Trending RF & Microwave News Stories of the Week (1

Qualcomm Introduces Tri-Band Wi-Fi Solutions for 2.4/5/6 GHz Bands

With networks pressured more than ever by simultaneous work and school-from-home, surging on-demand video streaming, and latency sensitive real-time gaming, newly opened 6 GHz spectrum is the solution to meet the moment. Ready with solutions to help manufacturers leverage this new technology, Qualcomm has announced four new Qualcomm Networking Pro Series Platforms supporting Wi-Fi 6E, extending its signature Wi-Fi 6 feature set into the 6 GHz band designed to deliver multi-gigabit speeds, high bandwidth and a surge in low latency network capacity.

The latest platforms introduce include Qualcomm's Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6, offering simultaneous operation in 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz frequency bands. Setting a new industry benchmark for scalability and performance, the Qualcomm Networking Pro Series Platforms are the first to offer support for up to 2,000 simultaneous users while designed to deliver full network capacity in an unprecedented 16-stream Wi-Fi 6E configuration. Choosing from four scalable Wi-Fi 6E offerings, manufacturers can develop products with applications ranging from home Wi-Fi mesh systems to enterprise access points targeting business, large-venue, and campus networks. Click here to read more.

Comtech Introduces the World’s Smallest Over-the-Horizon Microwave Troposcatter Terminal

Comtech Telecommunications announced that its Florida-based subsidiary, Comtech Systems, has introduced the Comtech COMET, the world’s smallest over-the-horizon (OTH) microwave troposcatter terminal. Comtech Systems is part of Comtech’s Government Solutions segment and has also received an initial contract award for production terminals from ADS, to be used by a US Military end-customer.

COMET, which stands for Compact Over-the-horizon Mobile Expeditionary Terminal, is the world’s first rapidly deployable, low power, airline checkable, OTH microwave troposcatter terminal. Troposcatter technology has long been associated with large antennas and high-power amplifiers that require kilowatts of prime power and large trucks to transport them to the field. The COMET has fundamentally changed this paradigm. Click here to read more.

Ultra Wideband Technology to Show Strong Growth in the Years to Come

According to a market research report from Strategy Analytics, the global market for UWB (ultrawideband) systems and radio chips has experienced a jump in traction and sales in 2019 with the introduction of new standards, chips and applications.

According to their latest finding published in, The Return of UWB: Chip Forecast in Smartphones, Automotive, Industrial & More, Apple’s iPhone 11 models with the new U1 ultrawideband radio chip along with new automotive standards for remote keyless entry represent a major shift in UWB from a relatively unknown technology to a market under-doing exciting growth to high volumes. Click here to read more.

Researchers Develop Energy Efficient Switches for 5G and Terahertz Communication Systems

The 5G revolution has begun and the first lines of phones that can access the next generation wireless technology have already hit the shelves. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Lille in France have built a new component that will more efficiently allow access to the highest 5G frequencies in a way that increases the battery life of a device and speeds up how quickly one can do things like streaming high-definition media.

Smartphones are loaded with switches that perform a number of duties. One major task is jumping between networks and spectrum frequencies: 4G, Wi-Fi, LTE, Bluetooth, etc. The current radio-frequency (RF) switches that perform this task are always running, consuming precious processing power and battery life. The switch that the researchers have developed is more than 50 times more energy efficient compared to what is used today. It can transmit an HDTV stream at a 100 gigahertz frequency, and that is unheard of in broadband switch technology. Click here to read more.

AR Updates their EMC Test Software for RF & Mircowave Applications

AR/RF Microwave Instrumentation, a leading manufacturer and distributor of various EMC and wireless telecommunication products announced the updated version of their EMC test software - emcware^® 5.0. This updated software will transform capabilities from accelerated start-up to 1-click reporting and will provide ease of use. The emcware 5.0 Suite by AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation provides automated Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing and report generation for users ranging from OEM, independent and R&D test laboratories. It is a standalone software application designed to operate on a PC running a Microsoft Windows operating system.

The New Version of AR’s emcware Delivers: Click here to read more.

Compact Ka-Band Antenna for Satellites Unfolds into a 5 Meter Antenna Reflector

The Ka-band offers datarates higher than most other commonly used satellite communication frequency bands. To support this frequency band, L3Harris has designed Ka-band antennas for SATCOM Applications that can fold out in to an antenna with a reflector that ranges from 1 to 25 meters in diameter. These unfurlable reflector feed antenna systems provide unmatched performance for satellite communications and broadcast systems that require high throughput for mission-critical performance and higher antenna gain for increased satellite capacity.

These systems feature a radial rib design that can be either hub-mounted or edge-mounted, provides a reflector aperture size that ranges from 3.5 meters to 9 meters. L3Harris' 5-meter Ka-band unfurlable mesh reflector is creating a buzz in the satellite community because of the combination of its small size and never-before-achieved accuracy for unfurlable technology at Ka-band frequencies. L3Harris claims that this is the only commercially available 5-meter Ka-band Unfurlable Reflector. Click here to read more.

