Trending RF & Microwave News Stories of the Week (4

R&S Introduces New Software to Help University Labs Manage Upto 300 Test Instruments at Once

Rohde & Schwarz has developed a new software to manage and remote control the test and measurement instruments in large student laboratories from a single computer. The new R&S Campus Dashboard, enables Lab managers, tutors, students and professors to benefit from its excellent usability, simplified workflows and automation capabilities.

The R&S Campus Dashboard simplifies the teaching process for large student groups in university laboratories, working on multiple workbenches. The PC application provides a wide range of functions that speed up teaching, gives access to instrument operations, settings, and data such as screen shots. It enables a teacher to set identical conditions on all student test instruments, to save settings from one instrument and distribute these settings to all students, or to retrieve results from all students simultaneously. Click here to read more.

Qorvo Ships 100 Million RF Devices for 5G Wireless Infrastructure

Qorvo has announced that it has shipped over 100 million 5G wireless infrastructure components since January 2018. Qorvo's broad 5G portfolio includes solutions for both the receive and transmit RF front end, enabling customers to utilize beamforming with massive multiple-in/multiple-out (MIMO) base stations to achieve higher data capacity, wider coverage, and indoor penetration using sub-6 GHz frequencies.

New 5G networks feature lower latency and higher data capacity which will enable virtual reality/augmented reality, connected cars, and new smart home and IoT applications. Click here to read more.

Breakthrough BAW Resonator Technology Paves the Way for High-Performance Communications

Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced bulk acoustic wave (BAW)-based embedded processing and analog chips for the next generation of connectivity and communications infrastructure. Communications and industrial automation systems with discrete clocking and quartz-crystal devices can be costly, time-consuming and complicated to develop and are often susceptible to environmental stress. The new devices with TI BAW resonator technology integrate reference clocking resonators to provide the highest frequency in a small form factor. This higher level of integration improves performance and increases resistance to mechanical stresses, such as vibration and shock. As a result of stable data transmission enabled by TI BAW technology, data synchronization of wired and wireless signals is more precise and allows for continuous transmission, which means data can be processed quickly and seamlessly to maximize efficiency.

The first two devices developed with TI BAW technology, the SimpleLink CC2652RB wireless microcontroller (MCU) and the LMK05318 network synchronizer clock will help system designers streamline design logistics for faster time to market, while enabling stable, simplified and high-performance data delivery, which in return, allows for potential overall development and system cost savings. Click here to read more.

Industry's First Quad and Dual-Channel RF-Sampling Transceivers for Multi-Antenna Systems

Texas Instruments has introduced two new RF-sampling transceivers that are the first to integrate four analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and four digital-to-analog converters (DACs) in a single chip. With operation at an RF of up to 6 GHz, this device enables direct RF sampling into the C-band frequency range without the need for additional frequency conversions stages. This improvement in density and flexibility enables high-channel-count, multimission systems. It has a wide frequency range, high instantaneous bandwidth and 75 percent smaller design footprint than a discrete solution. The quad-channel AFE7444, and dual-channel AFE7422 transceivers help engineers more easily achieve multiantenna, direct RF sampling for radar, software defined radio and wireless 5G applications.

Key Features of the Transceivers: Click here to read more.

More than 15 Billion RAIN RFID Tag Chips Sold in 2018

The RAIN RFID Alliance announced that there were as many as 15.4 billion RAIN RFID tag chips sold across the globe in 2018. This is 23% growth over 2017, and the RAIN RFID market is on track to reach over 20 billion tag chips sold annually by 2020.

Tag chip forecast discussions began after the RAIN RFID Alliance was founded in 2014, and the industry has been expecting to achieve annual sales of over 20 billion tag chips by 2020. The Alliance is an organization supporting the universal adoption of RAIN UHF RFID technology. A wireless technology that connects billions of everyday items to the internet, enabling businesses and consumers to identify, locate, authenticate and engage assets. The Alliance is part of AIM Inc. AIM has served as the association and worldwide authority on automatic identification, data collection and networking in a mobile environment for over 40 years. Click here to read more.

