Trending RF & Microwave News Stories this Week(10-14 Sept, 2018)

MACOM to Showcase their RF and Microwave Portfolio at EuMW 2018

MACOM will showcase its GaN-on-Silicon portfolio, Lightwave Antennas and other high-performance MMIC and diode products at European Microwave Week 2018, in Madrid, Spain from September 25 - 27. MACOM will feature new product solutions optimized for 5G, wireless basestations, radar, test and measurement, and industrial, scientific and medical RF applications. Click here to read more.

Researchers at Toshiba Europe Develop a Totem Pole RF PA Using NI AWR Software

Researchers at the Toshiba Research Center in Europe have successfully proved the feasibility of a totem-pole push-pull Power Amplifier at RF frequencies using NI AWR software. Toshiba Research Europe Limited operates Toshiba’s Cambridge Research Laboratory and the Telecommunications Research Laboratory in Bristol, UK. Since its inception in 1998, the Telecommunications Research Laboratory has been at the cutting edge of research into technologies such as next-generation wireless networking, reconfigurable device architectures, and “smart” systems for energy, mobile, and medical applications. Click here to read more.

Renesas to Acquire Integrated Device Technology for $6.7 Billion

Renesas and Integrated Device Technology have signed a definitive agreement under which Renesas will acquire IDT for US $49.00 per share in an all-cash transaction representing an equity value of approximately US$6.7 billion (approximately 733.0 billion yen). The acquisition combines two recognized leaders in embedded processors and analog mixed-signal semiconductors, each with unique strengths in delivering products to improve performance and efficiency in high-computing electronic systems. The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction. Closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the first half of 2019, following approvals by IDT shareholders and the relevant regulatory authorities. Click here to read more.

This Toolkit Helps Accelerate Development of Low Power Location Trackers

Renesas and Integrated Device Technology have signed a definitive agreement under which Renesas will acquire IDT for US $49.00 per share in an all-cash transaction representing an equity value of approximately US$6.7 billion (approximately 733.0 billion yen). The acquisition combines two recognized leaders in embedded processors and analog mixed-signal semiconductors, each with unique strengths in delivering products to improve performance and efficiency in high-computing electronic systems. The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction. Closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the first half of 2019, following approvals by IDT shareholders and the relevant regulatory authorities. Click here to read more.

Antenova Starts Shipping Ultra-Small GNSS Active Antenna Module for Tiny Positioning Devices

Antenova has started shipping its smalled Active Antenna Module for GNSS Applications. The RADIONOVA M20047-1 is an active antenna module for GNSS applications in the 1559-1609 MHz satellite bands using GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO or BeiDou.

The M20047-1 antenna module consists of an SMD antenna with built-in active components: an LNA and SAW Filter to boost antenna performance. The antenna is developed on a compact FR4 substrate with low power consumption, measuring just 7.0mm x 7.0mm x 0.9mm, and weighing less than 2g. The on-board LNA and filter act to boost the signal to the GNSS processor in environments where there is a restricted view of the sky or where line-of-sight to the horizon is difficult. Click here to read more.

Sigfox + LTE Cat M1/NB-IoT Module Introduced at MWC Americas 2018

At the MWC Americas 2018 in LA, GCT Semiconductor has unveiled a multi-mode GDM7243i Hybrid LTE + Sigfox chip which is currently being used several IoT module vendors for products which are under development.

GCT Semiconductor has made tremendous progress in the past year developing the GDM7243i LTE chip and making it market-ready, offering superior connectivity options for IoT. With the Sigfox Verified chip, IoT devices can now also connect to the global Sigfox network during typical operation and switch between LTE Cat M1, NB1, or EC-GSM networks ‘on-demand. The GDM7243i adds Sigfox connectivity to complement cellular (NB-IoT & Cat M1) offering a unique capability for IoT applications requiring ultra-long battery life and global coverage at no additional cost. Click here to read more.

R&S Wireless Tester Supports Mass Production of Sub-6 GHz Wireless 5G NR Devices

The progression to 5G networks will utilize a wide range of spectrum bands, including sub-6 GHz frequencies. The R&S CMW100 communications manufacturing test set demonstrates Rohde & Schwarz capability to support 5G NR sub-6 GHz and will help accelerate the 5G ecosystem.

Designed for testing and verifying mobile phones and other wireless devices, the R&S CMW100 supports carrier frequencies up to 6 GHz and RF bandwidths up to 160 MHz exceeding the current 5G NR 3GPP specification where each component carrier cannot be more than 100 MHz wide. In line with high throughput expectations, the R&S CMW100 can test up to eight antennas and/or devices in parallel and is ideal for use in fully automated robotic production lines. Click here to read more.

