tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36374301226427720732024-02-17T14:51:15.811-05:00Microwave Journal BlogCovering RF and microwave industry related subjects and happeningsPathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.comBlogger385125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-25807543595842822602012-02-24T12:08:00.001-05:002012-02-24T12:11:44.314-05:00This Blog Has Moved<strong>Microwave Journal has published a new web site and all future blog posting will be located at:</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><a href="http://www.microwavejournal.com/blogs"><strong>http://www.microwavejournal.com/blogs</strong></a>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-65093195272443369872012-01-05T15:09:00.007-05:002012-01-05T16:06:16.313-05:00Pat's Predictions - 2012 Microwave Forecast<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3YmgmZ1k__wahNYWC03uo_XDqVolqcTKn_5ujGz4AG9hVY6qNvCnoyAEOkq8qX8w7ntsQIiD-jB0d-kvntc_6tpYgK44WFab4q64MhQd6ECgL5q78A3HcYFyNPMcwHQTdIIYBD6BEFg/s1600/crystal_ball_PAT_2012.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 249px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694257082103433266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3YmgmZ1k__wahNYWC03uo_XDqVolqcTKn_5ujGz4AG9hVY6qNvCnoyAEOkq8qX8w7ntsQIiD-jB0d-kvntc_6tpYgK44WFab4q64MhQd6ECgL5q78A3HcYFyNPMcwHQTdIIYBD6BEFg/s320/crystal_ball_PAT_2012.jpg" /></a><strong>It is that time again, I have made my Microwave Industry predictions for 2012:</strong><br /><br />1. GaN Switches and GaN MMICs experience significant growth in high power commercial markets and start in-roads into military market.<br /><br />2. LTE continues to grow rapidly taking over the infrastructure market and people start talking about 5G.<br /><br />3. Wideband RF devices start to replace multiple transmit chains in handsets.<br /><br />4. Microwave based imaging solutions start to replace some X-ray based imaging in some medical applications.<br /><br />5. NFC and mobile payments start to penetrate the handset market worldwide.<br /><br />6. Internet connected homes start to be realized in mass with connected TVs, appliances, heating/cooling systems and security devices.<br /><br />7. White space radio spectrum and cognitive devices start to be realized.<br /><br />8. Test and measurement convergence continues at a rapid pace as suppliers combine multiple tests systems into a single box.<br /><br />9. Modeling software becomes part of the test and measurement systems sell with combined offerings from multiple companies.<br /><br />10. Addressing interference issues becomes the biggest problem in the cellular infrastructure market – compact filters (IC and miniature ceramic) are offered as possible solutions.<br /><br />11. Radar sensors become an affordable option in some standard car models (instead of only premium brands such as Mercedes and Audi).<br /><br />12. UAVs are the only bright spot for Defense spending as cuts are made in most other areas.<br /><br /><br /><strong>2011 Industry predictions and outcomes (let's see how I did last year):</strong><br /><br />1. Tunable devices and circuits like RF MEMS and switched capacitor banks will be adopted in cell phones and alleviate some of the antenna reception issues that plagued phones like the iPhone 4.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">This started to happen to some extent but was limited so maybe this was half correct.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br />2. Smart Grid applications will take off this year with ISM and Zigbee wireless applications being widely implemented around the world.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">While this was talked about a lot, I not sure it really took off so maybe in 2012.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br />3. LTE will dominate the 4G networks as it is implemented around the world and zooms past WiMAX in deployments.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">This definitely happened in a big way as CTIA and MWC were dominated by LTE along with deployments worldwide.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br />4. Femtocells, WiFi and other shorter range wireless technologies will be implemented to get around cellular dead spots instead of just deploying more basestations to fill in coverage.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">This occurred to some extent again, but not in a big way so only half credit.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br />5. Metamaterials will start to be used in real world devices for filters and other passive devices (maybe even radar cloaking for the military).<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">While there continues to be research in this area, it did not happen in any meaningful manner.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br />6. Adaptive/Cognitive radar and communication systems will go into real development programs.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">There was some activity in this area but it was limited.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br />7. Millimeterwave frequency solutions will dominate the new backhaul and satellite communications deployments.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Same as above.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br />8. SOI and SOS based switches will start taking market share from the traditional dominant GaAs markets.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">This started to occur as the Peregrine SOS switches have made in-roads and companies such as Skyworks and RFMD are now producing quality SOI switches which I expect to see more of this year.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br />9. The confusion of the definition of 4G technologies will continue while someone will define and start using the term 5G.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">The confusion definitely continued but I never heard anyone mention 5G.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br />10. Microwave applications will see significant use in medical technologies to enhance cures for diseases such as cancer.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">I keep hoping for this one to occur more than any other prediction, so I once again added a similar prediction this year but only limited progress has been made in microwave medical technology.</span><br /><br />Let me know what you think will happen in 2012.Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-51418735570963065362011-12-20T16:16:00.006-05:002012-01-03T08:23:19.099-05:00Top Articles on Microwave Journal for 2011<p>Here are the top 10 most viewed articles this year on the Microwave Journal web site: </p><br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.mwjournal.com/News/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_1467">The Current State of Technology and Future Trends in Wireless Communications and Applications</a><br /></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.mwjournal.com/News/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_10126">Cognitive Radar: The Next Radar Wave?</a><br /></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.mwjournal.com/News/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_7232">RFID: The Next Generation Auto-ID Technology</a><br /></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.mwjournal.com/News/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_8587">A Compact, Omni-directional, Circularly Polarized Microstrip Antenna</a><br /></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.mwjournal.com/News/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_82">Making Thermal Resistance Measurements without Test Diodes or Thermal Stages</a><br /></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.mwjournal.com/News/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_10582">An Analog Approach to Power Amplifier Predistortion</a><br /></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.mwjournal.com/News/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_11326">Trends in Defence Electronics: Technological Convergence in Radar and EW</a><br /></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.mwjournal.com/News/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_10587">Xinger®-III Doherty Combiner Offers Advantages Over a PCB Combiner</a><br /></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.mwjournal.com/News/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_8926">Two-arm Archimedean Spiral Helical Antenna with Wraparound Absorber</a><br /></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.mwjournal.com/News/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_4830">Modern RFID Readers</a></li></ol><br /><p>Half of these articles are not from this year showing the long life time of technical articles as some of them are several years (or more) old.