SALUS Uses Radar, Optical and Infrared Technology to Reduce Road Accidents Caused by Wild Animals

The Universities of Applied Sciences of Ulm and Heilbronn along with industrial partners have created a system to tackle the issue of accidents caused by wildlife on roads. Every two minutes there is an accident caused by wildlife on German roads which cost the insurance industry more than 600 million euros in 2015 alone.

The machine-learning-system, named ‘SALUS’, uses a mix of radar, optical cameras and infrared sensors plus neural networks and is designed to be able to differentiate between pedestrians, cars, bicyclists, motorbikes, deer, foxes, wild boar etc. and predicts the behavior of these objects. The system then sends warnings to car drivers and other road users to prevent accidents. The data of the micro-Doppler radar is gathered by a Spectrum Instrumentation PCIe digitizer card M2p.5926-x4 that provides the required number of channels and bandwidth. Click here to read more.

High-Speed Photodetectors to Boost Microwave Signal Stability a Hundredfold

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed high-speed photodetectors that can transfer optical clock stability to the microwave domain. They used state-of-the-art atomic clocks, advanced light detectors, and a measurement tool called a frequency comb to boost the stability of microwave signals a hundredfold. This marks a giant step toward better electronics to enable more accurate time dissemination, improved navigation, more reliable communications, and higher-resolution imaging for radar and astronomy. Improving the microwave signal’s consistency over a specific time period helps ensure the reliable operation of a device or system.

The work transfers the already superb stability of the cutting-edge laboratory atomic clocks operating at optical frequencies to microwave frequencies, which are currently used to calibrate electronics. Electronic systems are unable to directly count optical signals, so the NIST technology and techniques indirectly transfer the signal stability of optical clocks to the microwave domain. The demonstration has been described in the May 22, 2020, issue of Science. Click here to read more.

Worldwide Smartphone Market Expected to Decline 11.9% in 2020

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, the worldwide smartphone market is forecast to decline 11.9% year over year in 2020 with total shipments down to 1.2 billion units. The forecast follows the largest year-over-year decline in history in the first quarter of 2020 (1Q20). Smartphone shipments are now expected to decline 18.2% in the first half of the year as the macroeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect consumer spending. Global smartphone shipments are not expected to return to growth until the first quarter of 2021 (1Q21).

What started as a supply-side crisis has evolved into a global demand-side problem. Nationwide lockdowns and rising unemployment have reduced consumer confidence and reprioritized spending towards essential goods, directly impacting the uptake of smartphones in the short term. On the brighter side, 5G is expected to be a catalyst throughout the forecast period, which will play a vital role in worldwide smartphone market recovery in 2021. Click here to read more.

RFMW Announces Global Distribution Agreement with EliteRF

RFMW has announced a global distribution agreement with EliteRF. Under the agreement, RFMW is franchised for worldwide marketing and sales of EliteRF’s portfolio of RF amplifiers and test equipment. EliteRF offers an extensive range of custom and standard RF amplifier components, as well as RF/MW test equipment. RFMW is a specialized distributor providing customers and suppliers with focused distribution of RF and microwave components as well as specialized component-engineering support.

John Mastela, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at EliteRF, commented that RFMW’s World Class RF engineering expertise is a perfect fit with EliteRF’s product offerings. RFMW’s industry-leading technical sales support and global logistics will allow EliteRF to provide the service levels that their customers have come to expect from EliteRF world-wide. Click here to read more.

X-COM Adds New RF Interference Testing Capabilities to its Record and Playback System

X-COM Systems LLC, a Bird company, has expanded the IQC5000B Record and Playback System compatibility to include the Anritsu Field Master Pro MS2090A RF handheld spectrum analyzer. The IQC5000B is the industry's smallest, high-fidelity, dual-channel system that can record RF spectrum with an instantaneous bandwidth of up to 255 MHz.

Providing the ultimate in signal analysis and RF interference capture, the IQC5000B and MS2090A are ideally suited for RF signal monitoring, hunting, capturing, analyzing, detecting, and signal identification with an instantaneous bandwidth of 110 MHz and frequency coverage up to 54 GHz. Click here to read more.

STMicroelectronics Launches Next-Gen NFC Reader IC for Digital Car Keys

STMicroelectronics has introduced a new NFC reader IC in their already successful ST25R digital car key product line. The ST25R3920 is a new device that introduces enhanced features for stronger performance, including rapid key response and extended range.

Digital keys let drivers conveniently lock and unlock their cars using their smartphones, and support added-value features including easy sharing and management of access privileges for other users such as friends or valets. They could also enable new vehicle-ownership models, including car subscription services. The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) Digital Key Release 2.0, relaying on NFC, even offers the ability to use the key while the phone battery is so low that normal device operation is disabled. Click here to read more.

Space Tech Expo USA to go Digital in 2020

The Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center has now cancelled all mass gathering events, up to September 2020, resulting in the postponement of Space Tech Expo USA 2020 (scheduled to take place from 10-12 August, at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center).

In order to maintain their commitment to North America’s aerospace sector, and the civil, commercial and military aerospace supply chains, Space Tech Expo announced that that they will launch Space Tech Expo Connect, a brand-new digital event that will take place in August 2020. Click here to read more.

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Trending RF & Microwave News Stories of the Week (1 - 5 June, 2020)