R. A. Wood Associates

R. A. Wood Associates is a consulting company specializing in providing innovative engineering solutions for today's industries, utilizing state-of-the-art computer technology and computer programming. Our specialty is in the field of RF and microwave systems design.

Our capabilities and services include, but are not limited to:

• Engineering consulting services
• Computer automated test design and development
• Engineering prototypes and low rate manufacturing
• RF and Microwave system design and analysis
• Subcontract specifications
• Wireless system design
• Custom software program development
• LabVIEW software development
• Lectures and training classes
• Computer consulting services

• Software Manuals Updated and Uploaded
  3/20/2008 11:28pm

  We have updated and uploaded all our software manuals. Many thanks to Amelia, who has been working very hard to create and update all our manuals, and keep them current with our latest software revisions.

  Manuals for:

  • SpurFinder
  • TunerHelper
  • RF Path Analysis Toolkit
  • RFSpecTest
  • Painless Extraction
  • Painless Extraction NF
  • PathLossSolver

  can be downloaded from our Software Products page. Thanks! Bob Wood

• New SpurFinder Version 3.5 Released!
  3/19/2008 10:08pm

  Hi Everybody!

  We just released a new enhanced Version 3.5 of SpurFinder. The new version provides the capability to create/load multi-scenario "script" files. The script files can contain multiple SpurFinder scenarios that can be set up for the purpose of evaluating the best spurious conversion scheme. You can "pre" set up the various spur scenarios using Excel or a text file editor, and then save the file as tab-separated text. With a single click of a line in the table, all the scenario information is transferred to the SpurFinder front panel. This allows the user to quickly evaluate many conversion schemes (without having to type all the parameters in the front panel).

  You can also modify the SpurFinder front panel information and save the information back to the multi-scenario script file.

  It's simple, just load a Multi Scenario Script File, select a row:

  

  The row information is entered in the SpurFinder Panel:

   

  For more information, go to our software page. Download the program, try it out, and let us know what you think. Thanks! Bob Wood

• RF and Microwave Course Schedule for 2008 Available
  2/1/2008 5:37pm

  We have published our RF and Microwave course schedule for 2008! We appreciate your patience in waiting for us the set up these courses.

  We're offering the following courses:

  • Introductory RF and Microwaves
  • RF and Microwave Receiver Design
  • RF Power Amplifiers, Classes A-S: How the Circuits Operate, How to Design Them, and When to Use Each

  The dates and locations are:

  • April 2008 in Baltimore, MD
  • June 2008 in Boston MA
  • September 2008 in Syracuse, NY
  • November 2008 in Philadelphia, PA

  Please visit our www page for more details

  ---

  We've added some new improvements to some of these courses:

  Introductory RF and Microwaves New Features

  We've extended this course to a third day, providing a day of hands-on test and measurements exercises We've added examples of common RF measurements emphasizing the advantages and disadvantages of working with the following microwave test setups:

  1. Spectral Measurement Setup with signal generators and spectrum analyzer
  2. Scalar/Network Analyzer Setup
  3. Power Meter Setup

  Since we've added this new section, people have told us that this really helps solidify the concepts presented in the course notes. People who haven't had a chance to work with microwave devices and test equipment obtain a better understanding of the world of RF and Microwaves.

  RF and Microwave Receiver Design New Features

  We've added and additional 1/2 day to this course, with more hands-on examples of using software to perform receiver design tasks. This enhances our Receiver Design Problem we follow throughout the course.

  We look forward to seeing you at one of these courses! Bob Wood

• RF Receiver Simulator Delivered!
  11/4/2007 1:40am

  Hello Everybody

  We just delivered our latest product: a multi-channel RF/Microwave Receiver Simulator. This device simulates the RF front end of an ESM (Electronic Support Measures) system. The simulator matched the noise figure, gain and dynamic range of the RF front end. The simulator contained 9 channels of RF bands covering from 10 MHz all the way up to 40 GHz.

