Latest News and Products from RF & Microwave Industry : 26th April, 2016

802.11 b/g/n WiFi Module for IoT Applications

The WGM110 from Silicon Labs is an 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Module that includes all necessary elements required for an IoT Wi-Fi application. It consists of an 802.11b/g/n radio, integrated antenna, certifications, a micro-controller, Wi-Fi and IP stacks, an HTTP server, and supports multiple protocols, such as TCP and UDP. It has a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 processor with a RAM of 128 kB, Flash Memory of 1 MB. The WGM110 module includes highly flexible hardware interfaces supporting various peripherals and sensors. It has a long connectivity range of 450 m. Silicon Labs offers the support to guide and help developers in using this module to build IoT applications, with quick time to market. The WGM110 is available in a module with dimensions 21.0 x 14.4 x 2.0 mm. Click here to see product specs

Low Power RF Transceiver from 300 to 960 MHz

The MLX73290-A is a RF Transceiver from Melexis that supports multiple bands from 300 to 960 MHz. This highly integrated RF IC delivers a transmitter output from -20 dBm to 13 dBm, has a receiver sensitivity down to -120 dBm in a 15kHz channel bandwidth. This RFIC supports a maximum data rate of 250 kbps with modulation schemes like on-off keying (OOK), binary frequency shift keying (FSK), minimum shift keying (MSK), Gaussian minimum shift keying (GMSK) and Gaussian frequency shift  keying (GFSK). This transceiver is available in a 32L QFN5×5 package and is idle for use in Low-power tracking systems, Secure access systems and Passive Keyless Entry/Start (PKES). Click here to see product specs

Vicotee Launches Off-the-Shelf Plug & Play IoT Solution

A Norwegian company Vicotee AS has announced the release of Vicotee - a wireless mesh Internet of Things (IoT) sensor interface which utilizes SmartMesh IP from Linear Technology.

This innovative IoT solution provides a vast array of opportunities for increased control and efficiency of physical infrastructure, made possible through the collection of data by sensors that can be located practically anywhere. This Vicotee IoT product is a flexible and complete solution which interfaces with sensor hardware and cloud-based reporting dashboards, where data is analyzed and smart sensors can be configured over the air in real-time. Read more

Multi-Channel RF Transceiver for Keyless Entry & Low-Power Tracking Systems

Melexis has introduced the MLX73290-A, a new device featureing a sophisticated multi-channel RF transceiver, combined with a 3D low frequency (3DLF) interface that supports ultra-low power operation. Through its integration of sub-GHz RF and low-frequency technologies, this RF IC is highly optimized for use in vehicle activation, logistics and various Internet of Things (IoT) applications. These include passive keyless entry & start (PKES), secure access and low-power tracking systems, where a very-low power wake-up function together with long range, high speed RF feedback are mandated.

This 3DLF interface features an automatic and fully programmable scan mode, constantly polling for a valid low frequency (LF) signal on the 3 differential receive coil inputs. This permits a typical 4µA power consumption in LF detection mode. Read more

Model Makes Designing Antennas Orders of Magnitude Faster

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a model that allows antenna designers to identify efficient configurations for antenna designs in minutes, rather than days. This model is designed to expedite development of next generation “multi-input, multi-output” (MIMO) antennas, which allow devices to get more use out of the available bandwidth.

In a MIMO system, multiple transmitters can send data on the same frequency but along different spatial paths. Multiple receivers can distinguish between those multiple streams of data based on the uniqueness of the paths that the radio waves take to the multiple receivers. Read more

Ralph Lauren Pilots RFID-enabled Mirrors in Fitting Rooms

The union between fashion and tech has finally taken a major step forward. The fitting room, formerly nothing more than a tiny lit closet with a full-length mirror, can now offer useful information on the clothes - from pricing and sizing to accessories customers may also want to check out. Iconic fashion brand Ralph Lauren has integrated its fitting rooms with new “smart mirrors” from software company Oak Labs, incorporating NXP’s latest RAIN RFID IC UCODE 7.

Items brought into the fitting room are detected by reading their RFID tags, prompting an item quantity number to pop up on the touch-screen mirror. Shoppers can view unique item details, request alternate colors or sizes, view stylist recommendations or request to help from an associate for a more engaging person-to-person experience. Read more

Latest NI AWR Software to be showcased at IMS2016

The latest version of the NI AWR Design Environment will be showcased in a slate of activities at the International Microwave Symposium (IMS) 2016, taking place in San Francisco from May 22 to 27, 2016. A number of NI AWR software demonstrations on load-pull and radar systems, as well as antenna design and third-party integration flows will be on display in Booth #1529. AntSyn, a new, cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) antenna synthesis and optimization solution that enables designers to input their antenna engineering requirements and produce antenna designs as outputs, will also be showcased. Read more