</p><br /><p>Here are the top 10 News items for 2011:</p><br /><ol><li>AWR Announces China Expansion with Office in Asia</li><br /><li>TI to Acquire National Semiconductor</li><br /><li>Rogers Assists Circuit Designer with Free Impedance Calculator Software</li><br /><li>Agilent Ships Latest ADS Platform</li><br /><li>Cambridge Consultants Sprints Ahead with Counter-terror Search Technology</li><br /><li>NXP Launches High Performance RF Design Challenge</li><br /><li>Skyworks to Acquire SiGe Semiconductor for $210 M</li><br /><li>GigOptix to Acquire Endwave<br /><li>Comtech Receives $3.3 M for High Power Amplifiers and Switches</li><br /><li>TiaLinx Announces Launch of Cougar20-H, A Mini-Robot </li></ol><br /><p>The biggest news of the year for me was the National Instruments acquisition of AWR and Phase Matrix announced right before IMS 2011. Also popular were our show coverage and show wrap up articles which all ranked very high. What was your favorite article or topic of the year?</p>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-50427224313078303592011-12-19T08:42:00.001-05:002011-12-19T08:43:50.615-05:00Summary of Dec Cell Phone Mkt Shares<span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><em>This market insight report compares Q3 shelfshare trends in smartphone and non-smartphone markets across the world. The analysis was carried out using SpecTRAX, from Strategy Analytics which covers 13,000 handset models from 140 network operators in 31 countries. </em><br /><br />This month’s shelfshare report uses data from Q3 2011 to reveal:<br /><br />- Smartphones accounted for 49% of global shelfshare with non-smartphones accounting for 46% of operator shelfshare.<br /><br />- Smartphone presence in operator portfolios has doubled in three years and now the market is dominated by big brands. Mobile phone portfolios are being filled up with smartphones, tablets and USB dongles at all price points.<br /><br />- The top five global smartphone shelfshares were held by Nokia at 22%, Samsung 17% and then HTC, RIM and Sony Ericsson each had around 10%. Together they occupied 75%.<br /><br />- Samsung and Nokia also dominated non-smartphone global shelfshare at 27% and 22% respectively. Their nearest competitor was LG which achieved 14%.<br /><br />- The regional analysis showed extremely different smartphone shelfshare trends in terms of the top ten market leaders outside of Europe. Top of the charts were RIM in North America at 27%, Nokia 22% of South America, Sharp 19% in Japan and Samsung with 20% in South Korea.</span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-3876581266261566172011-12-15T09:29:00.002-05:002011-12-15T09:35:45.611-05:00Non-Lethal Weapons: Technologies & Global Market - 2012-2020Over the next ten years, the Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) market is forecasted to emerge as a key domain for asymmetric warfare and law enforcement technology providers. Governments worldwide have undoubtedly understood the function of non-lethal weapons following lessons learned in Egypt, Israel, Iraq and Afghanistan. Unforeseen street riots and mass demonstrations over the last decade have revealed the loopholes in the security dogma of the 21st century.<br /><br />There is a growing demand from combatant commanders, law enforcement officers and political establishments for NLW capabilities. This demand is driven by the need to help them win the hearts and minds of the non-combatant population and prevent world outcry and media attention due to non-combatant casualties. As a result, many governments have entered into non-lethal weapons R&D and procurement dedicated to the full spectrum of public safety, law enforcement, crowd control and asymmetric warfare.<br /><br />The new <a href="http://www.homelandsecurityresearch.com/2011/10/non-lethal-weapons-technologies-global-market-2012-2020/">Non-Lethal Weapons: Technologies & Global Market - 2012-2020</a> report is the first and only comprehensive study of the emerging NLW market. In this report HSRC analysts forecast that the NLW market will triple towards 2020. The growth will be accelerated in 2016-2020 to a 17% CAGR due to pipeline NLW technologies.<br /><br />The report, segmented into 61 sub-markets, offers for each sub-market 2011 data and 2012-2020 forecasts and analysis. In more than 320 pages, 124 tables and 99 figures, the report analyses and projects the 2012-2020 market and technologies from several perspectives, including:<br /><br />* <strong>Market forecast by user sector</strong>: military and law enforcement sectors<br /><strong>* Market forecast by application:</strong> (e.g., blunt impact NLW, disperse NLW, anti-vehicle NLW, non-lethal ammunition, NLW RDT&E)<br /><strong>* National markets in 16 leading countries,</strong> (e.g., US, UK, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Brazil)<br /><strong>* The NLW Industry:</strong> Vendors , Products, Prices ,Performance and RDT&E programs<br />* <strong>Market analysis</strong> (e.g., market drivers & inhibitors, SWOT analysis)<br /><strong>* Business environment</strong> (e.g., competitive analysis, recent contracts)<br /><strong>* Current and pipeline technologies<br />* Business opportunities and challenges</strong>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083808689296555200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-92204070498890440652011-12-14T09:43:00.011-05:002011-12-14T11:54:28.771-05:00Do-It-Yourself M2M in Your HomeA couple of guys from MIT have started Supermechanical and developed a WiFi module that can connect sensors to the Internet. According to their project listing on the KickStarter website, "Twine is the simplest possible way to get the objects in your life texting, tweeting or emailing. A durable 2.5" square provides WiFi connectivity, internal and external sensors, and two AAA batteries that keep it running for months. A simple web app allows to you quickly set up your Twine with human-friendly rules — no programming needed. And if you're more adventurous, you can connect your own sensors and use HTTP to have Twine send data to your own app."<br /><br />Twine is a wireless module tightly integrated with a cloud-based service. The module has WiFi, on-board temperature and vibration sensors, and an expansion connector for other sensors. Power is supplied by the on-board mini USB or two AAA batteries (and Twine will email you when you need to change the batteries).<br /><br />For $99 to support the project development, you can monitor temperature and motion with one module and receive a text message, Twitter or e-mail if the conditions you set are exceeded. There is a simple web interface to setup the module and conditions of your choice with each sensor. The WiFi module comes with a built-in temperature and accelerometer and you can add other external sensors for things such as moisture, magnetic switch, etc. which you can add via an external connector board.<br /><br />Applications include sensing water in your basement, opening of doors, washer/dryer is finished, etc. They have already exceeded their funding goal by a huge margin but you can order the various configurations on the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/supermechanical/twine-listen-to-your-world-talk-to-the-internet">KickStarter website </a>for delivery in March of 2012.<br /><br /><iframe height="380" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/supermechanical/twine-listen-to-your-world-talk-to-the-internet/widget/card.html" frameborder="0" width="220"></iframe>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-90570953073121548182011-12-14T09:21:00.002-05:002011-12-14T09:24:36.877-05:00MIT Camera Captures One Trillion Frames per Second<p style="margin-top: 1.2em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.4em; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); ">A team of researchers over at MIT might have just broken a new record. They’ve created “<a href="http://web.media.mit.edu/~raskar/trillionfps/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(39, 170, 226); text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">the world’s slowest fastest camera</a>,” which is able to shoot one trillion frames per second. To put the speed into perspective: one trillion seconds is over 31,688 years. If you then take one second of footage on this camera, and played it back at 30 fps, it would still take you over 1,000 years to watch it, according to <a href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/12/trillion-fps-camera-captures-advancing-light-waves/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(39, 170, 226); text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Wired.com</a>. (If you decide to host that sort of movie night, please don’t invite us over.)