Demand for RF-SOI Components Drives Chinese Manufacturer to Increase Production of 200mm SOI Wafers

Soitec, a pioneer in semiconductor materials, and, silicon-based semiconductor materials company, Shanghai Simgui Technology Co. Ltd, have announced an enhanced partnership deal to increase the production of SOI wafers. Under the agreement, the companies will jointly work to increase their annual production capacity of 200mm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers from 180,000 to 360,000 at Simgui's manufacturing facility in Shanghai, China, to better serve the growing global market for RF-SOI in mobile and Power-SOI products.

Since signing their original licensing and technology transfer agreement in May 2014, the companies have achieved high quality standards with Simgui mastering Soitec's Smart Cut proprietary process to deliver world-class RF-SOI and Power-SOI products. Simgui's strategic partnership with Soitec allows them to use the same tools and processes to deliver the same products meeting the same specifications. Click here to read more.

WiGig Startup Raises $42 Million in New Financing

Peraso Technologies, a fabless semiconductor company and developer of mmWave technology and WiGig chipsets, has raised $42 million in funding. The funding was co-led by two strategic investors and existing investor Roadmap Capital. This level of funding ranks near the top for all semiconductor companies funded in 2018.

Peraso is a Canada-based startup, which received its initial financing in October 2009. The company is an original member of the Wireless Gigabit (WiGig) 60 GHz Alliance and was a key contributor in the IEEE 802.11ad specification process through its unification into the Wi-Fi Alliance, where it remains an active member. The company specializes in the development of integrated circuits for the 60 GHz wireless marketplace. Click here to read more.

Wireless Test Solution Evaluates 802.11p and LTE-Sidelink Communication in Cars

In the future, cars will exchange data via radio and warn each other about obstacles and accidents. There are currently various radio standards in existence to allow this. However, it is almost impossible to compare them, because the requisite hardware is not yet on the market. To address this lack, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications-Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) have developed a software system that will enable users to analyze future wireless technologies. For manufacturers, this is an ideal solution for testing interesting radio applications at an early stage.

Slowly but surely, the automobile is developing into the autonomous vehicle, with new functions are added in each generation. Proximity radars have now become almost standard. And even mid-range vehicles are being fitted with steering control systems that keep cars in lane if the driver falls unconscious or is being inattentive. However, the autonomous driving of the future will go much further, with automatic communication between cars. Click here to read more.

University of California San Diego and ETS-Lindgren Collaborate on R&D for 5G

The University of California San Diego (UCSD) and ETS-Lindgren have announced a research and development (R&D) collaboration to address emerging fifth generation (5G) and mmWave wireless technologies. With the proliferation of wireless technology into every corner of our lives, starting with traditional cellular and wireless LAN technologies and leading to the impending evolution of autonomous vehicles and the "Internet of Things," 5G and the corresponding mmWave technology will become a reality in the near future. Modern "smart antennas", such as advanced adaptive antenna systems, will enable the much faster data communication speeds required of tomorrow's 5G wireless devices. However, these new antennas pose unique challenges to designers and manufacturers of wireless devices, largely due to the beam forming capabilities which are now required for increasingly faster communication speeds. To address these challenges, ETS-Lindgren provided UCSD with a portable test enclosure for 5G and mmWave device R&D, to be used under the guidance of Professor Gabriel M. Rebeiz.

Professor Rebeiz, the Wireless Communications Industry Chair at UCSD, is well-known as one of the fathers of silicon RFIC phased-arrays. Since 2001, he has taken this technology from its infancy to SATCOM phased-arrays, 60 GHz base-station phased-arrays, automotive radar phased-arrays, and now, 28 GHz and 39 GHz 5G systems. He and his team of Ph.D. students will use ETS-Lindgren's portable test enclosure, Model AMS-5700, to gather performance test data on the design of their phased-arrays. ETS-Lindgren also provided its industry-leading EMQuest Antenna Measurement Software to efficiently provide a range of fully parameterized test methods for measuring basic antenna performance metrics, as well as testing radiated performance of various wireless technology devices, including the different 5G technology variants from mmWave radios to Massive MIMO base stations. Click here to read more.

