RF Digital’s patent pending RFDANT is a full 2.4GHz ISM radio transceiver including the patent pending RFDP8 protocol, completely built into an antenna form factor. This allows the entire radio transceiver to be outside of the product. Only the power and signal cable will extend into the product enclosure, where they are connected to the PCB with a simple 1.5mm SMT or through-hole connector. The RFD21742 RFDANT is CE / ETSI tested compliant, the RFD21743 is CE / ETSI and FCC approved and certified. Both RFDANTs are available now at distributor Rutronik.

The RFDANT’s special design enables it to reach an amazing 600m range while remaining an Ultra Low Power device able to run off of a coin cell battery for years. It is suitable for mounting to virtually any type of end- product, regardless if the enclosure is plastic, metal, glass or any other material.
The entire radio transceiver is mounted inside the antenna enclosure, so it does not take any space inside the product enclosure and can be used as a wireless retrofit for nearly any product. Besides, there is no loss of RF power to the antenna from the module, which results in the most effective power transfer ratio possible, providing lowest power consumption possible to achieve a specific range. The radio being inside of the antenna and outside of the enclosure allows for more room inside of the enclosure.
Above that, there are nearly no interferences with the electronics inside of the enclosures resulting in better range and performance of the wireless system. The actual effective antenna is pushed away from the enclosure, which reduces the effect of holding the enclosure, therefore improving the performance, range and predictability of the wireless system.

» Contact Details for Rutronik

Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) (NYSE: ADI), a global leader in high-performance semiconductors for signal-processing applications, announced today that it has entered into a worldwide sales distribution agreement with Richardson RFPD, Inc. As one of the leading distributors of RF and microwave components, Richardson RFPD will support the design-in of ADI’s high-performance RF ICs (integrated circuits) along with the company’s full range of analog, mixed-signal and digital signal-processing products. ADI’s RF ICs and signal-processing technology are available now through Richardson RFPD’s North and South America offices and are expected to be available through Richardson RFPD’s offices in Europe, Middle East, Greater China, Asia Pacific and Japan in the first half of 2012.

ADI delivers world-leading data converters, amplifiers, MEMs, DSPs (digital signal processors) and power management ICs and a portfolio of high-performance RF ICs covering the entire RF signal chain from leading function blocks such as PLLs, mixers and power detectors, to highly integrated short-range single-chip transceiver solutions. Together, these technologies form a complete design and play a fundamental role in converting, conditioning, and processing real-world phenomena in a wide array of applications.

“Our customers are integrating wired and wireless connectivity into an ever-widening range of applications, and ADI’s high-performance RF and signal-processing portfolio is at the core of these systems,” said Peter Real, ADI vice president for Linear and RF. “With our portfolio and Richardson RFPD’s technical team, customers can expect to accomplish great things.”
Alex Glass, ADI vice president, worldwide channel sales, said, “We are pleased to enter into this agreement with Richardson RFPD whose highly skilled RF and microwave sales and technical support teams will be accessible to customers through a global network of 47 offices and seven stocking locations.”

“We are excited to partner with ADI, and this distributor agreement further elevates Richardson RFPD’s ability to support all aspects of our customers’ needs for design, logistics, and new product updates,” said Greg Peloquin, president of Richardson RFPD. “Combining ADI’s leadership position in ADC and DAC technology, and their investment in developing innovative RF products with our global reach into the RF & Wireless market, make it possible for RF engineers to now procure almost every part they need from one qualified source.”

Energy Micro, the energy friendly microcontroller and RF radio company, has announced a distribution agreement with Hakuto in Japan. Hakuto will promote Energy Micro’s complete range of ultra low power ARM® Cortex™ based EFM32 Gecko MCU and EFR4 Draco RF devices.

Established in 1953, Hakuto is recognised as one of Japan’s leading distributors of semiconductor devices, electronic components and manufacturing equipment. It operates offices in Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kansai and Nagoya and a technical centre in Isehara. With fully automated warehouse facilities, the company offers customers a complete range of inventory control systems, including consignment, Kanban and VMI.

“After the Great East Japan Earthquake, Energy efficient design has become more important in Japan. With ultra low power microcontrollers, Energy Micro can meet a growing demand for energy efficiency. We are very proud to be partnered with Energy Micro and expect to succeed together in this new and growing market” said Jun Takagi, Director and Vice President Semiconductor Devices First Division of Hakuto.

