Trending RF & Microwave News Stories of the Week (8

China Becomes the World’s Largest IoT Market with 1 Billion Connections

The GSMA has announced that Chinese mobile operators are leading the world in the deployment of transformative Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. By connecting an estimated 960 million devices via cellular networks, China is realizing the value of IoT and is transforming society through mass market deployments of smart home, smart industry and smart city solutions. According to GSMA Intelligence, China is the world’s largest IoT market with 64% of the 1.5 billion global cellular connections including the rapidly growing Mobile IoT licensed LPWA technologies.

Backed by proactive government support, China is now at the forefront in the development and mass deployment of innovative and transformative IoT based solutions based on Mobile IoT technology. These new technologies are being implemented across multiple different vertical sectors fundamentally altering the way of living and work, delivering real-time information and making cities smarter and lives easier and more productive. Click here to read more.

Akash Systems Raises $14.5 Million to Commercialize its SATCOM Technology

Akash Systems, a startup focused on resolving the explosive growth of data collected from space by enabling faster, cheaper and ubiquitous satellite communications, has raised $14.5 million in Series A funding. This new funding round consists of $10 million in new equity funds, and $4.5 million converted from prior convertible notes.

Investors in this round include Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund, ACME Capital, Sriram Krishnan, Correlation Ventures and others. Akash will deploy the new capital toward scaling its transmit/receive radio modules and power amplifier business, moving it closer to profitability. Click here to read more.

Germany Makes 700 MHz Frequency Band Available for 5G Rollouts

German telecom regulator, the Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA), has announced the availability of 700 MHz spectrum for future 5G rollout programs in Germany. The telecom regulatory body expects Germany to see commercial 5G deployments by 2020 and thus is working hard to make the transition smooth for mobile network operators.

The 700 MHz band, previously had been used for terrestrial television services, however, those services have now been migrated to different frequencies. According to BNetzA President, Jochen Homann, the release of the 700 MHz spectrum band would help Germany's mobile network operators offer a more comprehensive service. The additional frequencies are now available nationwide for mobile network operators to improve their coverage, especially in rural areas, according to him. Click here to read more.

SATCOM Equipment Market for Space to be Worth $7.0 Billion by 2025

According to the new market research report from MarketsandMarkets, the SATCOM Equipment Market is projected to grow from USD 2.8 billion in 2019 to USD 7.0 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 16.8% from 2019 to 2025. This report covers the ‘SATCOM Equipment Market for Space’, prepared with respect to Components (Transponders, Transceivers, Converters, Amplifiers, Antennas), Satellite Type (CubeSat, Small, Medium, Large), End User (Commercial, Government & Military), and Application, Region. The growth of the market across the globe can be attributed to the increasing launch of satellites for applications such as earth observation, communication, and navigation.

Based on application, the earth observation & remote sensing segment is projected to lead the SATCOM equipment market for space during the forecast period. Click here to read more.

Skyworks Introduces 5G Antenna Tuning Solution from 600 MHz to 6 GHz

Skyworks has introduced the SKY5 - 9269-702LF, a high-performance antenna aperture tuning switch. The wideband 16-state device is extremely compact and designed to deliver best-in-class efficiency and enhanced bandwidth coverage from 600 MHz to 6 GHz for LTE Advanced Pro and emerging 5G standards for mobile platforms. This new solution is part of Skyworks' Sky5 portfolio enabling 5G applications and is fully-integrated in Sky5 Ultra and Sky5 LiTE platforms.

Antenna tuning plays a critical role in maintaining smartphone power efficiency and battery life, particularly as signal processing complexity continues to rise with the onset of 5G. With smartphone manufacturers adding new features such as 4x4 multiple-in, multiple-out (MIMO) and 5G new radio (NR) for 2019 applications, next-generation architectures must embed significantly more antennas. New bezel-less smartphones integrate anywhere from four to seven antennas to support future data demand versus the two to four average antenna count within today’s platforms. At the same time, the migration to full-screen infinity displays and expanded functionality limit the amount of board space available. Skyworks’ innovative antenna tuning solutions leverage proprietary design and process techniques to help drive antenna performance while meeting stringent linearity demands and size constraints to support ultra-fast 5G connectivity. Click here to read more.

R&S and Marvin Develop Turnkey Production Tester for 5G Beamforming ICs

Beamforming is becoming a default concept in 5G NR and satellite communications. It is also a common technology in the aerospace and defense industry, the specialty field of US-based aerospace test and measurement provider Marvin Test Solutions. The cooperation between the two companies began when Marvin Test Solutions showed interest in the capabilities and specifications of the R&S ZNBT40 as the basis for their 5G beamforming IC production tester.

