News and Information from Besser Associates • April 2008
In this issue:
- Next Webcast: Ultra Wideband Antennas
- Next Course in the Web Classroom: RF Fundamentals
- Power Amplifier Design
- Wideband Webcast and Course
- Upcoming Courses - Boston May 2008
Next Webcast: Ultra Wideband (UWB) Antennas
The 2008 Webinar series from Microwave Journal and Besser Associates continues this month with a tutorial on Ultra Wideband Antennas. Instructor Steven Best will present the upcoming webcast on April 15 at 11AM Eastern Time. There is no charge for this presentation. Antenna design and performance must continue to evolve to meet the demanding needs of modern wireless communication systems. Ultra wideband applications are no exception. This seminar presents an introduction to Ultra Wideband (UWB) antennas and the challenges designers face developing these antennas for real world systems. Don't miss out on this opportunity to see the presentation and ask questions in the Q&A session that follows. Visit the Microwave Journal Resources page for more information about the upcoming webcast, and to sign up. You can also view the recorded sessions of previous webcasts in the series.
Next Course in the Web Classroom: RF Fundamentals
Take your next class online! Equivalent to a full day seminar, our web classroom courses consist of five 90-minute live sessions offered via web conference. Similar to a live course, these seminars feature a small audience (10-20 students) where you can interact with the instructor and ask questions at any time. You will receive a PDF copy of the course manual so that you can print it out and take notes as the course progresses. Corporate exclusive courses are available for a variety of subjects and are a great way to train groups that are spread out across the continent or around the world. Our next public course in the web classroom, RF Fundamentals, will be presented June 23-27, 2008 by Les Besser. Just log-in to the class from your computer each day with a high speed internet connection and speakers or headphones - no travel required!
Power Amplifier Design
Two opportunities to learn about RF power amplifier design will be offered this May in the Boston area.
Advanced RF Power Amplifier Techniques is an advanced level four day RF design course, dealing with the theory and design of RF power amplifiers for wireless, satcom, and microwave applications. The course features in-depth treatment of PA design, PA modes, envelope power management and circuit level linearisation techniques. A complimentary copy of instructor Steve Cripps' book, RF Power Amplifiers for Wireless Communications, Second Edition, is included in the registration price.
The five-day Advanced Wireless and Microwave Techniques course provides participants with an in-depth examination of advanced RF and microwave design techniques. Antennas and filters are covered briefly, followed by a detailed discussion of figures of merit. Mixers and oscillator designs are also evaluated. Considerable attention is devoted to defining, classifying, and improving the efficiency and linearity of power amplifiers. The last 1-1/2 days are spent on power amplifier design. Numerous design examples are provided for participant exploration.
Wideband Webcast and Course
When attempting to create wide bandwidth amplifiers, RF designers are confronted by the fact that the load eventually becomes capacitive and the source has a finite driving point resistance. This creates a single pole filter with a bandwidth of 1/(2πRC). To get more bandwidth, we use the concept of "peaking circuits". One such circuit is called a T-Coil (so named because of its schematic representation). You can learn more about these circuits by attending the free webcast from Agilent Technologies on April 3, 2008 at 10AM Pacific Time. Besser Associates' instructor Allen Hollister is the author and presenter for this informative presentation.
Our new Wideband/HF Amplifier Design Techniques course demonstrates not only the theory and practice of wideband amplifier design, but will also deliver techniques that provide a “gut level feel” for designing almost any analog circuit. Using these techniques, the student will learn how to derive equivalent circuits, some containing negative elements that describe for example, why oscillations occur. Once the basic theory is developed, a variety of additional simulation tools are brought in to complete the last 10% of the design and provide verification of the efficacy of the simplified algebraic models. The new course is offered this August in San Jose, CA and also this November in Dallas, TX. Attend the course and receive a free copy of Allen's new book.
Upcoming Courses - Boston May 2008
Register by Monday, April 7 to receive the EarlyBird discount! The Burlington course location offers convenient access to nearby hotels, restaurants, and shopping. There's even a bus to downtown if you want to go sightseeing.
| Modern Digital Modulation Techniques | |
| May 12-May 16, 2008 | Course 016-3894 |
| Presented by Irving Kalet | Register by 4/7/2008 and pay $1995, otherwise pay $2195  |
| RF Transceiver Architecture, Design and Evaluation | |
| May 12-May 16, 2008 | Course 031-3898 |
| Presented by Ed Niehenke | Register by 4/7/2008 and pay $1995, otherwise pay $2195 |
| Short Range Wireless Networks | |
| May 12-May 15, 2008 | Course 085-3899 |
| Presented by Robert K. Morrow | Register by 4/7/2008 and pay $1595, otherwise pay $1695 |
| Advanced Wireless and Microwave Techniques | |
| May 12-May 16, 2008 | Course 086-3911 |
| Presented by Allen Podell | Register by 4/7/2008 and pay $1995, otherwise pay $2195 |
| Advanced RF Power Amplifier Techniques | |
| May 12-May 15, 2008 | Course 114-3895 |
| Presented by Steve Cripps | Register by 4/7/2008 and pay $1995, otherwise pay $2195 |
| Applied Design of Wireless Digital Modulation Systems | |
| May 12-May 14, 2008 | Course 161-3901 |
| Presented by Chris Potter | Register by 4/7/2008 and pay $1295, otherwise pay $1395 |
| Production Testing of RF and SOC Devices for Wireless Communications | |
| May 12-May 16, 2008 | Course 166-3896 |
| Presented by Keith Schaub | Register by 4/7/2008 and pay $1995, otherwise pay $2195 |
| Applied RF Techniques for Modern Radio Design | |
| May 12-May 16, 2008 | Course 188-3897 |
| Presented by Rick Fornes | Register by 4/7/2008 and pay $1995, otherwise pay $2195 |
| WiMAX Broadband Wireless Access | |
| May 14-May 16, 2008 | Course 176-3893 |
| Presented by Douglas H. Morais | Register by 4/7/2008 and pay $1295, otherwise pay $1395 |
| Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) Design | |
| May 14-May 16, 2008 | Course 181-3902 |
| Presented by Ali Darwish | Register by 4/7/2008 and pay $1295, otherwise pay $1395 |
| EMC Design, Bench Top Measurements and Troubleshooting Techniques - A Practical Approach | |
| May 14-May 16, 2008 | Course 196-3900 |
| Presented by Kenneth Wyatt | Register by 4/7/2008 and pay $1295, otherwise pay $1395 |