Andrea Marchi, Energy Micro’s VP of Sales and Marketing for the Asia Pacific region said, “Hakuto’s standing in the Japanese market, with its in-depth knowledge of microcontroller technology and energy sensitive applications, will help us to significantly boost our presence in Japan. With a Hakuto sales and field application engineering team dedicated to both the EFM32 Gecko microcontroller and EFR4 Draco radio products we look forward to a long and successful partnership.”

W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. (Gore) announces that Astron Electronics, Inc. (Astron), Gore’s authorized sales representative in Southern California, will now sell Gore’s high-performance line of Test & Measurement Microwave/RF Cable Assemblies.

“Astron and Gore have built a strong relationship around Gore’s ePTFE and PTFE material technology, providing solutions for EMI grounding and shielding,” says Mark Mulle, Global Channel Leader for Gore. “We are excited to bring the same technical leadership of Gore’s high-performance Microwave/RF Test Cables to the Astron product offering.”

“These high-end products allow Astron to enhance our position with our clients that need premium-performance test cables. When RF engineers need to design for extremely precise and repeatable testing tolerances, we will provide innovative testing solutions such as the GORE® PHASEFLEX® Microwave/RF Test Assemblies and VNA cables,” says Steve Tennessen, President of Astron. “These products provide test engineers with ultra-high performance test cable assemblies that ensure consistent and reliable results in any precision test application through 110 GHz.”

Mouser Electronics, Inc., today announced it has signed a global distribution agreement with Powercast Corporation, a ground breaking innovator bringing remote, wireless power capabilities to micro-power devices.

Powercast’s Powerharvester™ Receivers harvest RF energy (radio waves) and convert it into DC power for low-power applications over distance. In stock at Mouser is the Powercast P2110 915 MHz Powerharvester™ Receiver that can provide intermittent power for battery-free devices or pulse-charge batteries and the Powercast P1110 915 MHz RF Powerharvester ™ Receiver that continuously trickle-charges batteries or provides direct power.

Also available at Mouser is the Powercast Lifetime Power® Energy Harvesting Development Kit for Wireless Sensors, a complete demonstration and development platform for creating battery-free wireless sensor applications powered by RF energy. The kit, which was co-developed with Microchip, contains everything you need to convert RF energy into DC power.

Russell Rasor, Mouser Vice President of Advanced Technology, states, “Powercast is a welcome addition to Mouser’s lineup of products targeting alternative power sources. Their unique technology provides a reliable, constant power source and opens up new avenues for design engineers to create next generation devices, today.”

“With the addition of Powercast’s RF energy harvesting and wireless power products, Mouser Electronics is now a one-stop shop for engineers developing micro-power applications,” said Harry Ostaffe, Powercast’s Director of Marketing and Business Development. “Mouser is widely known for its extensive component inventory and quick turnaround times for both prototype to production quantities and their large customer base extends Powercast’s reach to a broader audience of design engineers.”

» Contact details for Mouser Electronics, Inc.

Microchip Technology announces the new MRF89XA transceiver with extremely low receive current of 3mA for longer battery life in 868, 915 and 950MHz Sub-GHz wireless networks. The transceiver and modules are available at distributor Rutronik now.

The 868 MHz MRF89XAM8A and 915 MHz MRF89XAM9A transceiver modules accelerate design cycles by removing the complexity of designing RF circuitry and the cost of obtaining agency certification. The Sub-GHz frequency bands are sometimes preferred by designers for a broad range of battery-powered wireless sensor networks and metering communications.

In addition, the MRF89XA transceiver and modules integrate a 12.5dBm Power Amplifier for long transmission distances and a Low Noise Amplifier for -113dBm enhanced receive sensitivity. To ease communication and further prolong battery life, the MRF89XA combines an integrated packet handler with a 64-byte FIFO for transmit and receive buffering. The new MRF89XA transceiver and modules are ideal for low-power wireless sensor and metering communication.

» Contact Details for Rutronik

Amesys Products from Link Microtek

Link Microtek, the specialist supplier of microwave and RF components and systems, has been appointed as UK representative for French defence-systems manufacturer, Amesys.

Based in Aix-en-Provence, Amesys offers a comprehensive range of non-ITAR equipment for signal intelligence applications in the defence and security fields.

Commenting on the appointment, Link Microtek’s managing director, Steve Cranstone, said: “Link Microtek is already well established as a supplier of components and subsystems to the defence sector, and this new agreement will enable us to move up a level to offer a range of complete systems to UK military and government customers.”