</p><p style="margin-top: 1.2em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.4em; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); ">Led by Ramesh Raskar, an associate professor at the <a href="http://www.media.mit.edu/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(39, 170, 226); text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">MIT Media Lab</a>, the team relied on this new technology called a “streak camera,” which, essentially, has a slit so narrow that only a thin slice of laser light can be seen at one time, according to <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/108773-mit-slows-down-light-with-trillion-frames-per-second-video-camera" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(39, 170, 226); text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">ExtremeTech</a>. The laser pulses are then picked up by an array of 500 sensors in the camera, and, with the use of mirrors, the camera’s angle of view is changed over time until each of these one-dimensional slices can be built up into a complete 2D image.</p><p style="margin-top: 1.2em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.4em; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "> <a href= "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtsXgODHMWk&feature=player_embedded"><b>Watch Video</b></a></p><p style="margin-top: 1.2em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083808689296555200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-51701037322711072802011-12-14T08:53:00.003-05:002011-12-14T09:10:12.861-05:00Good Idea: USB Wall OutletsFile this item in the "why didn't someone think of this sooner" folder - Current Werks, a leading innovator in green mobile power storage and charging devices, just introduced two industry-changing, energy-saving USB wall outlets: the <a title="http://globalmessaging2.prnewswire.com/clickthrough/servlet/clickthrough?msg_id=7066334&adr_order=98&url=aHR0cDovL2N1cnJlbnR3ZXJrcy5jb20vcHJlc3Mtcm9vbQ%3D%3D" href="http://globalmessaging2.prnewswire.com/clickthrough/servlet/clickthrough?msg_id=7066334&adr_order=98&url=aHR0cDovL2N1cnJlbnR3ZXJrcy5jb20vcHJlc3Mtcm9vbQ%3D%3D" target="_blank">Quattro and Duo</a>. The company will exhibit these products in the Eureka Park TechZone at the 2012 International CES Tradeshow, January 10-13 in Las Vegas. <p>The Quattro (patent pending) is the first product in the industry that replaces a standard electrical wall outlet with four powerful USB charging ports. The Quattro's four USB ports deliver a combined output of 22Watts, making the Quattro the most powerful in-wall charging solution available anywhere. The Quattro also features an innovative (patent pending) tamper-resistant door that when closed completely eliminates standby power, also known as vampire power. The Quattro has the ability to replace four bulky USB AC adapters with one wall outlet.</p> <p>The Duo (patent pending) features two powerful in-wall USB charging ports delivering 16Watts of output power from a standard 110V wall outlet. The Duo's advanced power management design gives the consumer a total of four charging solutions, two USB charging ports and two standard US/CAN sockets from a single wall outlet. This makes the Duo the second most powerful in-wall charging solution available in the market today, surpassed only by the Quattro. The Duo supports 15Amp and 20Amp wall receptacles. </p> <p>The Quattro and Duo USB Wall Outlets, with their energy-saving design, are ideal for both commercial and residential applications. They are powerful enough to provide the fastest charge available to even the most power-hungry portable devices, such as Apple's iPad® and iPhone® as well as Android® smartphones and tablets. The Quattro and Duo outlets are designed to maximize charging power and wall outlet space available for charging, while eliminating unnecessary charging wall clutter.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQl4pkhjA7lhF76Jxbbb-ox4dCHN0FMQw0_9keta8fjBiV0PKXs1KhyTLmm-DMkGt6VJynlrGEBbsRMY9NhyaJzNTbE4owMvhbo5aBsURl72BXHJLzAW-S96mmK90VPa-W8JRcBzQNuc/s1600/usb_plug.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQl4pkhjA7lhF76Jxbbb-ox4dCHN0FMQw0_9keta8fjBiV0PKXs1KhyTLmm-DMkGt6VJynlrGEBbsRMY9NhyaJzNTbE4owMvhbo5aBsURl72BXHJLzAW-S96mmK90VPa-W8JRcBzQNuc/s320/usb_plug.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685985587843331778" border="0" /></a></p><p>The Current Werks USB wall outlets are priced at $39.98 for the Quattro and $24.98 for the Duo</p><p><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083808689296555200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-58101759771014749132011-12-13T12:35:00.001-05:002011-12-13T12:38:03.948-05:00Growth in Printed ElectronicsThe following was written by Dr Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, Technology Analyst, IDTechEx<br /><br />At end of November, IDTechEx held the world's largest printed electronics and photovoltaics conference and tradeshow in Silicon Valley at the Santa Clara Convention Center. This show brought together more than 1300 attendees from 28 countries. Players active across the entire value chain were present; covering the full range from research organisations to end-users, and from small start-ups to multi-billion internationals.<br /><br />Mr Raghu Das, CEO, IDTechEx, opened the show with his keynote speech, arguing that there lies a great untapped market opportunity in offering final integrated products. Indeed, product integrators are in the privileged position of being able to cherry pick the best materials from an ever expanding range of options. This conclusion is supported by IDTechEx statistics showing that 97% of all companies profiled are currently offering only materials and/or components, and not final products. Therefore, IDTechEx is excited to see the printed electronics world evolve towards its next step, which will witness more and more final solutions and/or products appearing on the market.<br /><br />New printed electronics products<br /><br />Indeed, things are already moving quickly, as testified by a range of end-user companies including Proctor and Gamble (P&G), MWV Packaging, Boeing, Decathlon SA and more. A notable example was from P&G, the world's largest consumer packaged goods company with sales of more than $80 billion, which unveiled a decorative tissue box featuring an electroluminescent (EL) display. Here the product consisted of two parts: an interchangeable tissue box featuring the display and a fixed base providing the circuitry and power required to drive the EL display. This will be in stores this season. Also interesting was the novel anti-theft packaging produced by MWV Packaging in collaboration with Vorbeck. This product, which won IDTechEx's Best Product Development award, features a low-cost printed flexible graphene conducting layer and will be used in Home Depot stores in 2012.<br />Boeing discussed their current use of printed electronics as a bird strike detector in aircraft.