RF & Microwave News Stories of the Week(18-22 Feb, 2019)

Researchers Reduce RF Interference in Electronics through a New Circuit Board Design

Researchers at the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Laboratory at Missouri S&T have proposed a new method to reduce radio-frequency interference in electronics through a new circuit board design. Their approach, which could result in cost savings, is described in a paper that was a finalist for “best paper” at a recent conference related to high-speed communications and the semiconductor industry.

In their paper, the Missouri S&T researchers studied a popular consumer electronic device and its multiple digital sub-systems, including a central processing unit, a double data rate (DDR) memory chip and Wi-Fi antennas. They proposed a way to reduce radio-frequency interference, or RFI, in the device without impeding signal integrity. Click here to read more.

mm-Wave Dual Channel Vector Signal Generator with 2 GHz Bandwidth

Keysight has launched the first dual-channel microwave signal generators that support up to 44 GHz signals and 2 GHz radio frequency (RF) modulation bandwidth in a single instrument. The new VXG microwave signal generators address the most demanding wideband millimeter wave (mmWave) applications for 5G and satellite communications by decreasing test set-up complexity and reducing path losses introduced in over-the-air (OTA) test environments.

Many 5G New Radio (NR) deployments leverage wider channel bandwidths and active antenna arrays operating in the mmWave frequency spectrum to support multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), as well as beamforming technologies. 3GPP mandated conformance testing of components, and other wireless network equipment aimed for deployment in mmWave frequencies, need to be performed in radiated OTA test environments. Click here to read more.

Qualcomm Introduces 5G RF Front-End Solutions for Sleeker 5G Multimode Mobile Devices

Qualcomm has launched its second-generation RF front-end (RFFE) solutions for 5G multi-mode mobile devices. The new products represent a comprehensive RF solution designed to work with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G modem, delivering a comprehensive modem-to-antenna system for high-performance 5G mobile devices supporting both sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave (mmWave) bands.

The new system solution is engineered to assist OEMs with accelerating time-to-launch, improving performance, supporting an increasing number of frequency bands and lowering development effort for building 5G mobile devices. Mobile operators can benefit from improved network capacity and coverage due to the advanced capabilities of devices, while consumers can enjoy sleeker 5G smartphones with superior battery life, call reliability, quality, data speeds, and network coverage. Click here to read more.

Fractus Antennas Launches an Ultra-Compact 5G Mobile Antenna

Fractus Antennas has introduced an ultra-compact, game-changing antenna for 5G connectivity. The DUO mXTEND is a miniature, multi-port antenna that delivers high-speed connectivity for 5G from 3400-3800 MHz. It has a dual port configuration that allows it to be used at the corner of a PCB board or at the center edge of the board/device, giving the designer freedom for allocating the other electronic components.

This antenna does not require any clearance around its footprint making is super easy to integrate in to any wireless device. This new antenna booster is modular, multipurpose and multi-port and enables top-quality high-speed connectivity to IoT and Mobile devices using 5G. Click here to read more.

World’s Most Advanced Commercial Multimode 5G Modem to Accelerate 5G Deployment

Qualcomm has released the Snapdragon X55 5G modem, its second-generation 5G New Radio (NR) modem. Snapdragon X55 is a 7-nanometer single-chip integrated 5G to 2G multimode modem that supports 5G NR mmWave and sub-6 GHz spectrum bands with up to 7 Gbps download speeds and 3 Gbps upload speeds over 5G, and Category 22 LTE with up to 2.5 Gbps LTE download speeds. The Snapdragon X55 5G modem is designed for global 5G rollouts with support for all major frequency bands, whether mmWave or sub-6 GHz, supports TDD and FDD modes of operations and is capable of both Standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) network deployments – providing flexibility and enabling virtually all deployment types globally. In addition to deployments in greenfield frequency bands allocated for 5G, the Snapdragon X55 modem is engineered to support dynamic spectrum sharing between 4G and 5G, enabling operators to accelerate 5G deployments by using their existing 4G spectrum holdings to deliver both 4G & 5G services dynamically.

