Features
Remote Possibilities
April 8, 2009 6:48 am | Articles | CommentsUsing advanced battery technologies to unlock the dynamic growth potential of remote wireless sensors used in "smart infrastructure" and related applications. By Sol Jacobs, Tadiran Batteries Contrary to all the recent economic news, the February 17, 2009 edition of The Wall Street Journal contained an upbeat article by Michael Totty entitled "Smart Roads.
Femto Mass Market Mobilization
March 16, 2009 7:03 am | Articles | CommentsBy Todd Mersch, Continuous Computing So here we are in the second half of 2008 — why are femtocells not more widely deployed in our homes? When are we finally going to get five bars in the family room? And what’s keeping us from quicker YouTube downloads in our kitchens? click to enlarge Figure 1.
Testing LTE and WiMAX OFDM/MIMO-Based Systems
March 6, 2009 6:55 am | Articles | CommentsThe introduction of new radio technoloiges, like OFDM and MIMO, in LTE and WiMAX systems has created the need for new types of test equipment. George Reed, Azimuth Systems click to enlarge Figure 1. Three methods of testing transmitter and receiver performance: lab-based, direct cable connectivity, over-the-air testing and lab-based, connection through a channel emulator that simulates real world conditions.
Designing Handsets with Modularity
March 6, 2009 6:55 am | Articles | CommentsBy Danny Tseng, Cypress Semiconductor Designing a platform with modularity in mind is one approach that can shorten design time as well as enable easier feature upgrades. click to enlarge Figure 1. Architecture modularization of a mobile handset.
Low Cost FPGA-Based HD/SD SDI Transceivers
February 25, 2009 10:46 am | Articles | CommentsThe recent advent of low-cost FPGAs equipped with high-performance transceivers and DSP blocks will greatly reduce the build and deployment costs of a video broadcast system. By Shakeel Peera, Lattice Semiconductor Corporation click to enlarge Figure 1.
Noise Elimination Power Converter Control Circuit
February 25, 2009 10:46 am | Articles | CommentsGrounding and care in layout is the key to keeping noise out of the control circuit and allowing correct operation. Grounding and care in layout is the key to keeping noise out of the control circuit and allowing correct operation. By John Bottrill, Texas Instruments click to enlarge Figure 1.
GPS Environmental Challenges Drive Common Test Practices
January 30, 2009 9:05 am | Articles | CommentsA receiver's position accuracy is a fundamental challenge of satellite navigation system. As a result, GPS receiver designers must perform a combination of measurements to ensure the device will perform as expected. David A. Hall, National Instruments Geocaching involves discovering various "caches" whose coordinates can be found on the Web and whose contents are located all over the world.
F-RAM Moves to Automotive Infotainment Applications
January 30, 2009 9:05 am | Articles | CommentsProtecting infotainment dynamic data is essential. The unique advantage of F-RAM guarantees higher availability & performance. By Duncan Bennett, Ramtron International The use of non-volatile ferroelectric RAM (F-RAM) in automotive applications began with airbag applications. This type of safety critical application was click to enlarge Figure 1.
The Development of a Standard Hand Phantom for Wireless Performance Testing: Part 2
January 14, 2009 10:32 am | Articles | CommentsThis is part two of a three part series. Read part one By Dr. Michael D. Foegelle, ETS-Lindgren; Kevin Li, Nokia Corp.; Andrew Pavacic, Paul Moller, Motorola, Inc. Defining the Grip An informal survey of advertised handsets on the market revealed that they could generally be separated into two categories by width.
Testing Challenges of SDR's
December 30, 2008 10:24 am | Articles | CommentsA new modeling methodology combines FPGAs and detailed circuit-level modeling in a design-to-test flow. By Greg Jue and David Leiss, Agilent Technologies click to enlarge Figure 1. This high-level design flow begins with the design of key algorithms which can be quickly evaluated in simulation to verify system performance with just a handful of simulation blocks.
Using Next-Generation Non-Stationary Noise Suppression to Enhance Voice Quality
December 30, 2008 6:41 am | Articles | CommentsEmulating the way that the human hearing system characterizes and groups the audio stream into sound sources proves to be an extremely efficient and accurate way to suppress both stationary and non-stationary noise. By Lloyd Watts, Founder and CTO, Audience click to enlarge Figure 1a.
Developing a Standard Hand Phantom for Wireless Testing
November 10, 2008 11:23 am | Articles | CommentsA standardized hand phantom used together with the SAM head phantom for radiated performance testing mirrors real-world use. Dr. Michael D. Foegelle, ETS-Lindgren, Kevin Li, Nokia Corp., Andrew Pavacic and Paul Moller, Motorola, Inc. Figure 1. The resulting kinematic CAD model.
User-Programmable FPGAs Improve Wireless Test Applications
September 22, 2008 12:45 pm | Articles | CommentsAs wireless standards continue to evolve, software-defined ?test systems will continue to evolve with them. By Luke Schreier, National Instruments As the proliferation of wireless standards continues, the idea of using software-defined measurement capability has become a necessity as opposed to a matter of click to enlarge Figure 1.
Testing LTE
September 22, 2008 12:45 pm | Articles | CommentsTesting LTE Design simulation can be useful in addressing LTE design and verification challenges but requires consideration in selecting the appropriate model abstraction for the given phase of the design cycle. By Greg Jue, Agilent Technologies Emerging standards such as 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) present a number of design and verification challenges for system engineers.
Testing MMS Functionality in Mobile Phones
September 8, 2008 6:45 am | Articles | CommentsThorough and accurate Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) testing is critical to the successful deployment of any mobile phone offering a MMS capability. By Scott Grimmett, Agilent Technologies Over the years, the mobile-phone usage model has changed quite dramatically. No longer is it used solely for its voice services.
Trend Report: Energy Conservation and Sustainable Design
August 25, 2008 7:56 am | Articles | CommentsFor a US company intending to launch a worldwide product, compliance with EuP regulations will ensure entry to that market of almost 500 million people. Jeff Uden, Newark One of the most interesting trends in the electronics industry at the moment is the movement towards designing products in an environmentally friendly way.
How US Design Engineers Can Meet Global Legislation Challenges (Part 1)
July 1, 2008 7:39 am | Articles | CommentsBy Gary Nevison, Newark Designers of electronic and electrical equipment are increasingly challenged to design new products that comply with legislation that applies in the markets where their products will be sold. As more US manufacturers sell their products internationally, design engineers not only need to consider legislation in the U.
How US Design Engineers Can Meet Global Legislation Challenges (Part 2)
July 1, 2008 7:39 am | Articles | CommentsBy Gary Nevison, Newark Designers of electronic and electrical equipment are increasingly challenged to design new products that comply with legislation which applies in the markets where their products will be sold. Previously, we took a look at all the different flavors of RoHS.
Simplify Spectrum/Signal Analyzer Selection with Five Key Considerations
April 11, 2008 8:06 am | Articles | CommentsBy Takayuki Hando and Ben Zarlingo, Agilent Technologies Understanding your specific design needs and the functionality required can ease the selection process.