<br /><br />Rollable Displays<br /><br />System and device manufacturers also presented their latest progress. PolymerVision showcased their truly rollable display capable of showing animated images. This is good news for printed electronics as flexible displays could provide a platform for a plethora of printed components, enabling large new markets. These include flexible Indium Thin Oxide (ITO) replacement, printed thin film transistors (TFTs), printed OLEDs, etc. However, replacing vacuum processed devices still remains ambitious, not least because printed TFTs will struggle in the near future to match the performance of the mature organic and the emerging metal oxide TFT technologies. For more information on Thin Film Transistors read the report from IDTechEx; "Printed and Thin Film Transistors and Memory 2011-2021" www.IDTechEx.com/tftc. <br /><br />Sensor Technologies<br /><br />Printed sensors and actuators are also showing very promising signs of rapid improvement. PST Sensors offered a printed silicon-based temperature sensor that could be employed as a touch screen. Peratech offered a quantum-tunnelling ink that would change its conductivity by as much as 16 orders of magnitude when pressed with a finger! The Peratech ink can be formulated in opaque, translucent and transparent formats. This technology, which won IDTechEx's Best Commercialisation Award, could extend touch screen capability to a vast array of substrates and products. Artificial Muscle, Inc showcased their morphiepulseTM technology in the "Demonstration Street" area. This technology can bring a high definition feel to touch screens by printing voltage-controlled actuators. This means that touch screens can respond back to users in a fun and intelligent way, giving rise to different vibration modes for different events.<br /><br />Conductive Inks<br /><br />A large variety of different conductive inks were also on show. The inks were differentiated on the basis of their conductivity and price. Nanoparticle inks (Nanogap, Nanomas, Intrinsiq, PChem, Applied Nanotech etc) claimed the higher conductivity ground with higher cost. Traditional flake-based polymer thick films (Dupont, Dow International, etc) offered low-cost and familiarity, but that came at the expense of conductivity at the same temperature. All have an opportunity depending on the application. Copper oxide nanoparticles (Novacentrix) offered truly low-cost inks suitable for high-volume applications such RFID tags, but mandate the use of special equipment to provide high-intensity light pulses. Graphene inks (Vorbeck) were also presented, plugging a gap in the market which requires low cost, moderate conductivity and flexibility.<br /><br />ITO replacements<br /><br />Conductive inks offering high levels of optical transparency are also becoming a viable ITO replacement option. Most notably, Cambrios announced that their silver nanowire inks are now in hundreds of thousands of Samsung cell phones. This represents a significant endorsement of their technology and a clear leapfrog towards capturing a portion of the $3 billion ITO market. Moreover, Evonik brought an exciting nanoparticle ITO ink to the play that could be printed only where needed thus doing away with the subtractive and wasteful sputter-etch process predominantly used today. <br />There is currently no one-size-fits-all solution on the conductive ink market. They are a variety of technologies, each sitting in its own niche based on its own attributes. Breaking into mature multibillion dollar markets traditionally served by polymer thick films is one strategy - the other is to deploy the new functionality (such as better conductors on flexible substrates) to do new things. This however still remains a challenge.<br /><br />While such presentations bear testimony that printed electronics is indeed fast making significant progress and inroads into markets, they also highlight critical challenges that lie ahead. From the end user prospective, these include the fact that the current state of the market largely requires them to take on the challenge of product design and integration. And from the prospective of material/component providers, these include the delay in the realisation of high-volume markets that would enable printed electronics to realise its ultimate promise of being truly low cost.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083808689296555200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-3762378725722294552011-12-08T09:14:00.000-05:002011-12-09T16:44:19.515-05:00NI Technology Updates Outlooks For Skyworks Solutions, Anadigics, TriQuint Semiconductor, RF Micro Devices, And Avago TechnologiesPRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Next Inning Technology Research (<a href="http://www.nextinning.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.nextinning.com</a>), an online investment newsletter focused on semiconductor and technology stocks, has published updated outlooks for Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ:SWKS), Anadigics (NASDAQ:ANAD), TriQuint Semiconductor (NASDAQ:TQNT), RF Micro Devices (NASDAQ:RFMD), and Avago Technologies (AVGO).<br />
<br />
Next Inning editor Paul McWilliams has leveraged a decades-long career as a semiconductor industry insider to deliver in-depth insights and winning stock selections for his newsletter subscribers. <br />
<br />
After careful research, Next Inning has published a special report outlining what McWilliams expects will be the impact from shortages of hard-disk drives. In this report, he examines how companies in the hard-disk drive, solid-state disk drive, NAND Flash, PC, microprocessor and other semiconductor sectors will be affected. For tech investors, this is a must-read report.<br />
Trial subscribers will receive McWilliams’ earnings previews and his highly acclaimed State of Tech reports that offer in-depth, sector-by-sector coverage of over 65 leading tech companies and specific guidance on which stocks he thinks investors should own and which should be avoided. These reports, as well as McWilliams’ regular commentary and real-time trade alerts, are available for free to trial subscribers.<br />
<br />
To take advantage of this offer and receive these reports for free, please visit the following link:<br />
<a href="https://www.nextinning.com/subscribe/index.php?refer=prn1324" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.nextinning.com/subscribe/index.php?refer=prn1324</a><br />
<br />
McWilliams covers these topics and more in his recent reports:<br />
– When Skyworks first announced its intention to acquire Advanced Analogic, McWilliams pulled no punches; he wrote it was a bad deal and investors should avoid Skyworks’ stock. Skyworks was trading solidly in the mid-$20s then. Now that the stock has fallen all the way to the mid-teens and Skyworks was able to renegotiate for a lower price, has McWilliams changed his view on Skyworks? What points of leverage and synergy does the deal offer Skyworks?<br />
<br />
– How does Skyworks compare to rivals Anadigics, RF Micro and TriQuint? Which of these four companies is poised to deliver the most upside for investors? Which two does McWilliams think would make a good pairing for investors interested in gaining exposure to the sector while still balancing risk and potential reward?<br />
<br />
– Does an investment in Avago offer strong exposure to the RF semiconductor sector? What other high-profile sector is important for Avago and how does its market share there stack up against the sector leader? How much is Avago’s balance sheet worth?<br />
Founded in September 2002, Next Inning’s model portfolio has returned 270% since its inception versus 39% for the S&P 500.<br />
<br />
About Next Inning:<br />
Next Inning is a subscription-based investment newsletter that provides regular coverage on more than 150 technology and semiconductor stocks. Subscribers receive intra-day analysis, commentary and recommendations, as well as access to monthly semiconductor sales analysis, regular Special Reports, and the Next Inning model portfolio. Editor Paul McWilliams is a 30+ year semiconductor industry veteran.<br />
<br />