RF Coupler with Integrated Real-Time Monitoring Capabilities for Critical Communication Systems

Microlab has introduced the SMART Passives System, an innovative, patent-pending solution for monitoring transmission lines, components, and antennas for in-building Emergency Services Communications Systems. SMART stands for System Monitor, Alarm, Report Technology. These capabilities are first being deployed in the SMART Coupler. The SMART Coupler consists of a specially designed broadband, passive, directional coupler for 130 – 960 MHz combined with active, diagnostic tools for system monitoring with failure detection and isolation capabilities. The real-time monitoring capabilities that the SMART Coupler provides will ensure that Public Safety DAS owners can depend on the operation of their critical communication systems.

The SMART Passives System is made up of a SMART Gateway at the head-end and SMART Couplers deployed in the Distributed Antenna System (DAS). Each coupler reports the Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) at each port based on a calibrated CW tone generated by the gateway. By storing and comparing the VSWR at each port over time the SMART system can report failures such as an open or short circuit. The gateway then communicates the alarm via e-mail, SMS, or SNMP and pinpoints the location where the failure occurred. SMART Couplers are designed to replace the required tappers and couplers already used in a passive DAS network and require no additional hardware, special tools, power or Ethernet connectivity. Power for the SMART Coupler and all communications back and forth with the SMART Gateway is done over existing RF coaxial cable. Click here to read more.

Industry’s Smallest 802.15.4 Sub-GHz Module

Microchip Technology has introduced the smallest IEEE 802.15.4-compliant module that combines an ultra-low-power microcontroller (MCU) with a sub-GHz radio, accelerating time to market and providing long-lasting battery life in wireless-networked sensors. At half the size of the next smallest module on the market, the SAM R30 module meets the needs of space-conscious designs such as home automation sensors and controls.

Based on IEEE 802.15.4, the SAM R30 module supports proprietary networks that can be easily customized and configured. This is ideal for applications where interoperability is not desired due to their inherent vulnerability to remote attacks, such as alarm systems, building automation, smart cities, and industrial sensor networks. A key advantage of an IEEE 802.15.4-based network is that member devices can sleep for extended periods of time and remain part of the network. The SAM R30 module features ultra-low-power sleep modes, with wake from General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) or its built-in Real-Time Clock (RTC) while consuming approximately 800 nA. Devices can sleep for years, only waking as needed to transmit data. Click here to read more.

Low-Profile Antenna for LTE & FirstNet, UHF and GNSS Applications

Mobile Mark Antenna Solutions has introduced a new low-profile combination antenna (LLPG304 Series) that covers LTE & FirstNet, UHF and GNSS applications.

This 3-cable surface mount antenna is designed specifically for Public Safety applications. It covers the frequency range from 694-4200 MHz, including bands for Cellular, LTE, FirstNet, and 5G-ready applications such as CBRS (Citizen Band Radio Services) at 3.7 GHz. The antenna offers 3 dBi peak gain from 694-960 MHz and 4 dBi peak gain from 1710-4200 MHz. Click here to read more.

Anritsu Unveils Field Test Instrument for 3D Indoor/Outdoor Coverage Mapping for 5G NR

Anritsu, along with location solutions company, TRX Systems, has introduced the industry’s first field solution that provides 3D indoor and outdoor coverage mapping for 5G New Radio (5G NR). The new solution integrates the Field Master Pro MS2090A RF handheld spectrum analyzer with the MA8100A TRX NEON Signal Mapper. The offering was unveiled at the ongoing IWCE 2019 expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The new integrated field test solution allows wireless professionals deploying 5G NR to conduct more accurate measurements than conventional instruments using 2D data to ensure 5G NR networks meet performance specifications both indoors and outside. Commercial wireless service providers, public safety entities, and wireless subcontractors can use the Field Master Pro MS2090A with NEON to ensure reliable communications everywhere, from wide open spaces in the countryside to the middle of a large city. NEON can also be used to ensure network performance inside office buildings, on trains in underground tunnels, and in large public spaces such as sports arenas, shopping malls, and airports. Click here to read more.

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Trending RF & Microwave News Stories of the Week (4 - 8 Mar, 2019)