Trending RF & Microwave News Stories of the Week (13 - 17 April, 2020)

Qualcomm Unveils Ultra Low Power NB2 IoT Chipset

Qualcomm Technologies has announced the release of its most power efficient single-mode NB2 (NB-IoT) chipset, the Qualcomm 212 LTE IoT Modem. Power efficiency is a top concern for IoT devices that have to last for years in the field. Requiring less than one micro-amp (1uA) of sleep current, the Qualcomm 212 LTE IoT Modem’s cutting-edge power-efficient chipset architecture allows for extremely low average power consumption. To support wide range of batteries and longer life span of the device in the field, the modem couples ultra-low system-level cut-off voltage with provisions for adapting power usage according to varying source power levels – allowing end devices with power supply levels as low as 2.2 volts.

The Modem supports single-mode 3GPP Release 14 Cat. NB2 IoT connectivity and is able to extended coverage for delay tolerant applications on RF frequency bands from 700 MHz to 2.1 GHz for Global roaming. Housed in a compact single-chip solution including modem baseband, application processor, memory, RF transceiver with fully integrated RF front end, and power management units, the modem enables LTE modules below 100 square millimeters in size. It's high level of integration with few external components not only results in a low-cost Bill of Materials, but also facilitates quicker module design enabling faster commercialization time for OEMs. Click here to read more.

RF Signal Generator Market to Grow by $24.92 Million from 2019 to 2023

Technavio has published a new report on the RF Signal Generator market which is expected to grow by USD $24.92 Million from 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 2% during the forecast period. The report offers up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19 on the industry.

The current RF signal generator market is moderately concentrated. RF signal generator manufacturers are focusing on expanding the capability of existing generators for application-specific analyses. According to the report, to make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Click here to read more.

Teledyne Introduces High Power PIN Diode Limiter Modules for EW and Radar Applications

Teledyne e2v HiRel has announced a new addition to its family of high power limiters for electronic warfare and radar applications. The TDLM202402 is a quasi-active S-band SMT PIN Diode Limiter that offers “always on” high power CW and peak protection.

The limiter has 50 dBm (100 W) CW power handling capability and 60 dBm (1,000 W) peak power from 2 to 4 GHz (25 µsec pulse width at 5% duty cycle). Parts are screened and qualified for high-reliability applications. It boasts excellent thermal management features, with a proprietary design methodology that minimizes thermal resistance from the PIN Diode junction-to-base plate (RTHJ-A). The limiter design employs a two-stage detector circuit which enables ultra-fast turn-on of the high-power PIN Diodes.  Click here to read more.

Samsung Achieves 8.5 Gbps 5G Speeds by Using Carrier Aggregation and MU-MIMO

Samsung Electronics has achieved the industry’s fastest 5G speeds in a lab demonstration that combined 800 MHz of mmWave spectrum with MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) technology. Using two test mobile devices, the demonstration achieved approximately 4.3 Gbps speeds on each, reaching an industry peak speed of 8.5 Gbps across both devices. The demonstration was conducted using the Samsung 5G mmWave Access Unit.

To achieve this level of speed, two key technologies were used: Carrier Aggregation and MU-MIMO. The wide bandwidth from mmWave spectrum enables mobile operators to provide multi-gigabit speeds that lower band spectrums are unable to match. With multi-gigabit speeds, users can experience transformational 5G mobile services. Mobile operators will be able to deliver new and rich services such as 8K video streaming, AR remote learning, and holistic VR teleconferencing as well as new use cases that are yet to be imagined. Click here to read more.

Resonant Enhances XBAR Resonator Performance to Address 5G and Wi-Fi Co-existence Issues

Resonant Inc. has announced expanded performance for its XBAR high-frequency resonator for RF filters that can manage the co-existence of 5G, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E networks, protecting each from co-interference and the resulting degradation in network performance.

Resonant’s ground-breaking XBAR technology enables ultra wide operating bandwidths at high frequencies. The company has demonstrated measured results of XBAR-based filters that operate in frequency bands supporting 5G and Wi-Fi up to 7000 MHz (802.11 ax) with bandwidths over 1000 MHz (18% relative bandwidth). These filters also achieve low-losses (<1.5 dB) across the band and offer excellent rejection to adjacent interfering frequencies (>50 dB). Click here to read more.

RF Front End Component Market to Remain Stagnant in 2020 Due to COVID-19

Strategy Analytics has announced that the market for RF front-end components remained flat in 2018 and 2019, and will remain flat in 2020, despite frequent claims by companies and analysts of unbridled growth in RF with 4G and 5G. According to a new report, ‘Power Amp and RF Front End Market Share and Forecast Update’ published by Strategy Analytics, the slow smartphone sales, OEMs resistant to higher bills of material, trade tensions, and an economic slowdown in China will all result in curtailing the growth of RF front-end components used in mobile phones and other cellular user equipment.

