Trending RF & Microwave News Stories this Week(3-7 Sept, 2018)

Now Check Blood Sugar Levels Without Pricking Your Finger

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have combined radar and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to develop a system to monitor blood sugar without drawing blood. The new system could help people with diabetes to detect changes in glucose levels in their blood without the need for painful finger pricks several times a day.

The research involves collaboration with Google and German hardware company Infineon, which jointly developed a small radar device and sought input from select teams around the world on potential applications. The system at Waterloo uses the radar device to send high-frequency radio waves into liquids containing various levels of glucose and receive radio waves that are reflected back to it. Information on the reflected waves is then converted into digital data for analysis by machine-learning AI algorithms developed by the researchers. The software is capable of detecting glucose changes based on more than 500 wave features or characteristics, including how long it takes for them to bounce back to the device. Click here to read more.

Murata to Showcase Advanced Connectivity and RF Solutions at MWC Americas

Murata will be exhibiting at Mobile World Congress Americas, taking place in Los Angeles on 12-14 September. At their booth, they will be showcasing some of their latest advanced connectivity and RF solutions, as well as class-leading products from pSemi, a Murata company focused on semiconductor integration. Click here to read more.

Qorvo Partners with LEEDARSON to Develop Multi-Standard Smart Lighting Solutions for IoT

Qorvo has partnered with leading lighting and IoT solutions company, LEEDARSON, to create a family of smart home lighting products that operate concurrently with Zigbee 3.0 and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0 protocols.

The first of these solutions is a new LEEDARSON smart light bulb and light switch that integrates Qorvo’s QPG6095 system-on-chip (SoC), a multi-protocol/multi-channel smart home communications controller for ultra-low-power wireless applications. This new, smart light bulb is being demonstrated at the LEEDARSON booth during the IFA Consumer Electronics Unlimited show (IFA2018) in Berlin from August 31 - September 5 and will also be showcased at IBC 2018 in Amsterdam from September 14-18. Click here to read more.

R&S Introducing New SSPA Products for Outdoor Satellite Uplink Applications

Rohde & Schwarz is adding new outdoor models to its Ku-band family of SATCOM amplifiers. The extremely robust and weatherproof models are perfectly suited for outdoor applications and feature all the advantages of the indoor model. The R&S PKU100 Ku-band satellite uplink amplifier combines the best of two worlds in a single device: the unbeatable strengths of solid-state amplifiers and the compactness and low weight of tube amplifiers. It can be used in ground stations and satellite news gathering (SNG) vehicles. Click here to read more.

US Diplomats’ Mystery Illness Could be Attributed to Pulsed RF/Microwave Radiation

From late 2016 through early 2017, as many as 24 US diplomats in Cuba and several Canadian diplomats complained of hearing loss, nausea, loss of balance, and headaches. Recently at least two more US officials in Guangzhou, China, complained of similar symptoms - ranging from vertigo and sleeplessness to cognitive impairment. Many described hearing loud or disconcerting sounds before the onset of symptoms, or pressure sensations in their ears akin to the baffling that occurs in a moving car with the windows cracked open.

According to Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine - publicly reported symptoms and experiences of a “mystery illness” afflicting American and Canadian diplomats in Cuba and China strongly match known effects of pulsed radio frequency/microwave electromagnetic (RF/MW) radiation. Click here to read more.

WaveSense Brings its Patented Military Grade Ground-Penetrating Radar to Self-Driving Vehicles

WaveSense Inc has commercialized its patented military-proven ground-penetrating radar (GPR). The radar is meant for improving navigation safety and precision on the road by keeping self-driving vehicles precisely in-lane. The company has several pilots underway with leading global players in the automotive and technology sectors and is currently closing a $3 million seed round led by Rhapsody Venture Partners.

Recent fatalities tragically underscore the inherent safety limitations of current self-driving vehicle technologies. Autonomous vehicles need to become safer for before widespread consumer adoption, ride hailing and adoption by the trucking industry. WaveSense’s patented technology complements existing self-driving vehicle sensors - GPS/INS, radar, lidar, cameras - to keep vehicles precisely in-lane, especially in poor weather conditions including snow, rain and fog and where lane markings do not exist or are unclear and confusing. Click here to view specs.

Pickering to Launch New 8 GHz Solid State PXI RF Switches at EuMW 2018

Pickering Interfaces will be exhibiting at The European Microwave Exhibition in Madrid from 25th - 27th September 2018. This event is Europe’s largest trade show dedicated to the Microwaves and RF Industry. At booth 280, the company will show a range of RF & Microwave switching products that increase test system effectiveness and productivity.

This year at EuMW they will be launching a 13-model family of PXI 8 GHz solid-state RF switches, including SPDT, SP4T, SP6T, SP8T, SP16T and 4x4 Matrix devices. Pickering Interfaces’ series 40-88xA high-performance switch family now covers 10 MHz to 8 GHz in the modular PXI format for easy system integration. All units feature automatic termination of unused switch channels, up to +36 dBm input power handling and excellent RF performance characteristics Click here to read more.