Trending RF & Microwave News Stories this Week(6-10 August, 2018)

Plasmonic THz Antennas to Enable Faster On-chip Signal Generation

Imagine an antenna that could transmit at terahertz frequencies - generally defined as those between 300 GHz and 3 THz. Such an antenna could send and receive data at rates that would be orders of magnitude faster than any device we currently use. Even the 5G networks which will have significantly higher data rates than current technologies operate at frequencies well below 100 GHz.

A team at the Technical University of Munich, headed by Alexander Holleitner and Reinhard Kienberger, has developed a terahertz antenna. The TUM team’s antenna does not send signals over the air. It is designed to use electrons to transfer data across a minuscule gap on the surface of a chip. Their technique could open the door for much faster on-chip signal generation. Click here to read more.

SDR Based Communication Solutions Helped Save the Thai Soccer Team Trapped in a Cave

The world has still to get over the recent horrifying incident of a Thai youth soccer team being trapped in water-filled cave for around two weeks. While the team was successfully rescued with support and ideas pouring from all over the world, it was the latest advancements in technology and equipment, that helped carry out one of the most endearing rescue operations in the world. MaxMesh technology from Maxtech Networks was one such innovation that was used in the mission.

Maxtech Networks is a provider of a patented innovative technology for critical communications without the need for a communications infrastructure. Mouser Electronics recently had the opportunity to speak with Uzi Hanuni, founder and CEO of Maxtech Networks, to learn more about the company’s innovative MaxMesh technology that was crucial in the rescue (the interview can be seen below). Click here to read more.

USB Flash Drives to Provide Precise Positioning and Navigation Inside Buildings

Researchers at Fraunhofer have developed a USB flash drive based navigation solution for indoor positioning. Although the RTLSflares look like ordinary USB flash drives, they facilitate the positioning and navigation of robots, vehicles, and objects inside buildings. And can be put into operation in a matter of minutes.

We rely on GPS signals to guide us to our destination as fast as possible while we are driving, sightseeing or hiking. It is hard to imagine everyday life without satellite-based positioning. However, alternative solutions are necessary for places that lack a direct line of sight to GPS satellites. This technology developed by researchers at the Advanced System Technology Branch AST of the Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies, and Image Exploitation IOSB, will provide precise positioning and navigation inside buildings. RTLSflares are especially suitable for the geolocation of mobile robots and automatic guided vehicles in logistics. In addition, specialists in disaster areas can use RTLSflares to coordinate first responders. Click here to read more.

Raytheon Opens New $72 Million Facility to Support Complex Radar Testing and Integration

Raytheon has opened a new $72 million, 30,000 square foot Radar facility at its Andover, Mass. campus, which is now home to some of the leading innovations in manufacturing. The new facility features advanced automation technology to support complex radar testing and integration. Click here to read more.

New Crystal Structure from Fujitsu Triples the Output Power of GaN Transistors

A newly developed crystal structure has proven to triple the output power of GaN transistors. It increases current and voltage in GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) effectively tripling the output power of transistors used for transmitters in the microwave band.

The GaN HEMT technology, developed jointly by Fujitsu Ltd and Fujitsu Laboratories, can be used in power amplifiers for equipment such as weather radars - by applying the developed technology to this area, it is expected that the observation range of the radar will be expanded by 2.3 times, enabling early detection of cumulonimbus clouds that can develop into torrential rainstorms. To expand the observation range of equipment like radars, it is essential to increase the output power of the transistors used in power amplifiers. With conventional technology, however, applying high voltage could easily damage the crystals that form a transistor. Therefore, it was technically difficult to increase current and voltage simultaneously, which then led to the adoption of high-output power GaN HEMTs. Click here to read more.

Smart-Wristband Measures and Wirelessly Transmits Blood Count and Air Pollutant Levels

Engineers at Rutgers University–New Brunswick have created a smart wristband that can be wirelessly connected to a smartphone and help monitor a users health and the environment. The technology, which could be added to watches and other wearable devices that monitor heart rates and physical activity can enable a new wave of personal health and environmental monitoring devices.

