08.27.19 -- Spotlight On MEMS Components/Technology

The V14 release of the NI AWR Design Environment platform includes many optimizers that automate and streamline specific applications to help designers bring their products to market more quickly and cost effectively. 

Tunable MEMS capacitors are micrometer-scale electronic devices controlled through different actuation mechanisms. This paper proposes a design for an electrothermally actuated tunable MEMS capacitor suitable for filters, oscillators, phase shifters, and impedance matching networks.

New RFSoC technologies add RF-class analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog data converters to Xilinx’s family of FPGAs. This white paper looks at current trends in data converters and signal processing to better understand the capabilities of RFSoC and how to best use the technology.

This paper discusses fundamentals of beamforming technology, including signals, antennas, and current transceiver architectures. The paper included calculation methods for radiation patterns and some simulations results, as well as showing some real-world measurement results for small linear arrays.

As the number of antennas grow in wireless systems, test complexity also increases. As a result, it is necessary to generate multiple RF channels for receiver testing and to analyze multiple RF channels for transmitter testing.

Vibration and normal vehicular movements cause communication loss, blurry images, and many other behaviors that degrade the instrument’s performance and ability to perform its desired function. Platform stabilization systems employ closed-loop control systems to actively cancel this type of motion.

Anritsu's RF and microwave components offer high return loss connectors and cables, instrumentation-grade adapters, precision terminations, measurement components, and accessories.

Chris Brown with Northrop Grumman Microelectronics discusses some of the challenges in leveraging their expertise in military technology to products for the commercial sector, as well as some of the trends he’s observed.

Tektronix’s webinar reviews the electrical measurement challenges associated with some of the most common devices and applications that require testing. Topics covered include the problems associated with the measurement of transistors and various diode types, as well as power management applications, and some specialty applications like Laser Diode LIV and battery discharge testing.