Top Stories of the Week

SkyLiTE Front End Modules Target IoT Applications

Skyworks Solutions has expanded its family of SkyLiTE™ front-end solutions powering LTE devices. Originally targeted for mobile platforms in emerging markets, the newest solutions are also being adopted across Internet of Things (IoT) applications that utilize embedded cellular connections such as the connected car and wearables.

The SkyLiTE™ product family incorporates the amplification, switching, Wi-Fi filtering and coupler functionality required to support all major FDD/TDD bands and has been uniquely architected to support the hardware and software compatibility requirements for all major system on a chip platforms. Read more

Sierra Wireless LTE-A Embedded Module to be Integrated in Lenovo Notebooks

Sierra Wireless has announced its AirPrime® EM7455 embedded module has been selected by Lenovo to provide fast and reliable LTE-Advanced cellular connectivity in next-generation notebooks, tablets, and 2-in-1s. The AirPrime® EM7455 is the industry’s first embedded module to support LTE-Advanced – the latest 4G LTE standard aimed at improving network capacity, throughput, and operational efficiency. Designed for mobile computing and enterprise networking, the EM7455 represents the fourth generation of LTE modules from Sierra Wireless. The new AirPrime module is based on the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X7 LTE modem, a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated.

As the Internet of Things continues to grow and more devices are added to cellular networks, the additional capacity and throughput that LTE-A offers is essential to providing superior mobile computing and M2M communications. Read more

Emite and R&S Collaborate on LTE Test Setup

Rohde & Schwarz and EMITE have announced that the new R&S CMWflexx wideband radio communication tester setup has been successfully used in combination to the EMITE E500 reverberation chamber and a channel emulator to test up to 4CC LTE-A FDD CA with 2x2 MIMO on each carrier and more realistic isotropic urban-macro (UMA) fading profiles. The tests were performed for a leading US carrier.

The R&S CMWflexx is specially designed for testing LTE-A with a high number of component carriers. It is the latest addition to the R&S CMW500 wideband communication tester family. The instrument can be used in all phases of product development and production and supports all common cellular and non-cellular wireless technologies. Read more

Anadigics Receives Higher Buyout Offer

ANADIGICS has announced that it has received a revised buyout offer from an unnamed party, which will expire on December 31, 2015. The Company’s Board of Directors will evaluate this revised offer, along with the amended Acquisition Proposal from the Competing Bidder that was determined by the Company’s Board of Directors to be a “Superior Offer” as disclosed by the Company on December 23, 2015.

On Dec 16, Anadigics said it had received an offer from an undisclosed third-party firm to acquire all its outstanding shares for 48 cents a share. Consequently, GaAs Labs raised its offer price to match the offer by the competing bidder. On Dec 23, Anadigics announced yet another superior buyout offer of 54 cents from the competing bidder. Read more

Low Power Wearable Chipset Combines Dual-Mode Bluetooth & GPS

MediaTek has announced the MT2523 - This system-in-package (SiP) solution has been developed for active and fitness smart watches and is the first to offer GPS, dual-mode Bluetooth Low Energy, and a MIPI-supported high-resolution mobile screen. The MT2523 combines long battery life, high-quality display technology, and small chip size to provide for optimum user experience. The SiP’s printed circuit board area is 41 percent smaller than competitors’ solutions. Mediatek claims that this module boosts battery life of wearable devices by about a week, when compared to other modules.

MediaTek’s MT2523 product family is based around a highly integrated system in package (SiP) that contains a micro controller unit (MCU), dual-mode Bluetooth, GPS and a power management unit (PMU). Read more

60 GHz USB 3.0 802.11ad Reference Design Delivers Multi-Gigabit Speeds

SiBEAM has announced a USB 3.0 adapter reference design supporting the IEEE 802.11ad wireless standard (also known as WiGig®) for wireless connectivity at gigabit per second speeds over the 60 GHz frequency band. The reference design lets OEMs add wireless gigabit connectivity to laptop and desktop computers and is designed to be fully complementary and interoperable end-to-end with Qualcomm Atheros’ 802.11ad networking solution.