The new R&S ZNBT40 is a multiport VNA enabling fast, reliable and extensive verification and characterization of beamforming ICs with typically 5, 9 or even 17 RF ports. It is a unique vector network analyzer with a frequency range from 100 kHz to 40 GHz and a true multiport architecture. Besides testing multiport devices under test (DUT) like the beamforming ICs, it also allows parallel testing of multiple DUTs using up to 24 ports. The large number of ports makes it possible to characterize a beamforming IC in full detail and see the cross-correlation effects while monitoring all antenna connections. Click here to read more.

Micro Harmonics Receives Contract from NASA to Develop Cryogenic mm-Wave Isolators

Leading developer of mmWave isolators and circulators, Micro Harmonics, has received a Phase II SBIR contract from NASA to develop cryogenic mm-Wave isolators. Follow-on to the previous Phase I program, the Phase II effort will enable Micro Harmonics to expand its product line to add cryogenic options for every standard waveguide band from WR-15 (50 to 75 GHz) to WR-3.4 (220 to 330 GHz).

The NASA SBIR program, which began in June 2019 and is scheduled to complete in June 2021, also funds the development of room temperature isolators for WR-2.8 (260 to 400 GHz) and WR-2.2 (330 to 500 GHz), as well as several voltage variable attenuators covering WR-15 through WR-8 (90 to 140 GHz). Micro Harmonics specializes in ferrite-based mmWave components and offers isolators and circulators designed for NASA instruments. Through Phase I and II SBIR programs, NASA funded Micro Harmonics to develop the company’s initial mmWave isolators and circulators. Click here to read more.

Anritsu's Base Station Simulator Now Supports Tests for Next-Generation eCall Technology

Anritsu has extended its eCall test solution to support the next-generation emergency call system (NG-eCall). The test solution consists of the MD8475A/B Base Station Simulator and the eCall Test software (MX703330E).

eCall is a pan-European emergency call system for sending information about road accidents to a PSAP. Early intervention of emergency services is expected to save lives and alleviate severe injuries. The European Union (EU) mandated fitting of 112-based eCall in-vehicle systems (IVS) to all new M1- and N1-category vehicles from 31 March 2018. Click here to read more.

Lockheed’s Next GPS III Satellite is Now Ready for Deployment

The GPS satellite constellation is about to get its next dose of new technology and more advanced capabilities. The second next-generation, Lockheed Martin-built GPS III satellite – nick-named ‘Magellan’ by the US Air Force -- is sealed up and ready to launch (planned for July 25).

On June 26, Lockheed Martin Space and United Launch Alliance (ULA) technicians completed encapsulating the GPS III Space Vehicle 02 (GPS III SV02) in its launch fairings at the company's Astrotech Space Operations facility, where the satellite underwent pre-launch processing and fueling since its March 19 arrival in Florida. This final step enclosed the GPS III SV02 in a protective, aerodynamic, nose-cone shell. Click here to read more.

DARPA Selects BAE Systems’ Machine Learning Platform to Decode RF Signals

BAE Systems has been awarded funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to integrate machine-learning (ML) technology into platforms that decipher radio frequency signals. Its Controllable Hardware Integration for Machine-learning Enabled Real-time Adaptivity (CHIMERA) solution provides a reconfigurable hardware platform for ML algorithm developers to make sense of radio frequency (RF) signals in increasingly crowded electromagnetic spectrum environments.

The $4.7 million contract is dependent on successful completion of milestones, that include hardware delivery along with integration and demonstration support. CHIMERA’s hardware platform will enable algorithm developers to decipher the ever-growing number of RF signals, providing commercial or military users with greater automated situational awareness of their operating environment. This contract is adjacent to the previously announced award for the development of data-driven ML algorithms under the same DARPA program (Radio Frequency Machine Learning Systems, or RFMLS). Click here to read more.

mm-Wave Technology Enables Long Distance Communication Using Drones

SECOM and Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have developed a millimeter wave wireless communication system that enables long distance communication, and has succeeded in transmitting 4K uncompressed video in real time from a drone.

SECOM is focusing on services for securing wide area facilities by using wireless communication technology for drones. Wide area surveillance with drones requires real-time transmission of high definition video such as uncompressed 4K videos providing the professional resolution, for rapid and accurate analyses. Click here to read more.

Tektronix Introduces 13 and 16 GHz Oscilloscopes for Automotive & Military Applications

Tektronix has announced the expansion of its scalable DPO70000SX Series Performance Oscilloscope to include new 13 GHz and 16 GHz models. The new offerings allow engineers to take advantage of the high sample rate and low noise floor of Tektronix’s highest performance family of oscilloscopes at lower bandwidth levels and more affordable price points.

The DPO70000SX Series oscilloscopes were initially developed to test high performance, high speed serial and optical interface standards. With this platform extension, Tektronix is bringing these high-end capabilities to lower speed interfaces such as USB, Display Port, HDMI, LPDDR, MIPI C-PHY and D-PHY plus legacy server storage applications such as PCI Express Gen 3 and SATA that are widely used in consumer, automotive and military/aerospace applications. Click here to read more.

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Trending RF & Microwave News Stories of the Week (8 - 12 July, 2019)