Trending RF & Microwave News Stories of the Week (9

Mitsubishi Expands its GaN-HEMTs Lineup to Support Ku-band Multi-Carrier Applications

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has announced that its lineup of gallium-nitride high-electron-mobility transistors (GaN-HEMTs) for satellite communication (SATCOM) earth stations will be expanded with the addition of new Ku-band (12-18GHz) 70W and 100W GaN HEMTs suitable for multi-carrier applications. The 70W-model GaN-HEMT achieves low third-order intermodulation distortion (IMD3) with a wide offset frequency of up to 400 MHz, which is believed to be the industry’s highest level, while the 100W-model GaN HEMT combines unmatched power output with low IMD3 and an offset frequency of up to 200MHz. Mitsubishi Electric will begin shipping samples of both models on January 15^th, 2020.

The demands for Ku-band satellite communications and satellite news-gathering (SNG) are rapidly growing to support communications during natural disasters and in rural areas where the installation of cable network equipment is difficult. In addition, increasingly large-capacity, high-speed communications have expanded needs for both multi-carrier and single-carrier satellite communications. Mitsubishi Electric’s new GaN HEMTs are expected to accelerate the realization of smaller earth stations as well as faster and larger-capacity communications for various needs. Click here to read more.

Intel Unveils Highly Integrated, Mixed-Signal RF SoC for Quantum Computers

Intel Labs, the research division of Intel, has introduced a first-of-its-kind cryogenic control chip - code-named “Horse Ridge” - that will speed up development of full-stack quantum computing systems. It will enable control of multiple quantum bits (qubits) and set a clear path toward scaling larger systems - a major milestone on the path to quantum practicality.

Developed together with Intel’s research collaborators at QuTech, a partnership between TU Delft and TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research), Horse Ridge is fabricated using Intel’s 22nm FinFET technology. In-house fabrication of these control chips at Intel will dramatically accelerate the company’s ability to design, test and optimize a commercially viable quantum computer. Click here to read more.

Law Firm Sues Apple and Samsung for Exceeding Authorized RF Radiation Levels

National consumer-rights Law firm FeganScott has filed a lawsuit against Apple and Samsung for allegedly exceeding the federal RF radiation limit. The firm hired a third-party lab to determine the level of RF radiation generated by devices manufactured by the two companies.

The independent results confirm that RF radiation levels are well over the federal exposure limit, sometimes exceeding it by 500 percent when phones are used as marketed by the manufacturers. Click here to read more.

RF Signal Generator Market to Grow at 2% CAGR from 2019 to 2023

According to the latest market research report from Technavio, the radio frequency (RF) signal generator market size is expected to post a CAGR of close to 2% from 2019 to 2023.

The growing number of manufacturing units will be one of the major factors behind the radio frequency (RF) signal generator market growth. Companies are focusing on increasing the construction of manufacturing units as product manufacturing is a critical activity in many countries. For instance, NISSAN MOTOR announced the plan to start the manufacturing of its Nissan Frontier pickup truck vehicles in Argentina. The demand for RF signal generators is expected to be driven by the increasing demand for automation solutions in discrete and process manufacturing units. OEMs that plan to construct new manufacturing sites will require new test equipment, which is likely to increase the sales of RF signal generators. Click here to read more.

Realistic Field Tests for C-V2X Using SDR Systems

Becker Nachrichtentechnik and Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) have partnered to develop C-V2X prototype systems that allow very flexible trials in a real-live environment.

By using Software Defined Radio systems (SDR) HHI provides the highest flexibility to implement the latest features from standardization in every layer of the 3GPP stack, while the RF front-end module from Becker Nachrichtentechnik will ensure high radio performance required for trials within realistic environments. Click here to read more.

Waterproof Vertical PCB Mount SMA Coaxial Connectors

Designer and manufacturer of connectors and coaxial cable assemblies, GradConn, has introduced two vertical PCB mount variants to its Nautilus range of IP68 rated coaxial connectors. This is in addition to the comprehensive range of Nautilus IP rated cable assemblies further establishing GradConn as the leading choice for dust and waterproof coaxial requirements.

The new SMA type vertical PCB mount Nautilus connectors are ideal for applications where the RF module connects to an antenna through tracks on the circuit board instead of a cable assembly to save space within compact designs. Click here to read more.

II-VI Signs $100 Million Agreement to Develop SiC Substrates for GaN RF Power Amplifiers

II‐VI Incorporated, a manufacturer of optoelectronic components for applications in communication, material processing, semiconductor capital equipment, and automotive markets has announced that it has signed a multiyear agreement for over $100M, the largest in the history of II-VI, to supply silicon carbide (SiC) substrates for gallium nitride (GaN) RF power amplifiers deployed in 5G wireless base stations.

