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February 2010
• Electro-Mechanical Broadband RF Switch.
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Comb Generator
The CG1000 series comb generator provides a combline of CW outputs up to 26 GHz. Picket sizes of 500, 750 and 1000 MHz are available, A TCXO, PLO and integrated amplifier are all included in the compact design. Frequency range is 1 to 18 GHz.

QFN Packaged Up-Converter
A 37 to 40 GHz GaAs MMIC up-converter, model XU1019-QH, integrates an image reject balanced mixer, LO buffer amplifier, LO doubler and RF buffer amplifier within a fully molded 4 x 4mm QFN package. It delivers +20 dBm IIP3 and 7 dB conversion gain.

RF Transformers & Diplex Filters
A family of CATV RF transformers and RF diplex filters meets DOCSIS 3.0 design requirements for applications such as set-top boxes, cable modems, and gateways, supporting frequency bands 5 to 65/85 to 1002 MHz, 5 to 42/54 to 1002 MHz, and 5 to 85/108 to 1002 MHz.


SMA Transfer Switches
New micro miniature SMA transfer switches incorporate SMA connectors to allow high-density packaging and excellent electrical performance through 26.5 GHz. The switch is available in failsafe and latching configurations with a choice of three frequency ranges and three coil voltages.

Bluetooth Low Energy Test Solution
Designers and manufacturers of Bluetooth® products can now use a new Bluetooth low energy testing option to conduct radio layer testing that is in compliance with the newly adopted Bluetooth Core Specification 4.0. With the option, engineers can use the MT8852B to complete a test script covering Bluetooth Basic Rate, EDR, and low energy measurements in <15 seconds by pressing a single key, greatly simplifying production test programs.

LTCC Bandpass Filter
The BFCN-2435+ LTCC bandpass filter is constructed with 12 layers in order to achieve a miniature size and high repeatability of performance. Covering 2435 MHz +/-95 MHz, these units offer low insertion loss and good rejection. Frequency range is 2340 to 2530 MHz.

Coaxial to Waveguide Adapters
Now available are coaxial to waveguide adapters in a variety of configurations. Option A are broadband adapters with excellent electrical specs maintained over the entire bandwidth. Option B offers enhanced performance over a specific band of the adapters’ bandwidth.

RoHS Compliant VCO
Model ZRO2300A1LF in S-band operates at 2285 to 2315 MHz with a tuning voltage range of 0.5 to 4.5 Vdc. It is designed to deliver a typical output power of 3 dBm at 5 Vdc supply while drawing 18 mA (typ.) over the temperature range of -40 to +85ºC.

Scalable Microwave Switching Solutions
Two new RF/microwave switching solutions, the EX7105A and EX7204A, are part of the EX7000 series. These high-density instruments have an open-platform COTS core that can be easily configured for a variety of custom applications.

LTCC Bandpass Filter
The BFCN-7900+ LTCC bandpass filter is constructed with five layers in order to achieve a miniature size and high repeatability of performance. Wrap-around terminations minimize variations in performance due to parasitics. Frequency range is 7800 to 8100 MHz.
 
Transient Capture and Timestamp Module
The EX1200-7416 is a transient capture and timestamp module that further extends the capabilities of the popular EX1200 series of configurable LXI Class A instruments. With a rich feature set, it supports a broad range of applications that require level comparison, event detection, and time stamping.


SPDT T/R Switch
The HMC784MS8GE is a low loss, high linearity GaAs pHEMT 10W SPDT MMIC switch for use in transmit/receive applications which require very low distortion at high input power levels. It can control signals from DC to 4 GHz and is housed in a MSOP-8G leaded package.

 

 

 

October 2009

Antenna Test Systems Evolve to Commercial-Off-the-Shelf Products
Near-Field Test Methods Drive Faster Test Times and Economical Production
By Daniël Janse van Rensburg, Sales & Marketing Manager,
Nearfield Systems Inc.

The microwave antenna test industry has, over the last decade, seen the introduction of Commercial-Off-the-Shelf [COTS] test systems that allow manufacturers to approach antenna testing in much the same way as benchtop network analysis. The subsequent savings in time and efficient use of facilities is helping to drive down the cost of production and improve quality for a wide range of microwave antenna applications.

This wasn’t always the case. The antenna test industry initially focused on outdoor Far-Field testing, where the source and receiver were separated by a sufficiently large distance such that the radius of curvature of the wave front hitting the antenna under test appears to be locally flat. For electrically large antennas (that is, antenna dimensions large in terms of wavelengths), this distance can become prohibitively large. This space limitation, in addition to other factors like exposure of the test article to the elements and the fact that the purity of the plane wave illuminating the antenna can be greatly compromised by reflections from surrounding structures, lead to the desirability of indoor testing and subsequent development of alternative test methods.

Near-Field Testing Provides the Solution
Using Near-Field techniques, antennas can be characterized through testing in very close proximity to the device in an environmentally stable anechoic chamber and then, relying on mathematical transformation, the desired Far-Field radiation characteristics may be obtained.

Near-Field techniques allow for very efficient use of space and lower cost anechoic environments compared to outdoor Far-Field testing. In addition, the introduction of modern automated network analyzers provide for highly accurate and readily available RF subsystems. This has allowed antenna testing to become an integral part of the production process rather than an expensive field exercise.

Today, Near-Field scanning hardware is integrated with these RF subsystems through software, making Near-Field antenna test systems easily accessible COTS tools. Many turn-key Near-Field test systems can be installed in as little as eight hours, allowing engineers to obtain highly accurate antenna test characteristics within minutes after installation.

Looking to the very near future, new planar and spherical scanners combined with vector network analyzers make high speed, multi-frequency antenna testing commonplace. In the case of planar Near-Field scanners, testing within an office environment is feasible.

Near-Field test and measurement techniques, combined with COTS analyzers and components, will continue to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of microwave antenna testing for years to come. For more information, visit www.nearfield.com

Nearfield Systems Inc.
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