April 2007

By Judy Miller
Associate Publisher

249 W. 17th Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10011-5300
212.204.4246
Fax 913.514.9245
judy.miller@penton.com

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Western U.S/Northern CA.
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408-779-3503

Eastern/Midwestern U.S./
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Power Electronics DVD
NOW AVAILABLE!

When you pick up the April issue of RF Design you are sure to notice one very significant change - our parent company is now Penton Media.

For me it is almost surreal, because as many of you already know, I spent sixteen very happy years at Penton before coming to Prism 3 years ago. I often felt as if I never completely left Penton because when I came here to work, I joined former Pentonites, Ashok Bindra, editorial director, David Morrison, editor, and John French, who is now the new Penton's CEO.

Penton Media now is much different and greater than it was. By merging with Prism it has become one of the nation's largest business-to-business media and information companies, serving more than six million business professionals every month.

We envision this group to be collaborative and customer-focused, offering access to one of the largest databases of Design Engineers in the world.

Please take a moment to look at the RF Design April editorial lineup. The five feature articles this month include a feature on Broadband Technology, Test and Measurement, Software Radio and Passive Componntents. .

Also this issue will have a supplement on Defense Electronics which is exploding. When you align your ad along this powerful editorial it will have a huge impact to our exclusive audience of designers and systems engineers who are involved in Defense.

So who says you can't go home again? Please drop me an email at my new Penton Media address judy.miller@penton.com and let me know your thoughts. Your contribution is what clarifies our vision as we confront the multiple possibilities and outcomes of the new Penton Media.

Best regards,

Judy Miller
Associate Publisher
212.204.4246

RF Design March Issue

Broadband Technology
Using MCPAs as active combiners for maximizing 3G transition
Wireless operators have used multicarrier power amplifiers (MCPAs) to increase the coverage and capacity of existing base stations. Most often, the MCPAs have operated in TDMA and CDMA environments, and not in GSM systems, until recently. With “active combining” emerging as the MCPA’s primary application, 3G networks are becoming the target for deployment. So what is active combining, and why is it causing MCPAs to penetrate what have previously seemed closed markets is the focus of this article?

Test & Measurement
A new era in low-cost, high-performance RF T&M equipment
With an innovative new series of RF vector signal generators aimed at cellular R&D and manufacturing applications, precisionWave is challenging traditional RF test and measurement (T&M) equipment cost, performance, feature-set and design. Presenting the new modular approach to vector signal generators, this article describes the need and mechanisms for change in the RF T&M space.

Passive Components
Thin film chip inductors for communications applications
This article presents recent improvements in high frequency performance of thin film chip inductors, and shows how applications with limited board space, like cellular telephones, pagers, GPS products and Bluetooth modules, can take advantage of its compactness and stability at high frequencies, tight tolerances and reflow compatibility.

Software Radio
ADCs and DACs advance to realize true SDR
Old radio standards rarely die, yet new standards come on line every few years forcing radio designers to constantly consider how to design their systems to be compatible with as many as possible. While the network side of communication systems clearly has an eye on IP systems, the RF and mixed signal side still has many technical challenges to achieving sufficient levels of performance. Most of the technical bottlenecks can be found in the linear and mixed signal processing. However, new processes and architectures are providing new toe-holds for liner and mixed signal performance. This article will examine recent trends in mixed signal products (ADCs and DACs) that have moved the level of performance one step closer to achieving a true software defined radio (SDR).

Product Focus: Passive Components

Defense Electronics: April Issue

Advanced Communications
Leveraging Real-Time Communications Into the Design of Next Generation Command and Control Systems
One of the latest shared initiatives between commercial and defense sectors is the emergence of converged Internet Protocol (IP) applications that take advantage of real-time network-based communications, like Voice Over IP (VoIP), and IP-based computer data resources and applications. The Internet Protocol (IP) is a proven, efficient and secure way to deliver voice, video and data services to the end user across multiple networks and an array of devices from mobile phones, to smartphones, to laptops. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol that is part of the IP standard that is used to create, modify, and terminate multimedia sessions with one or more participants. A SIP session could be a simple two-party telephone call, or a collaborative multimedia conference call with video and data streams. SIP is even being used to integrate enterprise computer data with real-time telephone connections to create interesting “mashup” applications. This article will explore the possibilities presented by SIP, and whether today’s commercial IP applications can be adapted for use in next-generation defense systems.

Optoelectronics
Solar LED Aviation Lighting – Advanced Technology Solutions for Progressive Airfield Operations
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have been in use for more than three decades, but they have only recently begun to gain the attention and respect of the lighting industry. Today, LEDs are competing successfully with conventional lighting technology, with a wide variety of products currently available utilizing LED technology. Proven to be very effective in applications where brightness, visibility and durability are vital, such as airfield lighting, LEDs are also particularly suitable for solar power. Advancements in technology and the emergence of market-specific products are making it possible for solar-powered lighting to support many aspects of airfield operations. In addition to highlighting the economic and environmental benefits, this article will discuss advances in and applications for solar-powered LED lighting, such as wireless communications, as well as identify the factors to look for when selecting a solar airfield lighting system.

Switches and Connectors
Terminating Ultra-Flexible and High Strength cables for Military Applications
Cables used for modern military applications must be smaller, stronger and more robust than those from previous generations. The design process starts with a Source Control Drawing, as most harsh-environment cables do not conform to the old MIL-Spec system. Furthermore, connectors must be reinforced to maintain ruggedness in smaller shapes. Also, newer cables now contain strength members such as Kevlar, which must be terminated in the connector, and electrical shields must have high effectiveness for the greater EMI-CBR fields present on the modern battlefield. Conductors must be of high strength alloy for robustness, while insulations and jackets for emerging military applications must be updated for harsher environments. The complete cable-assembly methods that can meet all these challenges will be addressed in this article, including jacket removal, shield termination, insulation stripping and attaching of the contacts to the shield termination and final potting or sealing of the assembly.
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