The activation of  antenna elements located at random positions on a linear aperture with constant currents so as to collaboratively transmit or receive in preferred directions is investigated.  Assuming the elements are located in continuum spatially, the objective is to determine a probability distribution function for the element positions and characterize the random features of the resulting beam patterns.  Two approaches are presented, one analytical and another that computationally determines the optimal positions using a firefly algorithm, where each firefly models an array with finite number of elements. The analytical model for the probability distribution is constrained to match the expected value of the beam response to the directivity function of a uniformly spaced element Dolph-Chebyshev array with a prescribed side lobe level. The variance in the side lobe amplitudes is shown to decrease as 1/(2*sqrt(N))  where N is the number of elements. The firefly algorithm simulates the exploratory and convergent behavior of a swarm of fireflies, attracted to one another through the light they emit, which is emulated through a fitness function.  Multiple ensembles from the computational model yield a set of viable arrays that are shown to exhibit a lower variance than the analytical model.  The computational model also yields a set of conditional probability distributions that capture the correlation between neighboring inter-element distances. Arrays constructed by sampling from these conditional distributions yield a reduced variance in the side lobe amplitudes, using fewer elements than that required under the independent sampling assumption of the analytical model.  Speaker(s): Nicholas Misiunas, Agenda: Meeting start - 6:30 PM The presentation will start little after 6:30 pm and will end around 7:30 pm. Q&A session. Meeting ends at 8:00 PM. Location: Room: Downstairs Lecture Room Bldg: Nashua Library 2 Court Street Nashua, New Hampshire

The activation of  antenna elements located at random positions on a linear aperture with constant currents so as to collaboratively transmit or receive in preferred directions is investigated.  Assuming the elements are located in continuum spatially, the objective is to determine a probability distribution function for the element positions and characterize the random features of the resulting beam patterns.  Two approaches are presented, one analytical and another that computationally determines the optimal positions using a firefly algorithm, where each firefly models an array with finite number of elements. The analytical model for the probability distribution is constrained to match the expected value of the beam response to the directivity function of a uniformly spaced element Dolph-Chebyshev array with a prescribed side lobe level. The variance in the side lobe amplitudes is shown to decrease as 1/(2*sqrt(N))  where N is the number of elements. The firefly algorithm simulates the exploratory and convergent behavior of a swarm of fireflies, attracted to one another through the light they emit, which is emulated through a fitness function.  Multiple ensembles from the computational model yield a set of viable arrays that are shown to exhibit a lower variance than the analytical model.  The computational model also yields a set of conditional probability distributions that capture the correlation between neighboring inter-element distances. Arrays constructed by sampling from these conditional distributions yield a reduced variance in the side lobe amplitudes, using fewer elements than that required under the independent sampling assumption of the analytical model.  Speaker(s): Nicholas Misiunas, Agenda: Meeting start - 6:30 PM The presentation will start little after 6:30 pm and will end around 7:30 pm. Q&A session. Meeting ends at 8:00 PM. Location: Room: Downstairs Lecture Room Bldg: Nashua Library 2 Court Street Nashua, New Hampshire

Co-sponsored by: Ed Nelson Executive Committee Meeting. Open to all IEEE members. Come out to learn about what's going on in the section. Agenda: Dinner at 6:00PM Call to Order at 6:30PM (Chair) Introductions Approve minutes from past meeting (Secretary) Agenda items requiring a vote - to be determined Old Business New Business Open Forum Discussion Location: Bldg: Great Buffet Restaurant 1525 South Willow Street Manchester, New Hampshire 03103

Co-sponsored by: Ed Nelson Executive Committee Meeting. Open to all IEEE members. Come out to learn about what's going on in the section. Agenda: Dinner at 6:00PM Call to Order at 6:30PM (Chair) Introductions Approve minutes from past meeting (Secretary) Agenda items requiring a vote - to be determined Old Business New Business Open Forum Discussion Location: Bldg: Great Buffet Restaurant 1525 South Willow Street Manchester, New Hampshire 03103

Co-sponsored by: MTT-S NH Chapter, MTT-S Boston Chapter, Association of Old Crows Granite State Chapter Presentation:  Smart RFIC: Millimeter-wave Gigabit Transceivers with Digitally-enabled Built-in Self-calibration and Auto-switching Functions   In our daily life, we have smart phones, smart TVs, or even auto-pilot smart cars in the future.  In our engineer careers, we have smart antenna, smart baseband chips, but we still need auto-calibration smart RFICs.  Especially for millimeter-wave RFICs with giga-hertz bandwidth, the narrow-band baseband calibration cannot compensate the broadband AM/AM or AM/PM non-ideal properties.   For future multi-band multi-standard radio, auto-band-switching is an essential function to optimize RF performance and to simplify the system control interface.  A Miller-divider-type frequency sensor can be used to detect the frequency of input signal and perform auto-band-switching inside RFIC without any system control bits.  For parametric sensitive 3rd-order nonlinearity, we need parametric-insensitive calibration methods to compensate the non-ideal behavior within RFIC.  For millimeter-wave phase array system, the phase error comes from not only phase shifters but also other functional blocks, like variable gain amplifier (VGA), during phase shifting and gain compensation.  We need a phase-error calibration method to compensate the phase error from all RFIC blocks.   To optimize system EVM performance, IQ modulator/demodulator are the key components to compensate IQ mismatch at RF frequency, which is also the enabling technology for gigabit high-QAM wireless links.  The load-insensitive indicator is used to evaluate different IQ topologies.  For IQ self-calibration at RF frequency, the phase compensation has more design challenges than the amplitude calibration, so composite right/left-handed transmission line, switching capacitor array, and phase shifters have been proposed in the IQ phase calibration.  All above built-in self-calibration and auto-switching functions are innovated to pave the road to the next-generation millimeter-wave 5G mobile smart RFIC. Speaker(s): Prof. Tian-Wei Huang , Agenda: Social:                   6:00 PM to 6:30 PM DML Presentation: 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM Location: Bldg: Club House Nashua Country Club 25 Fairway St Nashua, New Hampshire 03060

If you are applying to become a Senior Member, but need to find references, then this meeting is for you.  This will be your chance to meet with members who are of Sennior Member grade or higher, who can be references for you as part part of your Senior Membership application.  Applicants: Please bring at least two copies of your resume with you. If you are of Senior Member grade or higher, you are invited to attend to meet applicants to Senior Membership. Right now thre are 9 applicants in need of references.  Come and meet them.     Location: Room: McAllister Room Bedford Public Library 3 Meetinghouse Road Bedford, New Hampshire 03110

If you are applying to become a Senior Member, but need to find references, then this meeting is for you.  This will be your chance to meet with members who are of Sennior Member grade or higher, who can be references for you as part part of your Senior Membership application.  Applicants: Please bring at least two copies of your resume with you. If you are of Senior Member grade or higher, you are invited to attend to meet applicants to Senior Membership. Right now thre are 9 applicants in need of references.  Come and meet them.     Location: Room: McAllister Room Bedford Public Library 3 Meetinghouse Road Bedford, New Hampshire 03110