The Amesys product portfolio includes instruments for the interception, demodulation, decoding, recording and analysis of signals, as well as a variety of jamming systems, radar simulation systems, ruggedised computers and missile launch systems.

Olivier Bohbot, managing director of Amesys’s sales arm, Elexo, believes that Link’s expertise will be invaluable: “Link Microtek has many years of experience in microwave and RF defence electronics, and we are confident that this agreement marks the beginning of a very successful partnership.”

» Contact Details for Link Microtek

Stock includes RF modules, ICs and interface modules, antennas, development kits, and OEM products

Mouser Electronics, Inc., known for its rapid introduction of the newest products, today announced it has reach a global distribution agreement with Linx Technologies, a leading provider of versatile radio frequency (RF) products.

Mouser’s stock from Linx includes RF modules, ICs and interface modules, antennas, development kits, and OEM products. Linx RF modules allow the easy and cost-effective addition of wireless capabilities to virtually any product. The RF module family includes RF transmitters, receivers, and transceivers in hybrid modular forms that require no external RF components; except an antenna, also available from Mouser, through the Antenna Factor division of Linx.

Linx interface modules allow the transfer of data between different data standards, such as USB and serial sources. They allow the addition of advanced interfaces to a product without complicated programming or design.

Mike Scott, Mouser Vice President of Active Products, states, “We’re excited to be able to offer Linx Technologies’ products to our engineering customers. Linx makes the complex process of applying RF simpler for design engineers, as well as being strategically positioned to address the needs of the exploding RF marketplace.”

“We at Linx Technologies are delighted to be adding Mouser Electronics to our distribution roster,” commented Mike Edmiston, Linx Technologies Director of Worldwide Sales. “We are convinced that Mouser’s positioning as a leading catalog and online distributor, coupled with their focus on customer centric worldwide service, will provide increased availability and enhanced service to our customers”.

» Contact details for Mouser Electronics, Inc.

New isotropic E-H field analyser provides accurate measurements at LW, MW and SW transmitter sites

Now available from Link Microtek, the leading UK supplier of RF radiation safety systems, is an innovative field analyser designed to provide accurate isotropic measurements of both electric and magnetic fields in the vicinity of long-, medium- and short-wave broadcast transmitters.

Manufactured by Narda Safety Test Solutions, the EHP-200 includes built-in spectrum analysis capability over the frequency range 9kHz to 30MHz and accommodates all the field sensors and measurement circuitry in a robust housing only 92 x 92 x 109mm in size.Using a rugged optical-fibre link, the field analyser displays results in real time either on a PC or on the optional 8053-Display unit. The EHP-200 can handle a wide range of field levels from 0.02 to 1000 V/m and 0.6 mA/m to 300 A/m, and it features a frequency resolution down to 1kHz for detailed measurements. Dynamic range is greater than 80dB.

All measurement functions are user-programmable with the EHP-200 control software, which is supplied as standard. Other standard accessories include a 10m optical-fibre cable, carrying bag, plastic pole, mini tripod, battery charger and an operating manual with test and calibration certificates.

With the built-in rechargeable Li-Ion battery providing up to 8 hours of continuous operation, the new field analyser is particularly useful for ensuring safety around the sites of large antennas, controlling the transmitted power in the actual radiation direction, and testing the functionality of the transmitting antennas. In addition, the EHP-200 can effectively measure the wave impedance of the field, thereby enabling users to identify the borders between far-field regions – which have an impedance of 377 ohm – and near-field regions, whose wave impedance is determined by the characteristics of the antennas.

» Contact Details for Link Microtek

Directional couplers reduce costs without compromising performance

Link Microtek, the specialist supplier of RF and microwave components, has expanded its range of Tiger Microwave products with the addition of the TGD-A1 series of directional couplers.
These competitively priced devices are manufactured to exceptionally high quality standards and provide excellent performance for a wide variety of military and commercial applications over the frequency range 500MHz to 18GHz.

Equipped with SMA-type female connectors as standard, the directional couplers feature insertion losses as low as 0.4dB and VSWR values ranging from 1.2:1 to 1.6:1, while operating temperature range is specified as -55 to 85degC. They have a directivity of 10dB, 12dB or 20dB and a frequency sensitivity of +/-0.7dB or +/-1.0dB.

Available with coupling values of 6, 10, 20 or 30dB, the TGD-A1 series couplers are particularly suitable for use in microwave test systems and for integration into mobile-phone infrastructure or satellite communications equipment.

» Contact Details for Link Microtek