First Ever 5G NR mm-Wave Call on a Smartphone Sized Mobile Test Device

Qualcomm and Ericsson have successfully completed a 3GPP Rel-15 spec compliant 5G NR call using a smartphone-sized mobile test device. The over-the-air (OTA) call was performed using mm-Waves in the 39 GHz band of spectrum using NSA (Non-Standalone) mode. It utilized Ericsson’s commercial 5G NR Radio AIR 5331 and baseband products and a mobile test device with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem and RF subsystem in the Ericsson Lab in Kista, Sweden. Click here to read more.

Broadcom Starts Shipment of the Industry’s First 802.11ax Complaint Wi-Fi SoC

Broadcom has started volume shipments of its BCM43684 Max WiFi 802.11ax SoC. It is the first in the industry to be fully compliant with the IEEE 802.11ax specification and the upcoming 802.11ax certification. Designed for the residential Wi-Fi market, Max WiFi chips are being used by NETGEAR in its Nighthawk product line.

Broadcom’s Max WiFi is the sixth generation of Wi-Fi and supports the delivery of simultaneous video, voice, data, and IoT services to an ever increasing number of wireless devices in the home. The BCM43684 delivers high-speed Wi-Fi simultaneously to multiple devices in the home with unprecedented quality of service. Max WiFi chips provide up to four times faster download speeds, six times faster upload speeds, and with four times better coverage than previous 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology. Click here to read more.

R&S to Showcase their Latest RF & Microwave Test Equipment at EuMW 2018

At the European Microwave Week (EuMW), Rohde & Schwarz will be exhibiting its latest measurement solutions for RF and component testing, A&D, radar, and 5G NR. In addition, Rohde & Schwarz specialists will be on hand to share their expertise with visitors in numerous free seminars and workshops.

This year, Rohde & Schwarz is exhibiting its latest T&M solutions for RF and microwave component testing, as well as for applications in A&D, radar, and 5G.

Speed and high performance are not mutually exclusive when it comes to component testing: the vector network analyzers from Rohde & Schwarz raise the bar for antenna array measurements with the R&S ZNBT multiport network analyzer and for precise characterization of satellite converters with the R&S ZVA. For amplifier measurements in the millimeter wave band, the R&S ZC300 frequency converter will be on display together with the R&S ZVA and the MPI MP80 positioner set. The large dynamic range of this solution facilitates quick measurements. Click here to read more.

Altair & Ethertronics to Demonstrate Small Antenna Technology for Wearables at MWCA18

Altair Semiconductor and Ethertronics will be demonstrating a new antenna technology using a cellular IoT wearable device at MWC Americas 18. The technology is a significant breakthrough that combines Ethertronics' ultra-small antenna with Altair's ALT1250 dual-mode Cat-M1/NB-IoT chipset algorithms to reduce the size of cellular wearable devices without sacrificing performance.

Combining Altair's modem algorithmic capability with Ethertronics antenna technology has resulted in the smallest antenna design for cellular wearable devices and other tiny IoT devices, setting a new standard for antenna performance that improves coverage, power efficiency and the overall user experience. Click here to read more.

ON Semi Introduces Bluetooth 5.0 Module for Wearable Applications

ON Semiconductor has added a ready-to-use 6 x 8 x1.46 mm System-in-Package (SiP) module to its family of RSL10 Bluetooth 5 radio modules. Supporting Bluetooth low energy wireless profiles, RSL10 devices can be easily designed into any ‘connected’ application including sports/fitness or mHealth wearables, smart locks and appliances.

The RSL10 SIP features a built-in antenna, RSL10 radio, and all required passive components in one complete, miniature solution. Certified with the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), it significantly reduces time-to-market and development costs by removing the need for any additional RF design considerations. Click here to read more.

OriginGPS Shows How they Help Cut the Cost of IoT Devices by 70% at MWC Americas

OriginGPS is presenting live demos of its innovative OriginIoT system at the on-going MWC Americas 2018 in Los Angeles, California. The OriginIoT system expedites development of IoT products enabling developers to build extremely compact end solutions with instant IoT connectivity, and without writing embedded code. It connects to a host of sensors and peripheral devices, allowing developers to measure and monitor virtually anything for their IoT products - which may now be configured and managed entirely from the cloud of their choice. Click here to read more.

Keysight to Exhibit its Solutions that Accelerate Microwave Innovation at EuMW 2018

At the 2018 European Microwave Week (EuMW), which will take place in Madrid from 23-28 September, Keysight will demonstrate a wide range of high-frequency test equipment and solutions that help customers master microwave complexities as well as design, simulate, and test their latest innovations. Click here to read more.