According to Mehdi Javanmard, Senior Author of the Study and Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rutgers University, the new smart-band is like Fitbit but has a biosensor that can count particles like blood cells, bacteria and organic or inorganic particles in the air. Current wearables can measure only a handful of physical parameters such as heart rate and exercise activity. The ability for a wearable device to monitor the counts of different cells in our bloodstream would take personal health monitoring to the next level. Click here to read more.

Report Estimates Wireless Charging Market in 2025 to be $71 Billion in Size

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, the global wireless charging market is projected to reach $71 Billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 38.7% from 2018 to 2025. The market was valued at just over $5 Billion in 2017. At present, Asia-Pacific dominates the market, followed by North America. In 2018, the U.S. is expected to remain dominant in the North America market, while China is projected to lead the overall market in Asia-Pacific. Click here to read more.

Qorvo Receives Certification for Updated Version of Battery-Less Zigbee Technology

Qorvo has now received certification for the multi-sensor and generic switch features of Zigbee Green Power v1.1. The Green Power feature of Zigbee PRO allows battery-less Zigbee products such as sensors, switches, dimmers and many others to securely join Zigbee PRO networks. These devices can now be powered just by using widely available, but often missed sources of energy like motion, light, or vibration, to name a few. These new features greatly expand the types of smart home sensors that can be powered by energy harvesting, eliminating the need for batteries or enabling ultra-long battery life. Click here to read more.

Reliable and Future-proof Production Test Solution for Automotive Radar Sensors

Rohde & Schwarz has developed a new automotive radar echo generator in close cooperation with the automotive industry, specifically for final test and inspection on OEM and Tier 1 production lines. Continuous quality control in production is essential to ensure the unrestricted functionality of radar sensors and ultimately safe autonomous driving. The R&S AREG100A  is a customized solution for use at the end of the production line. It fulfills all requirements for reliable operation and is easy to operate. Click here to read more.

These Solderless PCB Connectors Operate up to 70 GHz

Rosenberger has introduced a series of cost-effective, economic solderless PCB connectors for a variety of standard applications up to 70 GHz. These connectors can easily be assembled on printed circuit boards using screws (standard screws are included).

The product range consists of the RPC-3.50 (up to 26.5 GHz), RPC-2.92 (up to 40 GHz), RPC-2.40 (up to 50 GHz) and RPC-1.85 (up to 70 GHz) straight female connectors characterized by low return loss values and high mating cycles. Click here to read more.

Skyworks to Acquire Smart Interface Developer Avnera for $425 Million

Skyworks Solutions has announced the acquisition of Avnera Corporation, a leading developer of Analog System on Chips (ASoCs). The acquisition of Avnera, also a private fabless semiconductor supplier, augments Skyworks’ leadership in wireless connectivity by adding ultra-low power analog circuits to enable smart interfaces via acoustic signal processing, sensors and integrated software. Once the transaction is complete, Skyworks will expand its addressable market by over $5 billion. Target applications include AI speakers/microphones, virtual assistants, intelligent gaming controllers and vehicle in-dash systems as well as wired/wireless headsets. Click here to read more.

PCTEL Introduces Low Profile LTE/Wi-Fi/Multi-GNSS Antenna at APCO 2018

At APCO 2018, PCTEL has released the next generation of its Trooper antenna, the company’s flagship multi-band platform for public safety fleets. The new Trooper II​ antenna provides optimal wireless communications performance through the antenna’s 4-port 4G LTE connections and 4x4 802.11ac Wi-Fi MIMO capability. It also incorporates PCTEL’s newest high rejection multi-GNSS technology for high precision tracking and asset management.

The rugged Trooper II is exceptionally versatile and easy to install. The antenna features PCTEL’s new proprietary high rejection multi-band technology, which supports GPS L1, GLONASS, and Galileo for high precision tracking. In addition to public safety applications, this antenna is also excellent for tracking and communications support for industrial IoT and other fleet management applications, including farming tractors for precision agriculture, utility service fleets, and railway positive train control systems. Click here to read more.