Trending RF & Microwave News Stories of the Week (13

Analog Devices Acquires Maxim Integrated for $21 Billion

Analog Devices Inc (ADI) has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Maxim Integrated Products Inc, under which ADI will acquire Maxim in an all stock transaction that values the combined enterprise at over $68 billion. The transaction, which was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, will strengthen ADI as an analog semiconductor leader with increased breadth and scale across multiple attractive end markets.

Under the terms of the agreement, Maxim stockholders will receive 0.630 of a share of ADI common stock for each share of Maxim common stock they hold at the closing of the transaction. Upon closing, current ADI stockholders will own approximately 69 percent of the combined company, while Maxim stockholders will own approximately 31 percent. The transaction is intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Click here to read more.

Samsung Releases White Paper Highlighting their Vision for 6G

Samsung has released a white paper entitled “The Next Hyper-Connected Experience for All” that highlights the company’s vision for the next generation communication system, namely 6G. The white paper covers various aspects related to 6G, including technical and societal mega-trends, new services, requirements, candidate technologies and an expected timeline of standardization.

Samsung’s vision for 6G is to bring the next hyper-connected experience to every corner of life. To accelerate research for 6G, Samsung Research, the advanced R&D hub within Samsung Electronics’ SET Business, founded its Advanced Communications Research Center in May of last year. Click here to read more.

LG Innotek Develops World's Smallest BLE Module for IoT Devices

LG Innotek has developed what it claims to be the world's smallest Bluetooth module. With this development, LG Innotek is entering the communication module market for the Internet of Things (IoT).

LG Innotek's "Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module for IoT" is a key component that enables data communications for IoT devices such as glucose measuring patches, smart lighting, outlets, switches, wireless earphones, and hearing aids. Thanks to its low power consumption feature, the module is mainly used for IoT devices that require a limited power supply, such as small wearable devices. Click here to read more.

VIAVI Enhances its RF Field Test Portfolio for 5G Networks

Viavi Solutions has made significant enhancements to its RF field test portfolio to enable service providers, network equipment manufacturers (NEMs) and contractors to accelerate the deployment and management of both 5G and legacy LTE radio access networks (RAN).

Strong demand for mobile data, together with anticipation of new 5G applications, is driving service providers to accelerate the deployment of their 5G networks, while ensuring existing mobile service is not compromised. As such, service providers are under pressure to reduce deployment time to meet the constant network demand even as they reduce operating expenses. VIAVI has worked closely with service providers to help them achieve these goals by delivering wide-ranging enhancements for its industry-leading RF test portfolio, including the CellAdvisor® 5G, OneAdvisor™-800 and InterferenceAdvisor™ solutions. Click here to read more.

Mitsubishi Develops Small, Efficient GaN Power Amplifiers for 5G Base Stations

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has developed a new technology to manufacture Gallium Nitride (GaN) power amplifier modules for 5G base-stations. The new GaN module offers a combination of a compact (6mm x 10mm) footprint and high power-efficiency (43% for the 5G frequency band from 3.4 - 3.8 GHz). It uses a minimum number of chip components for matching to control high-quality signal outputs, and is expected to help realize 5G base-stations that are widely deployable and highly power efficient. Technical details of the new module will be presented at the virtual IEEE International Microwave Symposium which will be held in August, 2020.

Key Features of the Power Amplifier:
Click here to read more.

Innovative Open Source, Low Cost 3 GHz Vector Network Analyzer

NanoRFE Foundation, a manufacturer of test equipment, has launched a low-cost 3 GHz T/R vector network analyzer designed by OwOComm. The NanoRFE Foundation funds the development of open source and affordable microwave test equipment and communications technology. They are an independent manufacturer of test equipment designed by the open source community, and work closely with original design engineers to ensure our products perform to design objectives.

The NanoVNA V2 hardware has been developed from scratch and is not based on the original NanoVNA by edy555. Compared to the original NanoVNA, V2 does not use harmonics for measurements and achieves a higher dynamic range. Click here to read more.