NOTE: This release was published by Indie Research Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor with CRD #131926. Interested parties may visit adviserinfo.sec.gov for additional information. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083808689296555200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-48063551756257172872011-12-07T09:39:00.003-05:002011-12-07T10:23:49.268-05:00Record Breaking Paper Submissions reported by IMS 2012 TPC ChairBy 5:30 am EST (00:30 am Hawaii time) on December 6, 2011, one day before the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the IMS 2012 technical program chair, Raafat Mansour sent out an e-mail to several members of the IMS 2012 steering committee (for which I am serving as the promotions co-chair) announcing that the IMS2012 has received the highest number of submitted papers since the inception of IMS. Including the Hawaiian time zone is noteworthy since the deadline for paper submissions was midnight December 5th, Hawaii time, thereby extending the deadline to the very last minute of the day on US soil. IMS steering committees have long recognized and tried to accommodate the procrastinating habits of certain researchers and academics (you know who you are) by setting the deadline to this time zone. I do not have information on how many papers came in at the last minute, but the 2012 steering committee is to be congratulated for achieving the following record breaking paper submissions:<br />- IMS2012, Montreal received 1231 papers ( New Record) compared to IMS2003 Philadelphia received 1094 papers ( Previous Record). The average number of paper submissions over the last 4 years (2008-2011) was 825 papers.<br /><br />This is a fitting tribute to the hard work of this year's steering committee and helps commemorate the 60 year anniversary of the very first conference of what today has become the International Microwave Symposium or IMS. Congratulations.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083808689296555200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-19188309968978471732011-12-01T10:42:00.000-05:002011-12-01T10:43:34.505-05:00Synopsys buys MagmaChip-design software maker Synopsys Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=SNPS.O">SNPS.O</a>) agreed to buy peer Magma Design Automation Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=LAVA.O">LAVA.O</a>) for $7.35 a share in cash, to add complementary technology offerings to its portfolio, and forecast a strong first quarter.<br />Synopsys will pay a premium of 28.5 percent over Magma's Wednesday closing price of $5.72. Including debt, the deal is valued at about $507 million.<br /><br />"This acquisition will enable Synopsys to accelerate the delivery of the technology our customers need to keep the overall cost of design in check," Chief Executive Aart de Geus said in a statement.<br /><br />Synopsys, which plans to fund the deal with a combination of cash and debt, expects it to modestly add to adjusted <a title="Full coverage of Earnings" onclick="Reuters.article.trackInlineLink(51)" href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/earnings">earnings</a> per share in fiscal 2012.<br />Separately, Synopsys forecast first-quarter results ahead of analysts' expectations, as it sees higher demand for its services from makers of mobile devices and cloud computing and electronics companies.<br />For the quarter, Synopsys -- which competes with Mentor Graphics (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=MENT.O">MENT.O</a>) and Cadence Design Systems (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=CDNS.O">CDNS.O</a>) -- expects adjusted earnings of 51-53 cents a share on revenue of $412-$420 million.<br />Analysts were expecting earnings of 46 cents a share, excluding items, on revenue of $389 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.<br />For the fourth quarter, the Mountain View, California-based company, which makes software that help design chips, earned 45 cents a share, meeting analysts' estimates.<br />Total revenue rose 4 percent to $390.5 million, while estimates were for $390.1 million.<br />The Magma stock rose 25 percent to $7.17 in extended trading, while that of Synopsys was slightly up at $28.01.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083808689296555200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-31120111246409686072011-11-22T13:49:00.002-05:002011-11-22T13:56:29.082-05:0095% of Handsets Announced in Sept 2011 Have Bluetooth<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">In Strategy Analyitcs' monthly report on handset for data from September 2011:</span></p><br /><ul><br /><li><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">95% of handsets that entered the market featured Bluetooth, setting a new record for any one month - in Q3 2011 as a whole 89% featured Bluetooth, 18 of which featured version 3</span></li><br /><li><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">57% of handsets announced had on-board GPS – setting another record for a single month</span></li><br /><li><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">12 models had 8 MP cameras as the upward trend in resolution continues</span></li><br /><li><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Processor speeds increased with 23 models having 1 GHz or greater processors and dual core processors featuring on 7 models</span></li></ul><br /><p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">According to Strategy Analytics, handsets are becoming thinner and heavier as component miniaturisation continues. Ten handsets announced in September were thinner than 10 mm with the Samsung Focus S measuring just 8.5 mm and weights reached 184 g with the Motorola Milestone 3.<br /><br />Screen sizes continued to increase with 50% of the handset screens included in this report exceeding 3 inches leading us to believe that resolutions will follow suit. Rather unsurprisingly this is accompanied by a rising curve in battery capacity as the prevalence of larger touchscreens continues along with the need for more talk and standby time.</p></span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-87742780394357114072011-11-17T13:39:00.004-05:002011-11-20T06:46:08.549-05:00Wireless Connectivity ICs to Surpass $8 Billion in 2011<p>ABI Research recently reported that the total market for standards-based wireless connectivity ICs is expected to exceed 3.5 billion units per annum in 2011. “Broadcom leads the market with Qualcomm, CSR, and Texas Instruments all snapping at its heels,” says Peter Cooney, practice director, semiconductors. The market will total more than $11 billion per annum by 2014.</p><br /><p>Wireless connectivity technologies are well-established in many electronic device markets. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS are becoming ubiquitous in certain devices, such as smartphones, with attach rates approaching 100% in some cases. Rapid growth is forecast for newer technologies such as NFC and 802.15.4. Wireless connectivity technologies also continue to progress at a fast pace, with new developments such as Bluetooth v4.0 (with low energy being a key facet) and Wi-Fi moving to the 802.11ac standard and 802.11ad coming in the future. As attach rates increase, combinations of different wireless connectivity technologies have been developed to address the needs of customers. "Combo ICs" have become increasingly important, particularly in the smartphone, laptop, and media tablet markets (among others). Standalone ICs are not dead, however, and there are many compelling reasons that not all markets will to move to combo ICs.</p><br /><p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-: minor-latinfont-family:Calibri;font-size:9;" ><img id="_x0000_i1025" alt="RR-CONN chart" src="http://data.abiresearch.com/Image/RR-CONN-11.jpg" /></span></p>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-73433748212561113322011-11-17T11:14:00.000-05:002011-11-17T11:15:46.778-05:00Mobile Emergency Alerts Should Save LivesWhen wildfires, tornadoes, and other public-safety emergencies strike, MetroPCS customers will soon be able to receive government alerts on their mobile phones. The network operator is the latest to announce it will use the affordable, hosted Commercial Mobile Service Provider (CMSP) Gateway from Interop Technologies to deliver the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) alerts when they become available in 2012. Bluegrass Cellular of Kentucky announced earlier this month that it also will rely on the hosted Interop gateway to provide CMAS service.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083808689296555200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-8352954566422576272011-11-16T15:44:00.002-05:002011-11-16T15:53:25.766-05:00Industry's First SMT GaN Module for CATV<p>I don't normally point out specific products but I like to highlight new technology or products first to the market. RFMD has introduced the industry’s first surface mount GaN power doubler module aimed at CATV networks. It uses a combination of GaN HEMT and GaAs pHEMT technologies and provides high output capability from 45-1003 MHz with excellent distortion performance.<br /><br /><p><strong>Performance</strong></p><br /><ul><br /><li>45 to 1003 MHz GaAs/GaN Power Doubler Module</li><br /><br /><li>61dBmV Rated Power </li><br /><br /><li>High Current Mode: 450mA at 24V<sub><span style="font-size:85%;">DC</span></sub> </li><br /><br /><li>Low Current Mode: 350mA at 24V<sub><span style="font-size:85%;">DC</span></sub></li><br /><br /><li>Min. Gain: 22.5dB at 1GHz</li><br /><br /><li>Saves ≈ 50% PCBA Area versus SOT115J (with external baluns) 182 mm² versus 362 mm²</li></ul><br /><p><strong>Applications</strong></p><br /><ul><br /><li>CATV Optical nodes </li><br /><br /><li>CATV Line amplifiers</li></ul><br /><iframe height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31972011?