The Snapdragon X55 5G modem pairs with the newly announced 5G mmWave antenna module (QTM525), a new single-chip 14nm RF transceiver for 5G sub-6 GHz and LTE, and sub-6 GHz RF front-end modules to deliver the next generation modem-to-antenna solution for all major spectrum bands, helping customers to build 5G devices quickly, and at global scale. Snapdragon X55 is designed to bring 5G to a broad range of devices including premium smartphones, mobile hotspots, Always Connected PCs, laptops, tablets, fixed wireless access points, extended reality devices, and automotive applications. Click here to read more.

Robust RFID UHF Antennas Designed to Last a Lifetime

RFID reader and antenna supplier, FEIG ELECTRONIC, has introduced new Robust UHF Antennas, capable of withstanding the harshest and most extreme outdoor and industrial environments. Operating from below freezing to extremely high temperatures, the Robust UHF Antennas will work with any reader and are backed by an equally robust warranty.

Awarded the highest certification available for impact rating, its’ IP65 die-cast aluminium, weatherproof, sealed housing protects against dust, dirt, and wind-driven rain, ensuring superior reliability and avoiding inconvenient and costly maintenance. The antenna carries a full 36-month warranty when paired with a FEIG UHF reader. It is ideal for any outdoor or industrial application where harsh, demanding conditions exist, such as gated access control, perimeter protection, vehicle mounting on waste collection trucks or industrial forklifts, container tracking in shipping ports, airport baggage handling operations, and vehicle identification for road tolling. Click here to read more.

55 Commercial 5G Networks to be Operational by 2020

The pace of commercial deployments is a clear indication of the competition to offer 5G services. At this time last year, only 28 service providers had reported that they were in field trials with 5G architecture. This rapid escalation of deployment plans comes in spite of the fact that 3GPP standards for 5G are not expected to be final until 2020. Thus, even though the schedule for network launches has accelerated, service providers need to be careful about finalizing architectures, and detailed technical information about deployment plans is still limited at this point. Click here to read more.

Iridium Completes $3 Billion Satellite Constellation Upgrade

SATCOM solutions expert, Iridium Communications, has completed its $3 billion satellite constellation upgrade known as Iridium NEXT. Announced during a press conference in Washington DC, the company also introduced a new small-form-factor transceiver known as the Iridium Certus 9770, which will enable creation of new consumer and industrial applications that are highly portable and IoT-friendly, optimized for small size and low cost, yet with higher speeds than in the past thanks to the upgraded Iridium satellite network.

The completion of the Iridium NEXT campaign comes as the final two satellites required to complete the network refresh were activated on February 5th at approximately 2:15 p.m. EST. With a fully operational constellation, featuring 66 new Iridium satellites and no further launches planned, Iridium has concluded its nearly decade-long capital-intensive program that created an upgraded network both in space and on the ground. After spending several hundred million dollars per year to build and deploy the new network, the company expects capital costs to decrease to approximately $35 million per year, with revenues continuing to grow as the company expands into newer revenue streams like broadband, IoT and hosted payloads. Click here to read more.

Sub-Terahertz Wavelength Detection System to Help Autonomous Cars See through Dust and Fog

Researchers at MIT have developed a sub-terahertz-radiation receiving system that could help steer driverless cars when traditional methods fail. Currently, autonomous vehicles traditionally, use light-based image sensors that often struggle to see through blinding conditions, such as fog.

Sub-terahertz wavelengths, which are between microwave and infrared radiation on the electromagnetic spectrum, can be detected through fog and dust clouds with ease, whereas the infrared-based LiDAR imaging systems used in autonomous vehicles struggle. To detect objects, a sub-terahertz imaging system sends an initial signal through a transmitter; a receiver then measures the absorption and reflection of the rebounding sub-terahertz wavelengths. That sends a signal to a processor that recreates an image of the object. Click here to read more.

GaN-Based Advanced Signal Amplifiers to Enable ESA’s Mission to Survey Global Forest Cover

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) upcoming global-surveying mission to survey the Earth’s forest cover, Biomass Earth Explorer, is set to launch by 2022. Under the 5-year mission, the Biomass Earth Explorer satellite, with its 12-m diameter radar antenna will pierce through woodland canopies to perform a global survey of Earth’s forests – and see how they change over the course and also chart the amount of biomass and carbon stored in these forests.