  Some pictures of the RF Receiver Simulator are shown below. The RF Receiver Simulator is a 3U rack-mounted assembly mounted in a protective roll-away cart for ease of transportability.

  

  

• RF Path Analysis Toolkit 1.4 Released!
  10/29/2007 12:06pm

  We just released an update to RF Path Analysis Toolkit (Version 1.4). The release contains some nice time saving features and improvements:

  • Drag and Drop RF Components: In the RF Path Builder display, you can now drag and drop RF components in the path table rows. This makes it easy to move RF components around in the RF path. Previously if you wanted to move an RF component, you had to delete the RF component, and then look it up again in the library to insert it into a new location.
  • Sub paths: You can now define an RF Path as a series of sub paths, which are individual RF path files. This saves potential errors and time in updating many RF paths containing the same path information. Previously, you could only manually load sub paths into an RF path file. Now they can be defined within the RF path file itself.
  • Export to Excel options: Now you can select the option to leave the detailed RF path analysis spreadsheet open after "Export to Excel" is selected. Previously the detailed RF path analysis spreadsheet was closed after "Export to Excel". This is convenient for viewing the detailed results quickly as you are building RF paths.
  • More information in the RF Path Builder display: As you are building an RF path in the RF Path Builder, you can now see the following parameters:
  • Device Nominal Gain
  • Cumulative Gain to Device Output
  • Device Noise Figure
  • Cumulative Noise Figure to Device Output
  • Signal 1 Power at Device Output
  • Signal 2 Power at Device Output
  • Device Third Order Output Intercept Point
  • Cumulative Third Order Input Intercept Point
  • Device 1 dB Output Compression Point
  • Signal 2 Delta from Device 1 dB Compression Point
  • Third Order Spurs at Device Output (new!)
  • Cumulative 1 dB Input Compression Point (new!)
  These new parameters are helpful when designing RF paths with difficult dynamic range requirements, and provide more insight into dynamic range contributors as you are building the RF path.
  • Path File Save and Load folders: You can now specify the default directory for saving and loading RF path files. Previously this was fixed to the "Level 1" directory.
  • Revised template spreadsheets: We've updated and improved the template detailed analysis spreadsheets. There are now two template spreadsheets:
  • RFPATTemplate4-2.xls is a simplified (but still very useful) RF path analysis spreadsheets for receivers and transmitters. Antenna gains can not be accurately incorporated into the model. Sensitivity calculations are based on the receiver RF components only.
  • RFPATTemplate6-2.xls is a more advanced RF path analysis spreadsheet. This template allows for separate RF component "signal gain" and "noise gain" parameters. This allows the spreadsheet to show radiated sensitivity, because antenna gains can be taken into account (antennas have "signal gain" but no "noise gain"). Basic RF components have the same "signal gain" and "noise gain".
  • File Path dialog boxes should be more descriptive and helpful.
  • Other changes to the user interface/display to help clarify the operation of the program.
  Upgrades are free to previously registered users. Download the new version (http://www.rawood.com/software_products/), give it a try, and let us know what you think!
  Thanks! -Bob Wood

• EW Receiver Simulator designed, built, tested, and delivered
  9/12/2007 12:25am

  'We just delivered an EW Receiver Simulator to one of our customers. The simulator provided the simulated RF and microwave front end performance of an EW (Early Warning) Receiver subsystem. Our simulator allows the EW Receiver/Processor to be evaluated without requiring the actual front end system. The simulator was designed to match the system front end noise figure, gain, and dynamic range. This also represents a new modular and mechanical design for us.

  A block diagram of one channel of the EW Receiver Simulator is shown below:

  

  Some pictures of the EW Receiver Simulator are shown below. The box is built to be used as bench-top equipment or as a 3U rack-mount installation. This is the first design of our standard rack-mount chassis, capable of supporting up to 16 plug-in modules (1 inch standard width). Cooling air is pulled from front to back, and the modules are thermally clamped (with Calmark Clamps) to the top and bottom of the chassis.

  

  

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