Trending RF & Microwave News Stories of the Week (18 - 22 May, 2020)

Qorvo Receives DoD Contract to Advance Copper-Pillar-on-GaN Technology

Qorvo has been awarded a three-year contract from the DoD to further advance the development of copper-pillar-on-GaN flip-chip technology. This Department of Defense (DoD) program will create a high-yield domestic foundry to mature the copper flip assembly process, which enables vertical die stacking in space-constrained phased array radar systems and other defense electronics.

Conventional module-level integration on printed wiring boards is performed by wire bonding and uses metal housing and chip-and-wire modules. This wastes space while adding weight and cost to the system. Copper pillar flip-chip technology enables vertical stacking of die to integrate many more components, resulting in a tighter die-to-die and die-to package spacing to reduce module weight and cost. Click here to read more.

Dialog Adds Distance Measurement Capabilities to its BLE SoC to Support Covid-19

Dialog Semiconductor has announced a new Wireless Ranging (WiRa) Software Development Kit (SDK) that adds highly accurate and reliable distance measurement capabilities to its DA1469x family of BLE SoCs.

The need for more accurate and reliable distance measurement and tracing technology has become even more critical in the wake of COVID-19. With businesses across the globe planning a controlled reopening of their workplaces, they are looking for solutions that will help guarantee safe distances between employees and improved contact tracing capabilities, to ensure safe working environments and peace of mind for employees. Click here to read more.

Verizon Accelerating 5G Deployment with Virtual Labs and Partnerships

Verizon has announced several new 5G milestones, including the creation of a virtual lab to accelerate the development of new 5G solutions and applications for consumers, businesses and government agencies; 5G Ultra Wideband availability in San Diego this month, Verizon’s 35th city to receive 5G mobility service; the roll-out of 5G uploads in all existing 5G Ultra Wideband cities; and four new 5G technology partners who will help extend millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G coverage.

Verizon is building a network that will change how everyone lives, work, and play. The company was first to 5G and continue to drive the industry and their customers forward creating more options for consumers and businesses looking to tap into the power of 5G for work, entertainment, and everything in between. Click here to read more.

Raytheon Ku-Band Radars Achieve 1.5 Million Operational Hours

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a producer of missile defense systems, precision weapons and radars announced that its Ku-Band Radio Frequency System, or KuRFS, and the Ku720 radar completed 1.5 million operational hours on the battlefield providing critical detect, discriminate, and intercept capabilities for the U.S. Army.

The KuRFS (Ku-Band Radio Frequency System) addresses an urgent operational need by drastically reducing the number of false alarms for incoming threats and giving soldiers a clear operational picture. Soldiers now know exactly what is approaching and have enough time to take cover while choosing the most appropriate counter effect to respond. Click here to read more.

TSMC to Build a 5nm Fab in the United States

TSMC, the largest semiconductor foundry company in the world has announced its intention to build and operate an advanced semiconductor fab in the United States.

The new facility will be built in Arizona, and will utilize TSMC’s 5-nanometer technology for semiconductor wafer fabrication. The fab will have a 20,000 semiconductor wafer per month capacity and result in the creation over 1,600 high-tech professional jobs directly, and thousands of indirect jobs in the semiconductor ecosystem. Construction is planned to start in 2021 with production targeted to begin in 2024. TSMC will spend approximately US$12 billion from 2021 to 2029 on thie project. Click here to read more.

R&S Test Instruments Now Support the New 1.35 mm E-Band Precision Coaxial Connector

Rohde & Schwarz has released the very first test and measurement instruments (R&S NRP90T and R&S NRP90TN) that support the novel, robust 1.35 mm precision coaxial connectors. The 1.35mm connector covers frequencies up to 90 GHz and will be included in the next releases of both IEEE and IEC relevant standards. Rohde & Schwarz has been a partner in the 1.35 mm E connector development project since its beginning in 2017.

An expert group with collective knowledge of microwave signal transmission initiated the joint project to develop and implement a new coaxial connector optimized for E-band frequencies. Emerging applications in particular for automotive radar from 76 to 81 GHz, plus the WiGig extension IEEE 802.11ay operating up to 71 GHz, highlighted the need for a novel, robust coaxial cable connector suitable for industrial applications at frequencies up to 90 GHz.  Click here to read more.

EDI CON China 2020 to be Held in October

Following the developments of the covid-19 outbreak, Horizon House, the organizers of the EDI CON CHINA event, have once again rescheduled the event which will now take place in October. The EDI CON CHINA 2020 event will take place at the Chinese National Convention Center (CNCC) in Beijing, China.

In Feb/March this year, Horizon House had announced that the event which was originally meant to take place in May had been rescheduled for September. However they were unable to secure availability of the convention center and thus will not take place from 13-14 October, 2020. Click here to read more.