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" width="400"></iframe><br /><br /><p>RFCM2680 Product Announcement from <a href="http://vimeo.com/rfmd">RFMD</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><p>Microwave Journal will be covering this subject in depth in our April issue next year.<br /></p>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-86895711299350469172011-11-15T07:52:00.003-05:002011-11-15T08:11:11.998-05:00Military MonthI call the end of Oct through the beginning of Nov Military Month as we typically attend EuMW, MILCOM and AOC during this period along with our publication of the <a href="http://mwjournal.com/journal/issues.asp?Id=135">Oct Government/Military issue</a>. At EuMW 2011, Microwave Journal coordinated a full day Defence/Security Forum in Manchester. The morning sessions concentrated on Security technologies such as through the wall radar, IED detection, etc. Strategy Analytics put on a lunch and learn session covering Defense Budgets and Trends followed by afternoon sessions covering the challenges of next generation radar and testing. It concluded with an executive forum with speakers from Defense agencies and OEMs. Our <a href="http://mwjournal.com/Article/Defence_Security_Forum/AR_11279/">event page </a>has video coverage and links to some of the presentation that were given.<br /><br />Next came MILCOM last week in Baltimore which was well attended, and we met with more than 30 companies featuring new components, test systems and software to meet the needs of emerging communications systems. Our <a href="http://www.mwjournal.com/News/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_11687">MILCOM 2011 show summary</a> lists all the interesting products we found along with some quick facts about the show. We found some interesting new testing systems/techniques, high efficiency GaN amplifiers, tunable filters and more.<br /><br />Now I am off to AOC 2011 in Washington DC. The Association of Old Crows Annual Convention focuses on EW so it will be interesting to see what new developments have taken place since last year. Digital RF Memory (DFRM) and very wideband detectors/systems have been the trend as enormous amounts of data are being collected, analyzed and in some cases re-broadcast (with some slight modifications).Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-6262441105750539512011-11-07T14:54:00.004-05:002011-11-07T15:31:11.960-05:00MILCOM 2011 PreviewAs MILCOM 2011 celebrates the 30th anniversary of their premier international conference for military communications, Microwave Journal will be on site visiting with the RF and microwave companies that are exhibiting in Baltimore this week. MILCOM gathers the leading minds of government, military, industry and academia in an interactive forum to further explore, define and leverage the benefits networks bring to today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. We will see how solutions are being developed for increasing capacity, enabling mobile comms and low cost, secure comms for every soldier. Last year we saw smartphones being quickly adapted to operate as rugged, secure military handsets with the promise of apps for improved situational awareness. This year we expect to see even more solutions that use this model and others.<br /><br />We have already received product previews for MILCOM from companies such as RFMD, ADI, TI, M/A-COM Tech, Agilent, R&S, Valpey Fisher, Aeroflex, Teledyne, Mercury Computers and EB to name a few. I will be Twittering and blogging from MILCOM using Hashtag #MILCOM2011 and you can follow me <a href="http://www.twitter.com/pathindle">@pathindle</a>. Look for our wrap up article next week.Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-78071659198301016012011-10-28T16:04:00.003-04:002011-10-28T16:16:55.957-04:00Nokia/Samsung Lead Handset Market - ZTE/LG Fight for 3rdABI reports that 3Q-2011 smartphone shipments grew 33% year-on-year to reach 28.8% shipment penetration of total handsets (381 M) shipped. Mediocre smartphone shipments from Apple, RIM and Nokia have stopped the hyper growth of the smartphone market according to Mike Morgan, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. <br /><br />Manufacturers are either getting rid of feature phones or re-inventing them for the emerging markets. Nokia achieved a remarkable turn-around through tactical pricing cuts that bounced its market share back up 24.6% to 28% in 2Q-2011. While it cleared out Nokia’s excess inventory and distribution channels, it also resulted in its average selling price slumping to from $65 to $51. While Nokia is pre-installing apps, such as Angry Birds, to its re-invented feature phones, both Sony-Ericsson and LG are moving their focus away from feature phones. Sony-Ericsson has stated its plans to end feature phone production in 2012 while LG seeks to dominate the LTE smartphone market. Motorola grew both handset and smartphone shipments in Q3 while tablet sales slumped to 100 K. ZTE’s Q3 handset shipments are set to bump LG from 3rd place when officially announced on Monday. Samsung’s legal issues with Apple were not sufficient to slow its shipment growth, and it remains comfortably in second place with 20.8% market share.<br /><br />Ericsson’s announcement to sell its 50% share in the Sony-Ericsson joint venture for $1.5 billion underscores the hugh paradigm shifts in the mobile device market-place. Sony wishes to integrate smartphones more tightly into its portfolio of tablets, laptops and gaming platforms. “Customers are no longer seeing their handset as a ‘standalone device.' Increasingly, customers are seeking out a seamless communications, media and UI experience”, said Jake Saunders, VP for Forecasting. Apple has iCloud integrating the end-user experiences across iPhones, iPads and Macs. Microsoft is striving to achieve the same objective with its Window Phone 7 devices that allow content to cross over from smartphone, Xbox and Windows PC.<br /><br />I see RIM loosing its grip on the professional market as they seem to severely lag in smartphone features. This segment is ripe for being overtaken by another manufacturer. While Android phones continue to grow in popularity, the iPhone still has the upper hand as the smartphone to beat. It will be interesting to see how Nokia does with Windows based phones next year. Never a dull moment in the handset market.Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-70470898358310096962011-10-15T11:19:00.016-04:002011-10-15T16:26:29.583-04:00RF Module Winners in iPhone 4SThere are already teardowns of the iPhone 4S online, so let's look at the winners in the RF frontend section. <strong>Skyworks, TriQuint and Avago</strong> all have RF modules in the handset. All of the companies stock prices were up on the news last week. Below is a breakdown of the modules with a picture of the board containing the RF section.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663813200349060002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOTpmJqy2YwDVZQyGaIErysvPh-sbrMqyBVta93MqVDJSBAfzm5FCydObUbs6XDDpaAUlxHxI-AKWIRfl-qWBn4Lv00bB6fddVpgjMCFledPU4MWzjdyuBKiR-h6D6UH0ctn0-N0I9OI/s400/iPhone4sRF+copy.jpg" /><br /><ul><br /><li>Qualcomm RTR8605 Multi-band/mode RF Transceiver. <a href="http://www.chipworks.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#336da8;">Chipworks</span></a> has provided a die photo (orange)</li><br /><li>Skyworks 77464-20 Load-Insensitive Power Amplifier (LIPA®) module developed for WCDMA applications (yellow)</li><br /><li>Avago ACPM-7181 Power Amplifier (green)</li><br /><li>TriQuint <a href="http://www.triquint.com/prodserv/more_info/proddisp.aspx?prod_id=TQM9M9030" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#336da8;">TQM9M9030</span></a> SAW filter (blue)</li><br /><li>TriQuint TQM66052 (possibly a <a href="http://www.triquint.com/prodserv/markets/mobile-devices/3g-wcdma-wgprs-wedge.cfm" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#336da8;">PA-Duplexer Module</span></a>) (purple)</li></ul><br /><br /><p>Photo and part numbers/descriptions via <a href="http://www.ifixit.com/">http://www.ifixit.com/</a>.