliant switch that meets increased demands for faster download speeds, higher bandwidth, and data throughput required for today’s home internet connections. The UltraCMOS PE42726 is a single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) radio frequency switch designed for use in cable broadband applications including DOCSIS 3.1 cable modems, set-top boxes, and residential gateways. PE42726 […]
MEMs microphones feature high SNR, wide dynamic range
TDK Corporation introduces three new MEMS microphones as part of the SmartSound family of products for mobile, IoT, and other consumer devices. Each of these high-performance microphones pushes the boundaries of microphone acoustic performance, providing advanced feature sets with very low power in small package footprints. The SmartSound family of MEMS microphones from TDK are […]
