Trending RF & Microwave News Stories this Week(1-5 Oct, 2018)

pSemi Announces New CEO

pSemi, in a bid to simplify its organizational structure, has announced the promotion of its two Directors to Vice Presidents and a change in of CEO. These changes come in the midst of a record-breaking quarter as pSemi prepares for rapid growth. The company is projected to end this quarter in September with revenue 15 percent higher than the prior record.

Stefan Wolff is set to step down as the CEO of pSemi on Oct. 1. The former CEO and current CTO, Jim Cable, will now serve as CEO. To support the transition, Stefan will remain a strategic advisor until December, when he will return to Germany to be closer to his family. Click here to read more.

Ericsson & Qualcomm Conduct 3GPP-compliant 5G-NR Lab Data Call Using the 28 GHz Band

Ericsson & Qualcomm have performed a standards-based, OTA, non-standalone 5G NR lab data call on 28 GHz band using a commercial radio and a smartphone type of device. The 3GPP-compliant, multi-vendor interoperability 5G NR downlink lab data call using the 28 GHz band was achieved at the Ericsson Kista Lab in September and offers further proof of 5G’s commercial readiness.

Over the last few months Ericsson and its partners have successfully conducted 3GPP-compliant interoperability tests on the 3.5 GHz mid-band, 28 GHz, and 39 GHz millimeter wave (mmWave) bands. Access to new high-frequency bands is a key component in providing ultra-high speeds and low latencies. And according to Thomas Noren, Head of 5G Commercialization at Ericsson, by adding 28 GHz to the list of spectrum bands supported and tested by Ericsson’s equipment for initial 5G launches, the company is making it easier for customers to roll out early 5G services to users. Click here to read more.

Keysight & Nokia to Verify 5G Coverage in a Live Test Network

Keysight Technologies has collaborated with Nokia to verify 5G coverage in a live test network using Keysight’s 5G field measurement solutions.

Nokia selected Keysight’s Nemo Outdoor field test solution, FieldFox Spectrum Analyzers and Nemo Analyze software as several of their preferred toolsets for the measurement of 5G new radio (NR) radio-wave propagation in the field, as well as verification of outdoor and indoor coverage across both sub-6GHz and mmWave frequency ranges. Keysight’s solutions will also help enable Nokia to benchmark new software releases and features in the network and validate the quality of the company’s 5G network solutions. Click here to read more.

NXP Expands its 65 V RF LDMOS Transistor Offering

At the European Microwave Week in Madrid, NXP Semiconductors has introduced the new MRFX series of power transistors designed for smart industrial applications, featuring the groundbreaking 65 V LDMOS silicon technology. With more power density, a lower current level and wider safety margins than previous RF power solutions, 65 V LDMOS enables more integrated, highly reliable Industry 4.0 systems that can leverage the superior level of control that solid state enables, combined with a high degree of energy management.

The MRFX series of 65 V LDMOS devices targets industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) applications such as laser generation, plasma processing, magnetic-resonance imaging, skin treatment, and diathermy, as well as the growing segment of RF Energy where transistors replace vacuum tubes in industrial heating machines. They are also designed for radio and TV broadcast transmitters. Click here to read more.

Anritsu Introduces Passive Coaxial Components that Operate from DC to 110 GHz

Anritsu, one of the leading T&M equipment manufacturers, has introduced a line of metrology-grade coaxial components that are  designed and manufactured to deliver precision performance and repeatability for high-frequency measurements. These components operate from DC to 110 GHz.

The W1 family components consists of connectorized power splitter, power divider, directional coupler, and attenuators. These components remove measurement complexity, reduce measurement setup time, and improve accuracy, making them a superior alternative to millimeter-interfaced solutions. Click here to read more.

New Automotive Sensor Kit Combines the Best of LiDAR & Radar Technologies

Vayyar Imaging has released a new Automotive Evaluation Kit (EVK). The new sensor kit delivers the world’s most advanced System on a Chip (SOC) for mmWave 3D imaging for the automotive industry. With this kit, Vayyar brings point cloud technology to radar, increasing the radar’s resolution and capabilities, while reducing costs and minimizing the need for other sensors within the vehicle.