Wireless data traffic continues to grow exponentially, causing significant congestion on 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks. By operating over the much less crowded 60 GHz spectrum and supporting connectivity speeds up to ten times faster than today’s Wi-Fi technology, 802.11ad is expected to revolutionize wireless connectivity.Read more

Innovative Antenna for Weather Satellites Tested in Hertz Chamber

An innovative antenna assembly developed to serve Europe’s coming generation of weather satellites is being tested in the ESA’s cavernous Hertz chamber, which can reproduce the boundless reaches of space. This UHF and L-band combination patch-array antenna (Developed by Thales Alenia Space Italy) has been designed to operate aboard Meteosat Third Generation Imaging satellites.

The ESA and Eumetsat’s Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) programme will extend and enlarge the services currently provided by Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites from 2020 onwards. The mission requires two types of satellites, MTG-I (imaging) and the MTG-S (sounding). Read more

New Approved Tower Mounted Amplifier Makes Installation Easier

Westell Technologies has announced a significant enhancement to its Tower Mounted Amplifier (TMA) solutions. Westell’s new B90 TMA is a first-of-a-kind solution that re-injects the radio frequency (RF) signal protocol known as AISG (Antenna Interface Standards Group) from the RF base station into the antenna port of the TMA, thus allowing it to be received by both the TMA and the antenna. This feature allows the customer to save on installation time and costs, while improving reliability.

The B90 TMA is an advanced and cost-effective cell site optimization solution. It was engineered to streamline the installation process with one less cable to worry about and optimize signal pass-through. Read more

High Performance, Low Cost CMOS RF Front-End ICs Target the IoT Market

RFaxis has announced additional products to its expanding portfolio of RF front-end integrated circuit (RFeIC™) solutions for the global IoT / M2M (machine-to-machine) market. The new products expand their family of RF front-end ICs for the sub-GHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands commonly used for range extension in many classes of wireless communication systems for IoT.

The RFX2403 is integrated with a high-efficiency power amplifier (PA), low noise amplifier (LNA) with bypass, and Transmit/Receive switching circuitry for 802.15.4 ZigBee/Thread, proprietary ISM radios in the 2.4 GHz spectrum, while also supporting linear modulations such as Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE). Read more

RFMW to Distribute Ampleon Products

RFMW Ltd. and Ampleon will continue of their distribution relationship coinciding with the formation of Ampleon’s global business operations. Ampleon is the RF Power Business Unit recently spun-off from NXP Semiconductors. Under the agreement, RFMW continues their franchise agreement for the entire RF Power business activity, including sales and support of the complete line-up of Ampleon’s LDMOS and GaN RF Power products.

Reinier Beltman, the CEO of Ampleon comments, “With a unique focus on RF Power technology and innovation we are extremely well positioned to meet the growing market need for power, cost and space efficient RF Solutions. Read more

Start Up Raises $16.5 Million to Create Battery less Sensors for IOT

PsiKick is a start-up that is working towards creating self-powered sensing solutions. Their systems-on-chips operate at up to 1,000x lower power than existing state-of-the-art “low power” solutions. They have recently announced a $16.5M Series B financing round, led by Osage University Partners and joined by existing investors New Enterprise Associates (NEA), the University of Michigan Investment in New Technologies Fund (MINTS) as well as individual angels. This brings total funding raised by the Company to over $22M.

Prior to this funding round, PsiKick created a platform of fundamental technologies for wireless devices that are entirely self-powered. Read more

NXP Introduces the World’s Smallest 77 GHz Radar Transceiver

NXP Semiconductors has announced the world's smallest single-chip 77 GHz radar transceiver (7.5x7.5 mm) for automotive radars. Radar is a core technology in existing and future Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), as it provides precise data about the surrounding driving environment, ultimately making life safer for drivers and commuters on the road. Working prototypes of the RFCMOS IC are in the hands of NXP’s lead customers. This solution is also currently being field tested by Google engineers working on the self-driving cars project.

The NXP chip enables a new generation of radar sensor assemblies, roughly the size of a postage stamp, that can be integrated “invisibly” practically anywhere in the car – a great advantage for vehicle designers as the number of sensors steadily increases on the road towards automated driving.Read more

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Top Stories of the Week - 8 Jan, 2016