Anritsu Gets 3GPP Approval for World’s First 5G New Radio Standalone Test for Carrier Aggregation

Anritsu has achieved approval for the world’s first 5G New Radio (NR) Standalone (SA) test for Carrier Aggregation. The test is based on 3GPP TS 38.523 and was approved by the 3GPP RAN5 working group in Frequency Range 1 (FR1). Anritsu has subsequently also achieved 3GPP approval for Carrier Aggregation testing for NR Non-Standalone (NSA) in Frequency Range 1.

All these test are available on Anritsu’s 5G NR Mobile Device Test Platform ME7834NR. The ME7834NR is registered with both the Global Certification Forum (GCF) and PCS Type Certification Review Board (PTCRB) as Test Platform (TP) 251. Click here to read more.

Buffer-Free Technology for GaN-on-SiC HEMT Delivers Enhanced Microwave Performance & Device Efficiency

In a new joint study with the Chalmers University of Technology Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, SweGaN explored QuanFINE epitaxial wafer performance, based on GaN HEMT technology at Chalmers - Gothenburg, Sweden.

Collaborating with top scientists from the university, the team performed a new benchmark comparing the conventional 1.8 µm thick Fe-doped GaN buffer epi-structure to SweGaN’s ‘buffer-free’ QuanFINE GaN HEMT heterostructures for microwave applications. The study revealed that the new concept using a total GaN layer thickness of 250 nm does not compromise the material quality and device performance. Furthermore, the device results indicate that the “buffer-free” QuanFINE material can outperform conventional materials at the device level in the long run. Click here to read more.

New Automotive Module Makes it Easy to Integrate V2X Technology in Various Applications

u‑blox, a global provider of leading positioning and wireless communication technologies has introduced the VERA‑P3 V2X module for vehicle‑to‑everything (V2X) applications. Based on the u‑blox UBX‑P3 V2X chip, VERA‑P3 puts automotive OEMs, Tier‑1s, and manufacturers of traffic management infrastructure on a fast track to integrating V2X technology into their platforms and solutions and deploying it commercially.

VERA‑P3 communicates via the IEEE 802.11p wireless standard, referred to as Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) in the USA, also known as ITS‑G5 in Europe, to connect vehicles with each other and with roadside infrastructure. By effectively seeing beyond the line of sight, V2X lets vehicles assist drivers in potentially dangerous situations, in the event of slow traffic ahead and by negotiating complex intersections. Smart cities can also benefit from vehicle‑to‑infrastructure (V2I) applications to manage traffic, from providing greenlight speed advisory, roadwork warnings, and hazardous location warnings. Click here to read more.

Isotropic to Deploy Multi-Beam Antenna Terminals for Communication in Challenging Environments at Sea

Isotropic Systems has signed an antenna evaluation and development contract with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to test the ability of its patented multi-beam antennas to unlock high-powered bandwidth aboard next-gen Naval vessels at sea.

As the U.S. Navy expands the size and communications capabilities of its global fleet, the DIU is reviewing Isotropic Systems' patented beamforming antenna technologies and circuits as an enabler to fuse multi-band, multi-orbit commercial and military capacity to deliver intelligence data at the tactical edge over a single platform. Click here to read more.

Signal Hound's Spike Spectrum Analyzer Software Now Compatible with Linux

Signal Hound, a leading company in USB-Based Spectrum Analyzers and Signal Generators announced that their Spike Spectrum Analyzer software is now compatible with the Linux OS, particularly 64-bit Ubuntu 18.04. Spike is Signal Hound’s spectrum analyzer software, compatible with the entire line of Signal Hound spectrum analyzers and tracking generators. Providing full device control, a configurable spectrogram display and user interface, and a variety of analysis modes, Spike is the perfect application for powerful and affordable RF analysis.

Spike was developed and tested on 64-bit Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. The Linux version of Spike contains the full feature set of the Windows variant, providing a 1:1 experience for those familiar with using Spike on Windows. Spike for Linux supports Signal Hound's BB60 and SM200-series real-time RF spectrum analyzers. Click here to read more.

NXP Introduces Bluetooth 5.0 MCUs for Automotive and Industrial Markets

NXP Semiconductors has announced the availability of new devices within its KW3x family of microcontrollers (MCUs). The new KW39/38/37 MCUs have Bluetooth 5.0 long-range capabilities and expanded Bluetooth advertising channels. These enhancements were made while offering a seamless migration path from the previous generation of devices, KW34/35/36. The connectivity MCUs allow Bluetooth LE devices to communicate at distances of more than a mile and increase the amount of Bluetooth advertising channels and advertising data within the Bluetooth standard. The new wireless MCU solutions allow developers to address emerging use cases for automotive and industrial digitization.

The KW39/38/37 wireless MCUs are designed with automotive and industry-grade hardware and software, along with robust serial communications with CAN-FD peripherals. The new devices are ideally suited for automotive applications, such as keyless entry, sensors and wireless onboard diagnostic functions. Additionally, they enable industrial applications such as building control and monitoring, fire and safety, home and institutional healthcare, asset management and monitoring and a range of other industrial use cases.

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