Market changes in 2018 and 2019 hit Skyworks the hardest, but Qorvo and Broadcom maintained sales of power amplifiers, filters, and other front-end modules overall, while Qualcomm picked up some share with 5G design wins. At the same time, scores of new entrants, most of them in China, took some share, mainly in lower-end phones. Click here to read more.

Global Defense Radar Market to Exceed $20 Billion by 2028

According to a new report from Strategy Analytics, global defense radar spending will grow to $20 Billion in 2028 with radar shipments growing at a CAGR of 3.2%. The majority of this rise can be attributed to Active Electronically Scanned Arrays (AESA) based radar systems. AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array), wideband and digital technologies will continue to drive new procurement and upgrade opportunities. The associated market for semiconductor and other components will approach $3.7 billion in 2028.

AESA radar systems have become a requirement for most new platforms and major upgrades. The increased capabilities and performance of AESA-based radars help expand mission envelopes and increase force multiplication. The performance advantages of GaN is critical to the benefits of AESA radars, so despite the uncertain short-term COVID-19 implications, experts remain optimistic for AESA radar deployment and GaN revenue to grow quickly in the defense radar segment. The report forecasts that GaN will be the fastest growing device technology, with revenue increasing by a factor of four over the forecast period.  Click here to read more.

Shielded GPS LNA Front End Modules for Mobile Applications

Skyworks Solutions has released two new shielded GPS low-noise amplifier front end modules (FEMs) for mobile applications like smartphones and tablets. The SKY65725-11 and SKY65728-11 feature high linearity, excellent gain, and superior noise figure to enable design flexibility and high levels of integration. Integrated pre-filters provide a low in-band insertion loss and excellent rejection of cellular, PCS, and WLAN frequency bands. The shielding  allow them to be placed closer to the antenna for improved receiver sensitivity that is necessary in today's mobile devices. 

While the SKY65725-11 is designed for GPS/GNSS/BDS receiver applications, the SKY65728-11 is developed for GPS L5 band receiver applications.  Click here to read more.

Bird Introduces 13.56 MHz Precision Pulse Power Sensor

Bird, an RF test and measurement technology expert, has expanded its power sensor family with the introduction of the state-of-the-art 7037 Precision Pulse Power Sensor. The 7037 sensor builds upon Bird's existing sensor portfolio to provide one of the most accurate and cost-effective devices for measuring RF power.

The 7037-1-595701-xxyy is a 13.56 MHz sensor with an RF power accuracy of 0.5% across a power range from 10 W to 10 kW. This is the first product in the series to be released. Bird plans to introduce units at 400 kHz, 60 MHz, and additional frequencies in the future. Using this power sensor makes it easy to calibrate RF generators that are essential to semiconductor fabrication. By using the time domain analysis feature, a calibrated view of the RF pulse waveform which can enable a detailed characterization of high-power pulses. The logging capability supported by the sensor's Virtual Power Meter enables analysis of RF power data for system fingerprinting and a more streamlined process development.  Click here to read more.

Nokia Adds New Features to its AirScale Radios for 5G

Nokia has added a number of new product innovations to its AirScale portfolio to meet the evolving needs of 5G networks and help mobile operators realize the full potential of 5G. This includes the launch of a Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) software upgrade for existing Nokia AirScale base stations and the Nokia AirScale All-in-Cloud base station for boosting network efficiency.

As part of the portfolio expansion, Nokia launched a range of new AirScale products, including compact dual and triple-band remote radio heads to support cell site deployment requirements. It has also introduced several new high-performance massive MIMO adaptive antennas to deliver 5G coverage and high capacity. These new upgrades support 4G and 5G networks today, increase cell capacity, and lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) bringing 5G experiences to businesses and consumers faster. Click here to read more.

Use These Third Party Software Tools with Signal Hound Spectrum Analyzers

Signal Hound, a leading RF test and measurement company, that provides a wide range of modular, affordable, high-performing RF spectrum analyzers and signal generators, has announced its support for third-party software to enable affordable and high-performance operations. While all Signal Hound spectrum analyzers are enabled to perform with the company’s own SPIKE software, they also support third-party software. The third party applications compatible with Signal Hound spectrum analyzers include:

 Kestrel TSCM Professional Software Click here to read more.

10 KW S-band Transmitter for Radar and Jamming Applications

Empower RF, a high-power amplifier solutions provider for reliable communications, defense, and industrial applications, has introduced a compact solid-state GaN-on-SiC based Amplifier that provides up to 10 KW of peak pulsed power from 2.9 to 3.5 GHz.

The Model 2213 Transmitter is based on Empower’s established and field-proven Next Generation architecture that is tactically deployed and operating on multiple levels in support of a variety of critical DOD missions. Click here to read more.