Trees are an integral, much-loved element of the environment; they also hold clues to the collective future. Knowing the amount of carbon bound up in forest biomass will sharpen the understanding of climate change and its likely effects on the global carbon cycle. Click here to read more.

Small Cell 5G Network Market to be Worth $3.5 Billion by 2025

According to a new market research report published by MarketsandMarkets™, the global Small Cell 5G Network Market size is expected to grow from USD 528 million in 2019 to USD 3509 million by 2025. The report "Small Cell 5G Network Market by Component (Solutions and Services), Radio Technology (5G NR (Standalone and Non-Standalone)), Cell Type (Picocells, Femtocells, and Microcells), Deployment Mode, End User, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025", predicts that the market will grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 37.1% during the forecast period.

The major growth drivers for the market include the increase in the mobile data traffic, the emergence of Citizen broadband radio Services (CBRS) band, and the minimization of Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operational Expenditure (OPEX). Click here to read more.

Rohde & Schwarz Introduces World’s First Combined Test Solution for NB-IoT and Bluetooth

At MWC 2019, Cellular IoT company, CommSolid will present an IoT reference design integrating its NB-IoT and Bluetooth SOCs. The manufacturer has used Rohde & Schwarz’s CMW290 IoT radio communication testers for RF and functional testing of both transmission methods. At Embedded World 2019 in Nuremberg, which takes place at the same time as MWC in Barcelona, Rohde & Schwarz will demonstrate the realistic measurements that make this device solution possible.

In the demos, Rohde & Schwarz will present the CommSolid IoT solution in a real-world application scenario: rental bicycles in an urban environment transmitting their position and usage data via NB-IoT and querying the bicycle status at the bicycle rental station via Bluetooth LE. Both transmission methods are designed for low current consumption, long battery life and secure communications. Click here to read more.

Sequans Introduces World’s Most Advanced LTE for IoT Chip Platform

Sequans has released the second generation of its LTE-M and NB-IoT chip platform called Monarch 2. The newer version is built on three years of Sequans’ exclusive and field-proven experience with first-generation Monarch platform, which is and has been the industry’s leading LTE for IoT chip since its introduction in 2016.

Monarch 2 incorporates full reuse of Monarch’s software and architecture, allowing all existing customers to migrate to the upgrade, seamlessly. It brings several significant advancements, including an integrated secure element (SE) with the industry’s highest level of security, enabling a variety of integrated SIMs, a 60-percent improvement in power consumption, beating the already industry-lowest level of Monarch, and an industry-leading high level of integration that further simplifies and lowers the cost of IoT device design. Click here to read more.

Blighter's Micro-Doppler Ground Surveillance Radar Deployed at the Indian Border

Blighter Surveillance Systems is supplying its Blighter B400 series E-scan micro-Doppler ground surveillance radar to Dat-Con Defence for deployment along the Indian border.

The Blighter radar was supplied to and deployed by Dat-Con Defence in 2018 as part of the Indian Government's Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS). CIBMS is designed to establish a multi-tier security ring – ground surveillance radar, thermal cameras, unattended ground sensors, seismic vibration systems, fences, and fence protection systems – to protect the country's long international borders. Click here to read more.

Xilinx's Single-Chip Adaptable Radio Platform to Support Full sub-6GHz Spectrum

Xilinx has extended its award-winning Zynq UltraScale+ Radio Frequency (RF) System-on-Chip (SoC) portfolio with greater RF performance and scalability. Building on the multi-market success of the Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC base portfolio, next-generation devices can cover the entire sub-6 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum, which is a critical need for next-generation 5G deployment. They support direct RF sampling of up to 5 giga-samples per-second (GS/S), 14-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and 10 GS/S 14-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs), both up to 6 GHz of analog bandwidth.

Xilinx’s RFSoC portfolio is the only single-chip adaptable radio platform that is designed to address current and future industry requirements. The portfolio now includes: Click here to read more.