The accelerating rollout of 5G wireless services is driving deeper strategic relationships in the 5G wireless supply chain ecosystem to meet the market windows. This new agreement builds on II-VI’s extensive experience as a leading global supplier of high-quality SiC substrates for the 4G and 5G markets. Click here to read more.

Molex Gets Recognition for Developing an Innovative Antenna Solution for Cars

Molex, an automotive Tier 1 supplier of end-to-end data solutions, has been selected by the editors of Autonomous Vehicle Technology (AVT) magazine for the second year in a row as a recipient of the 2020 ACES Award. Molex is recognized in the category of Connectivity for its next-gen solution that fuses a telematic control unit (TCU) into an antenna creating a sleek, hidden design.

As connected vehicles continue communicating with the digital environment, the role of antennas and integrated high-performance TCUs (Telematic Control Unit) is increasingly crucial. With its extensive expertise, Molex fused the two in an innovative solution to create the TCU Antenna Fusion. Click here to read more.

Vector Signal Transceiver for Military, Land Mobile and Avionics Applications

Astronics Corporation, a provider of advanced technologies for the global aerospace, defense, and other mission-critical industries, has released the ATS-3100 Vector Signal Transceiver-based Radio Solution (VRS), a turnkey, consolidated radio test platform for field testing of military tactical, land mobile and avionics radios.

The ATS-3100 VRS is the fifth-generation of radio test solutions from Astronics, now capable of testing emerging software-defined radio (SDR) waveforms, modern multi-band radios and legacy radios (e.g. SINCGARS) from any original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Leveraging the PXI Vector Signal Transceiver (VST) from National Instruments (NI), the platform delivers the fastest test times and widest bandwidth (up to 1 GHz) in a radio test solution, enabling high throughput, reduced mean time to repair (MTTR) and maximum uptime of critical radios in the field. Click here to read more.

Modelithics Updates its Component Library to Include Qorvo GaN Products

Modelithics, has announced the release of version 19.4.2 of the Modelithics Qorvo GaN library for use with Keysight Technologies’ Advanced Design System and National Instruments AWR Design Environment.

The Modelithics Qorvo GaN Library is a set of non-linear models for Qorvo package and die GaN devices, designed for excellent accuracy, and validated with broadband S-parameters and load-pull data at multiple frequencies. Each model has a detailed datasheet summarizing model features, development details, and model performance plots. Some devices are also represented with small-signal and noise models in addition to non-linear models. Click here to read more.

Fairview Introduces 4.3-10 RF Surge Protectors to Safeguard Wireless Equipment

Fairview Microwave has released a new line of coaxial surge protectors to guard valuable communications equipment against power surges and indirect lightning strikes.

Fairview's new RF surge protectors are offered with either male-to-female or male-to-male 4.3-10 connectors. This product line features low insertion loss, maximum input power as high as 500W and multi-strike capability. It also boasts VSWR as low as 1.12:1, a surge current rating of 20kA and the lowest let-through energy in the industry. Plus, the models in this line have a waterproof IP67 rating and are CE & RoHS compliant. Click here to read more.

Innovative Mid Range, Cost-Effective RFID Antennas for Keyless Entry

PREMO, a manufacturer of RFID components, has announced a series of Middle-Range Antennas with better mechanical and electrical performance and a size optimized for Low Frequency emitter antennas used in the Automotive RFID market. The KGEA-MRHPM Series of antennas have been designed to reduce the number of antennas used to provide consistent H-field around the whole vehicle. Most of the vehicles currently manufactured all around the world with a KES (Keyless Entry System) use several short antennas. Depending on the quality of the vehicle and the system, 3 to 6 antennas are used (in the door handles, interior, trunk and/or bumper locations), depending on car size. They are transitioning from 3-6 short-range antennas to 3 Middle range antennas and then eventually will move to 1-2 long range antennas thereby reducing the total number of antennas used in the car.

The proposed antenna KGEA-MRHPM series solves the technical challenges, preserving all the advantages of Mid-Range antennas while keeping all the favorable features of the short-range antennas: cost-effective, mechanically robust and thermally stable. The antenna is available in an IP69K or better waterproof grade package designed for the automotive market. Compared to using multiple short antennas this solution provides better performance and reading distance with fewer antennas. Click here to read more.

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Trending RF & Microwave News Stories of the Week (9 - 13 Dec, 2019)