</p>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-77411847918259857912011-10-12T08:23:00.021-04:002011-10-15T11:18:44.740-04:00Microwaves in Manchester - EuMW 2011Most of the MWJ editors and staff arrived in Manchester, UK on Sunday for the largest Microwave Conference and Exhibition in Europe, European Microwave Week. There are about 1400 delegates registered for the technical sessions this year and the content appears to be very good. I sat in on a few sessions ranging from emerging technology such as graphene FETs to more mature high efficiency GaN amplifiers.<br /><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662614652700566258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqN-89WEYPHJthjE7BNVYwGlOnNellMKkxKHouo44RGV_2uropjgdBgRo1NPtGqLsPsNq88qKoyHXi7URiABtK8JIL4AkmIGDtbp85yXZ3FsWwz3w4BcM4DVvomFktNkGqvrhNRdr9UXQ/s400/IMG00419-20111011-1731.jpg" /><br />The exhibition started on Tues and were well attended even through Wed. The Manchester Central facility has a nice layout where all the sessions are very close to the exhibition floor and entrance so finding your way around is relatively easy. The exhibition floor is wide open with a very high roof as it was an old rail station converted into an exhibition center. The major T&M companies like Agilent, R&S and Anritsu have the largest booths up front with other major players like CST, Ansys, AWR, NI, TriQuint, Sumitomo, Cobham, etc. having large booths right behind them. Over 200 companies are represented here . We see a lot of activity in GaN, non-linear modeling, wideband components and test systems, advanced materials and improved packaging.</p><br /><p>There has been an emphasis on recruiting young engineers to the field, especially in Europe, including emphasis on more women as evidenced by the Women in Microwaves sessions. Several companies have applications that will engage young people such as Ansys' high frequency educational toolkit in conjunction with Anritsu and Eductika. We talked with Dr. T at NI about this subject, and he indicated that NI also has Labview based programs to engage young engineers in high school and college so several companies are doing something about the problem.</p><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>MWJ organized the Defence and Security Forum which was extended to a full day after its success last year in Paris. The morning sessions concentrated on security issues covering UWB and TeraHertz imaging for IED detection, through the wall imaging and detection of threats hidden on the body. The lunch and learn session was given by Strategy Analytics on the future budget trends in a declining budget atmosphere. The afternoon sessions were dedicated to an industry perspective on future challenges for radar and EW. A representative from Thales and Cambridge Consultants spoke first followed by an industry panel including representatives from Agilent, NI, NXP, RFMD and TriQuint. The day's events were concluded with an executive forum covering future needs and trends in defense related to microwave technology. Hundreds of attendees participated in the day's events.<br /><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662614835783933202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zjvm8Cky6pZe_pCvLDIzjniGkKiFiVMtfys0m_7vDudodDaWDOkEmQu5RhRgQBlj4IjxN7QI5uiUQF3jcqnkCwhk4D-BW9qS-_tVXqdYM-fMaMnnlpd_WcP9dTom3Jp_wlincAYEnfA/s400/IMG00425-20111012-0839.jpg" /><br />The exhibition is wrapping up tomorrow and MWJ has shot about a dozen videos which will be posted online in a couple of weeks. The videos covered many product demos from the exhibition plus interviews with the president of EuMA, Dr. T from NI and representatives from AWR.</div></div></div>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-10480626361972405442011-09-30T14:27:00.004-04:002011-10-06T11:03:49.395-04:00Tattoo Electronics Open Up Many Possibilities<p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';">It was recently announced that researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed “tattoo electronics”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>These are wireless electronics so flexible and thin they can be applied to the skin and forgotten. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';">According to the release, the high-performance epidermal electronic system mounts directly onto the skin with the ease, flexibility and comfort of a temporary tattoo. The system could be used for monitoring brain, heart and muscle tissue activity; wound measurement and treatment; biological and chemical sensing; computer gaming and covert communications. <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';">The challenge for Huang and his colleagues was to make the thickness and stiffness of the electronic system similar to that of skin. The researchers accomplished this through a serpentine design of electronic nanoribbons. The circuits for the various components are fabricated as tiny wires. When mounted on lightweight and stretchable membranes, the wavy, snakelike shape allows the wires to bend, twist, scrunch and stretch while maintaining functionality.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';">The electronics also can be removed easily. They adhere to the skin the same way it is believed a gecko’s foot adheres temporarily to a surface: through an electrostatic phenomenon called the van der Waals force. Tape or glue is not necessary.<br /></span><br /><iframe height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/27592547?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" width="400"></iframe><br /></p><br /><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/27592547">Tattoo electronics could have medical applications</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/northwestern">Northwestern News</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';">The system features electrophysiological and physical sensors and wireless power and communication modules. It is free of cumbersome wires, making it practical for use outside a research lab or clinic, in a natural environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The researchers also show that their system’s EEG, ECG and EMG recordings are comparable to signals collected using bulky commercial devices that require tape for mounting to the skin. <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';">They also demonstrate their system’s potential for use in human-machine interfaces. The electronics can be mounted on a person’s throat and, after training, the system can translate the simple spoken commands “up,” “down,” “left” and “right” into directions to control the video game Sokoban.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This capability could prove useful to patients with muscular or neurological disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, who could use the electronic patches to communicate or interface with computers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Another demonstration shows the electronics can be integrated with commercially available temporary tattoos, if there is a desire to conceal the electronics.</span></p>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-66457094130214460752011-09-30T13:36:00.006-04:002011-09-30T14:10:02.399-04:00Avago and Skyworks Modules Show Up in Droid BionicI like to see the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">smartphone</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">teardowns</span> for the major new phone introductions to see who the RF/microwave winners are for the high visibility products that will represent significant volume. The latest (long anticipated) <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">smartphone</span> is the Motorola Droid Bionic with market leading specs in many areas. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">ABI</span> Research (and a few others) have done <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">teardowns</span> and found some interesting findings.<br /><br />According to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">ABI</span> Research vice president of engineering James <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mielke</span>, “Motorola has mixed some of the latest technology with quite a few components now considered the norm and a few that have not been seen in phones for years.” One of the newer components, the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">OMAP</span>4430, scored well in performance testing but not quite high enough to top the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">leaderboard</span>.