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TD-LTE – A Global Standard
February 11, 2013 2:09 pm | by Stephen Hire, General Manager for India, Aeroflex Limited | CommentsThe “TD” (Time Domain) flavor of LTE can no longer be viewed as a niche technology exclusive to China. Other countries worldwide, including India and Sweden, are embracing TD-LTE for their broadband wireless access rollouts. Before long, close to half the world’s population will be within reach of a TD-LTE network. India will have a full commercial service ahead of its northern neighbour, China.
Moore’s Law Meets RF
February 8, 2013 9:09 am | by Bill Driver, National Instruments | CommentsThe byproducts of Moore’s law have increased the performance and reduced the cost of electronic products across every industry for more than half a century. The development pace and proliferation of mobile devices today have leveraged Moore’s law, growing at a projected 24.9% CAGR for 2011 – 2017 (ovum.com, May 3, 2012).
Smartphones, Tablets Help UW Researchers Improve Storm Forecasts
February 7, 2013 9:49 am | by Hannah Hickey, University of Washington | CommentsThe next advance in weather forecasting may not come from a new satellite or supercomputer, but from a device in your pocket. University of Washington atmospheric scientists are using pressure sensors included in the newest smartphones to develop better weather forecasting techniques.
System-Level Design and Verification of Wireless Embedded System to Meet Global Demands Using a Mixed Domain Oscilloscope
January 10, 2013 3:16 pm | by Faride Akretch, Technical Marketing Manager, Tektronix | CommentsDesigning and implementing wireless systems so they can be used in different geographic regions around the world represents a significant challenge. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone all agreed on the use of frequency, modulation type, power levels, and bandwidth?
Brainstorm: Broadband Antenna Design
December 6, 2012 10:37 am | CommentsWhat are some key considerations when selecting a high frequency circuit board material? Art Aguayo, Sr. Market Development Manager, Rogers Corporation Determine the dielectric constant needed and the dielectric loss desired. There are many factors around these properties that are rarely captured in a data sheet or software property table, yet are very important in the selection of high frequency materials.
Sensing the Wireless Future
October 10, 2012 6:52 am | by Janine E. Mooney, Editor | CommentsWireless sensors are applicable for a variety of applications, whether it be smart cities (smart parking, smart lighting, waste management), industrial control (M2M applications, indoor air quality, temperature monitoring), eHealth (fall detection, patient surveillance, ultraviolet radiation) and many more.
Converting Ambient Energy to Power the Factory
October 8, 2012 7:45 am | CommentsEnergy harvesting wireless technology monitors and controls large-scale industrial plant facilities By Jim O’Callaghan, President of EnOcean Inc. Essential factors for the success of a business include production up-time and process machinery efficiency. Real-time monitoring of machinery makes it possible to detect and prevent equipment failure proactively.
Testing Interference in a Wireless Environment
October 8, 2012 7:07 am | by Rolland Zhang, Agilent Technologies | CommentsIn wireless systems, interference in the wireless channel can be quite problematic, degrading the reception of desired signals. It can originate from a variety of intentional, unintentional and incidental radiators and occurs in both licensed and unlicensed spectrum. With the growing scarcity of radio frequency spectrum and ongoing efforts to improve its utilization for the highest capacity and performance (e.
Brainstorm: M2M Communications
September 21, 2012 6:44 am | CommentsBrainstorm : How does the future of the wireless industry affect M2M communications? Dr. Erez Manhaimer, VP of Marketing, Alvarion As the demand for M2M communication grows, the wireless industry provides a common, mature IP infrastructure that can be deployed cost effectively making it an enabler of M2M communications.
Brainstorm: High Reliability
July 30, 2012 11:36 am | by Christopher Brink, Mechanical Design Engineer for Phoenix Contact's Americas Business Unit | CommentsBrainstorm : With the advent of wireless equipment designs being challenged for high reliability demands, what connectivity considerations must be taken? Today’s process infrastructure requires practices and equipment that keep operations functioning regardless of environmental conditions or other potentially harmful disturbances.
Brainstrorm: Oscillators/Timing Devices
May 30, 2012 7:17 am | CommentsWhere in the design cycle is it best to spec in a timing device, and why? Ramon Cerda, Vice President of Engineering , Crystek Corporation The short answer is; as soon as possible. Most, if not all timing devices should be treated as long lead-times items. If the crystal oscillator manufacturer does not have your particular frequency and/or specification requirement in stock, it can take many weeks before they can deliver the timing device.
Is a Customized MMIC Amplifier Within Reach?
April 25, 2012 12:47 pm | by David Strand, Strand Marketing, Newburyport, MA | CommentsIt’s not uncommon to look at a discrete component’s datasheet and think that the manufacturer might be willing and able to tweak the performance for you in exchange for a little NRE and an up charge on the standard price. But a MMIC is another story. Or is it? Like so many things, advanced government and space programs have been influencing the MMIC market for years.
Improving Audio Converters Performance
April 19, 2012 10:55 am | by Tahar Allag, Analog Power Applications Engineer, Texas Instruments | CommentsIntroduction Most modern audio is stored in digital formats such as pulse code modulation (PCM), and MP3s. This provides lossless data storage, perfect copies without quality degradation, indefinite storage, flexibility, and compatibility with other digital systems. An audio DAC converts these digital formats into analog signals that drive speakers which create audio sounds or analog waves.
Power Efficiency Devices
March 29, 2012 8:35 am | CommentsHow are you responding to the demand for low power/high efficiency devices in the emerging markets? Jeff Schnabel, VP of Marketing at CUI Inc : In order to address the growing global concerns regarding energy consumption in electronic equipment, the power supply industry has largely focused on improving the operating efficiency of ac-dc power supplies and dc-dc converters.
Optimizing Antenna Safety and Performance During Platform Integration
March 28, 2012 12:14 pm | by Gregory J. Skidmore, James F. Stack, Jr., & Jamie K. Infantolino, Remcom | CommentsSimulation-based assessments are fast, cost-effective, and ensure success. Introduction Successful integration of an antenna onto a vehicle platform poses many challenges. Vehicle features impact antenna performance by blocking, reflecting or reradiating energy, and co-site interference can impair the effectiveness of multi-antenna configurations.