The automotive industry, according to Raviv Melamed, Co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Vayyar, has long sought a technology that can bridge the gap between radar and LiDar, and now Vayyar, has become the first to address that need with the creation of the world’s most-advanced radio frequency sensor technology. The new automotive sensors, according to him, are powerful enough to enable radar with point cloud capabilities and have high enough resolution to differentiate between objects even in bad lighting or harsh weather conditions. It will help protect drivers and prevent accidents even in the most severe conditions. Click here to read more.

IDT Introduces Reference Board to Speed Up Adoption of Wireless Charging in Cars

Integrated Device Technology has released an Automotive Customer Reference Board (CRB) for automotive equipment manufacturers with aggressive time-to-market schedule requirements. The CRB is designed to comply with the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) Qi Baseline and Extended Power Profiles to 15 W and iOS and Android proprietary fast charging modes - leveraging IDT's extensive knowledge in the smartphone receiver market. Click here to read more.

Wi-Fi Alliance Introduces Wi-Fi 6 - Based on 802.11ax Technology

The Wi-Fi Alliance has introduced Wi-Fi 6 as the industry designation for products and networks that support the next generation of Wi-Fi, based on 802.11ax technology. Wi-Fi 6 is part of a new naming approach by Wi-Fi Alliance that provides users with an easy-to-understand designation for both the Wi-Fi technology supported by their device and used in a connection the device makes with a Wi-Fi network.

The new naming system identifies Wi-Fi generations by a numerical sequence which correspond to major advancements in Wi-Fi. The generation names can be used by product vendors to identify the latest Wi-Fi technology a device supports, by OS vendors to identify the generation of Wi-Fi connection between a device and network, and by service providers to identify the capabilities of a Wi-Fi network to their customers. The generational terminology may also be used to designate previous Wi-Fi generations, such as 802.11n or 802.11ac. Click here to read more.

Portable/Handheld Spectrum Analyzer with Integrated GNSS for Mobile Situational Awareness

ThinkRF has released a new handheld/portable Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer with GNSS capabilities for mobile wireless situational awareness applications such as drive testing, coverage mapping, propagation analysis, direction finding & transmitter localization and vehicle based spectrum monitoring. With built in GNSS capabilities, the R5700 analyzer enables engineers in the field to conduct in-depth analysis of complex waveforms while knowing the location and time of each measurement.

The ThinkRF R5700 analyzer can analyze signals up to 27 GHz with a real-time bandwidth of 100 MHz. This portable analyzer measures just 10.58 x 6.81 x 2.40 inches and weighing less than 6 pounds. It is compact, lightweight, and low-powered, making it perfect for remote and distributed deployment or use in vehicles such as trucks, cars, military vehicles, UAVs, or boats. Click here to read more.

Copper Mountain Technologies’ VNA software Now Available for Linux OS

Copper Mountain Technologies’ VNA software has now been made available for the Linux OS, specifically for Ubuntu and Mint operating systems. The CMT VNA software for Linux includes all the same features as their VNA software for Windows. Any CMT VNA can now operate in a Linux environment, whether it is controlled manually or its operation is automated using SCPI commands via TCP/IP sockets. Alternatively, HiSlip interface uses the same SCPI command set and further allows for instrument discovery and automation through the Visa library of your choice. Click here to read more.

World's First Ku-Band Satellite Simulator for Drones

AtlanTecRF’s parent company, Atlantic Microwave, has announced the maiden flight of its DSS Satellite Simulator product on board an eight rotor drone. Not only is this the first ever airborne Satellite Simulator but it is also the first time in history that an unmanned aerial vehicle has been deployed for such a task.

Off-air testing of ground and vehicle based satellite communications systems has developed into a major industry need with the current explosion of SATCOM applications in multiple industries. Satcom systems cannot just switch on and hope for the best. The potential to upset fellow satellite users is both risky and expensive and Atlantic’s Satellite Simulator and Loop Test Translators have been saving the day for satcom operators worldwide in recent years. Click here to read more.