<br /><br />Major changes include:<br /><br />• <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">LTE</span> modem designed by Motorola<br />• A new <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">LTE</span> transceiver from Intel (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Infineon</span>)<br />• An interesting RF configuration supporting more than the advertised <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">CDMA</span>/<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">LTE</span> support<br />• Transition from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nvidia</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tegra</span> II to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">OMAP</span>4430 application processor<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 235px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658214785727776306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84fjZZPXNGCqnCZgsetNp4RORr5CHePHxSyKF8qjSfVZQap4Tc3wcRtT6_z-XpPQwhMzT8MdGKXItwbLFQ5-PSlfWe1yhxqdlM6GaRzSVONn5gjVF7pnswXPknS_Ray4ZT7KPCC00uPc/s400/Bionic.jpg" /><br /><br /><div>But for us RF folks, the most interesting is the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Avago</span> Quad Band <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">GSM</span>/EDGE PA (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">ACPM</span>-7868) indicated by red arrow and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">Skyworks</span> 700 MHz <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">LTE</span> PA module (SKY77483) indicated by the red arrow. According to the Avago <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">datasheet</span>, the PA is a linear quad band/multi-mode PA for both <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">GMSK</span> and 8-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">PSK</span> modulation schemes. There are two amplifier chains, one is to support the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">GSM</span>850/900 bands and the other is to support the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">DCS</span>1800/PCS1900 bands.</div><br /><br /><div>The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">LTE</span> RF module is a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">Skyworks</span> 700 MHz <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">LTE</span> load insensitive PA with an integrated coupler. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">ABI</span> also noted that there is a ceramic filter which has not been really seen in modern handsets. I am guessing it might be to prevent interference with the many frequency bands near the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">LTE</span> signals (could be from Trans Tech which <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-error">Skyworks</span> owns?).<br /></div><br /><div>Let me know if you have further information on these parts. Photo courtesy of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">ABI</span> Research.</div>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-5726480310752648482011-09-21T10:36:00.003-04:002011-09-21T10:53:59.924-04:00IBM to Publish 2 GHz Graphene IC at Upcoming Conference<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">IBM is set to publish a paper on a <span style="color:black;">2 GHz frequency doubler <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>RF circuit in a CMOS-compatible manufacturing process technology </span>at the upcoming <span style="color:black;">International Electron Device Meeting, due to be held in Washington DC, Dec. 5 to 7</span>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>IBM researchers will deliver a paper that is a significant step toward moving graphene from the lab into a manufacturable technology. It will detail how using a 200 mm wafer-scale CMOS-compatible fabrication process can be used to make high-performance graphene FETs and RF passives.</span><br /><br /><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">A major obstacle with graphene is the difficulty of building a gate dielectric (insulating layer) on its inherently inert surface. However, graphene layers grown by controlled vapor deposition (CVD) can be transferred to many types of substrates. To take advantage of this property, IBM built silicon wafers containing pre-defined embedded gate structures, and then transferred CVD-fabricated graphene layers onto them. As an example they built a frequency doubler which demonstrated a conversion gain of ~-25 dB at an output frequency of 2 GHz. This performance was nearly constant from 25-200°C, indicating that both n- and p-transconductance are temperature-independent in this range, a new finding for CVD graphene-based devices.</span></p><br /><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Sxn7M7wGkLMY_25bZoeCSwdqXKTqnc-TeHH3tyyMx48JVtRr18iWKK1LQbbY8WPZOeDK0XcfPX0sbb8evNCjktxzX5R6roqaOPAgq9ALRd6pBTHZDLh3eioLr1uX-0kG6RWs3daOYI4/s1600/IBM.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 348px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 263px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654825625263919746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Sxn7M7wGkLMY_25bZoeCSwdqXKTqnc-TeHH3tyyMx48JVtRr18iWKK1LQbbY8WPZOeDK0XcfPX0sbb8evNCjktxzX5R6roqaOPAgq9ALRd6pBTHZDLh3eioLr1uX-0kG6RWs3daOYI4/s400/IBM.jpg" /></a>The four images on the right show (a) an 8” graphene FET wafer; (b) single die; (c) SEM image of a typical fully processed device and (d) an enlarged view of the device showing the embedded gate structure with two-finger design. Except for the CVD graphene transfer, all processing was done in a conventional 200 nm fab.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Graphene technology is finally making it into production.</span></p>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637430122642772073.post-73355655190455040302011-09-19T12:22:00.003-04:002011-09-19T13:25:31.819-04:00New RFIC Greatly Mitigates LightSquared LTE Interference with GPSThere has been a lot in the news the last few months about LightSquared's proposed new broadband LTE network which is close in frequency to the GPS band and could cause interference in critical areas of navigation systems. LightSquared is seeking FCC approval for 40,000 basestations to support 260 million users across the country establishing a new LTE network. They were approved in Jan 2011 but recent tests have indicated that signals from the network could interfere (jam) nearby GPS receivers so the FCC has said they cannot launch their network until the problems are resolved.<br /><br />LightSquared has indicated they will adjust the direction of their signals to minimize the strength near GPS stations and move the frequency a little farther away. There is a 10 MHz block near the GPS frequency that they will not use and move to another block of spectrum currently used by Inmarsat. They will also reduce the maximum power levels to provide additional protection.<br /><br />But today Tahoe RF announced an RFIC solution to the problem with an integrated dual channel (L1 & L2) GPS RFIC that substantially mitigates interference from LightSquared and 4G L-Band LTE signals (and other jamming environments). The RFIC also includes a fractional-N synthesizer with a high performance VCO. The receive paths can be configured high linearity or low power operation by setting the ADC bit rate. The two independent receive paths are integrated with 12 bit analog to digital converters providing complete conversion of the GPS signals from RF to digital data. The RFIC has the ability to process L1 and L2 received signal data in the presence of a greater than 60 dBc jammer.<br /><br />GPS devices are being improved against the backdrop of various 4G and other signals that can interfere with the relatively weak satellite signals with improved filtering and sensitivity. Infineon recently announced highly integrated GPS/GLONASS modules with improved sensitivity plus pre- and post- filtering around the LNA. These modules have out-of-band rejection of greater than 43 dBc in the cellular bands.<br /><br />This is a very exciting area as another company is trying to bring broadband to the rural market around the country, something the Obama administration has been promoting and supporting for a while but has not seemed to meet expectations. Can all these signals co-exist as we squeeze more and more data into our limited spectrum?Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17167454854220748244noreply@blogger.com0