Bluetooth Device Shipments Expected to Exceed 6 Billion by 2024

According to a recently released 2020 Bluetooth Market Update, total annual Bluetooth® device shipments will exceed six billion by 2024. A big part of that is due to the trust, reliability, and staying power Bluetooth technology continues to have across a range of traditional device market categories, from audio, automotive, and connected devices like wearables to phones, tablets, and PCs.

Updated forecasts outlined in the 2020 Bluetooth Market Update, which is supported by forecasts from ABI Research and insights from several other analyst firms, continues to show that trends in traditional Bluetooth markets are on the rise with no sign of slowing down. Click here to read more.

Atlantic Microwave Introduces Cryogenic Amplifiers for SATCOM and Quantum Computing

Atlantic Microwave, an ETL systems company, has expanded its range of Cryogenic Amplifiers for the Satellite Communications industry. Atlantic provides RF and Microwave components that work down to cryogenic temperatures of 4K and below, typically for Quantum Computing. Specifically, Atlantic Microwave offers different Low Noise Amplifiers that work to these extreme temperatures for use in the cryostat systems.

The AOX Series is a range of miniature, versatile, small signal, low noise amplifier modules having a multi-octave bandwidth, with 25 dB gain and a very wide operating temperature range of -269 to +100 °C. The MMIC design utilizes GaAs PHEMT distributed amplifier MMIC technology, together with proprietary matching circuits within a robust light-weight aluminium alloy housing fitted with SMA Female connectors. They are available at different frequency ranges, from 1 to 20 GHz. Click here to read more.

ZTE and China Telecom Launch 5G SA Massive MIMO 1+X SSB Site Using 3.5 GHz Band

ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, has successfully launched China's first commercial 5G SA Massive MIMO 1+X SSB (Synchronization Signal and PBCH block) site with three-dimensional coverage on 3.5 GHz, along with the Hunan branch of China Telecom in Zhuzhou, China.

The 5G 1+X SSB solution offers better coverage, higher data rates, and lower TCO, addressing the requirement of spreading network coverage in dense urban areas with high-rise buildings, thereby showcasing the technological superiority of 5G Massive MIMO in vertical coverage. The site was built for the Dongfan International Building, which has nearly 30 floors, in Zhuzhou, China. With one horizontal wide beam and three vertical beams, the three-dimensional and in-depth network coverage has been successfully achieved. Click here to read more.

A Comparison of BAW & SAW Filter Technology for RF Front-Ends

In 2018, the market for RF front-end and connectivity was worth US $15 billion. According to Yole, this figure will reach US $26 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 8%.

For many years, Band Acoustic Wave (BAW) filters have been the leading RF filter technology for high frequency bands in mobile communication. Last year, Murata released a new filter based on a TF-SAW technology, the Incredible High Performance (IHP) SAW filter. This technology allowed Murata to address multiple smartphone functions, including PAMiD and diversity receivers. Click here to read more.

RF Diagnostics Develops Wireless Energy Harvesting System for IoT Applications

RF Diagnostics LLC, a leading designer of surface mount RF to DC converters and other building block modules, has developed some interesting Energy Harvesting Systems. With their products, users can harvest ambient AC/AM/FM/Wireless Energy to power an IoT battery-free system. They also provide custom designs for RF/microwave and general electrical engineering products and design contracting services to clients in the commercial wireless and defense electronics businesses.

RFDKIT-01: Energy Harvesting Development Kit Click here to read more.

New Digital Compact Receiver for Spectrum Monitoring and Direction Finding

Rohde & Schwarz recently introduced the R&S EM200, a cost-efficient and optimized receiver and direction finder in a compact format. The receiver detects, analyzes, and demodulates from 8 kHz to 8 GHz and optionally supports direction finding with Rohde & Schwarz compact DF antennas from 20 MHz to 6 GHz. This small form factor of the device allows easy integration and use in just a few steps. The receiver has an easy-to-operate and ready-to-use graphical user interface through which it can be controlled.

Understanding the complexity of today’s spectrum environment and demanding application requirements, the R&S EM200 offers a suite of tools and benefits that help users ensure high-quality, reliable operations. Click here to read more.

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