I was a little surprised by this report that has Skyworks surpassing RFMD in market share but Strategy Analytics announced that Skyworks has managed to gain the number one position for cellphone PAs according to their research. The rapid growth of handsets has pushed the PA market to $2 billion per year with Skyworks and RFMD relying on the majority of their revenues from this market despite diversification efforts. Both firms and their competitors have invested heavily in new PA products and technologies to meet the demands of the cellphone OEMs for ever more bands, higher data rates, higher efficiency and lower PA prices.
Christopher Taylor, Director of the RF and Wireless Components, commented, "The transition from the frenetic demand in the first half of 2008 to a severely depressed Q4 caught many PA suppliers off guard. PAs for mid-priced handsets took the brunt of the slump, and so suppliers with high share in PAs for low-cost handsets and PAs for higher-end 3G handsets fared better than suppliers with broad portfolios at all price and performance points. Both Skyworks and RFMD ended the year with close to one-third of the market, but Skyworks edged slightly ahead of RFMD."
Compound semiconductor-based PAs will continue as the enabling technology for the high-growth 3G and emerging 4G markets according to Strategy Analytics. However, silicon-based PAs have started to gain traction in low-cost handsets, as evidenced by the recent acquisition of CMOS PA supplier Axiom Micro Devices by Skyworks. This acquisition should help Skyworks compete in this market so they appear to be positioned well for the near future.
Monday, July 6, 2009
News from the Near Field Communication (NFC) Forum
The NFC Forum is a non-profit industry association just outside of Boston that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. In early June the association introduced its target mark, a stylized letter "N" that enables consumers to easily locate embedded NFC tags.
The N-Mark indicates the spot where an NFC device can read an NFC tag to establish a connection. By holding an NFC-enabled device close to the N-Mark, consumers can "pick up" information stored on NFC tags embedded in everyday objects such as posters, bus stop signs, parking permits, street signs, medicines, magazine pages and food packaging.
Applications for NFC tags span a wide range of industries, including public transit, retail and healthcare. Examples include: downloading transit schedules, maps, film trailers, retail coupons, and cooking recipes from smart posters; ordering taxi service or meals via embedded tags on signs and menus; signing up for SMS retail offers at store displays; obtaining detailed prescription information or verifying drug authenticity by reading tags on prescription bottles; and many more. Consumers can perform all of these actions simply by touching an NFC-enabled device, such as a mobile phone, to the N-Mark.
"The ability to read information stored on embedded tags is one of NFC's essential capabilities, which also include enabling contactless payments and file transfers between devices," said Koichi Tagawa, chairman of the NFC Forum. "Because it marks the opening of a new world of information to consumers, the launch of the NFC Forum N-Mark is a key milestone in the global commercialization and promotion of NFC technology."
NFC tags are small, inexpensive and already available for purchase from commercial tag manufacturers, many of which are NFC Forum members. The tags can be applied easily to many surfaces, including posters, signs, business cards, magazines and product labels. NFC tags can be applied, for example, by business owners, advertising agencies, tag makers or media developers.
All tags must be readable by NFC-enabled devices implementing NFC Forum Types 1-4 Tag Operation Specifications. All applications must be compliant with the NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) Technical Specification. To further support tag usage and deployment, the NFC Forum has created Record Type Definition (RTD) Technical Specifications for applications that include text, URI, and/or smart poster record types. These specifications are available for download free of charge from the NFC Forum website: http://www.nfc-forum.org/specs. Organizations may also create their own RTDs for other record types, as long as they conform to the RTD structure defined by the NFC RTD Technical Specification.
The N-Mark indicates the spot where an NFC device can read an NFC tag to establish a connection. By holding an NFC-enabled device close to the N-Mark, consumers can "pick up" information stored on NFC tags embedded in everyday objects such as posters, bus stop signs, parking permits, street signs, medicines, magazine pages and food packaging.
Applications for NFC tags span a wide range of industries, including public transit, retail and healthcare. Examples include: downloading transit schedules, maps, film trailers, retail coupons, and cooking recipes from smart posters; ordering taxi service or meals via embedded tags on signs and menus; signing up for SMS retail offers at store displays; obtaining detailed prescription information or verifying drug authenticity by reading tags on prescription bottles; and many more. Consumers can perform all of these actions simply by touching an NFC-enabled device, such as a mobile phone, to the N-Mark.
"The ability to read information stored on embedded tags is one of NFC's essential capabilities, which also include enabling contactless payments and file transfers between devices," said Koichi Tagawa, chairman of the NFC Forum. "Because it marks the opening of a new world of information to consumers, the launch of the NFC Forum N-Mark is a key milestone in the global commercialization and promotion of NFC technology."
NFC tags are small, inexpensive and already available for purchase from commercial tag manufacturers, many of which are NFC Forum members. The tags can be applied easily to many surfaces, including posters, signs, business cards, magazines and product labels. NFC tags can be applied, for example, by business owners, advertising agencies, tag makers or media developers.
All tags must be readable by NFC-enabled devices implementing NFC Forum Types 1-4 Tag Operation Specifications. All applications must be compliant with the NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) Technical Specification. To further support tag usage and deployment, the NFC Forum has created Record Type Definition (RTD) Technical Specifications for applications that include text, URI, and/or smart poster record types. These specifications are available for download free of charge from the NFC Forum website: http://www.nfc-forum.org/specs. Organizations may also create their own RTDs for other record types, as long as they conform to the RTD structure defined by the NFC RTD Technical Specification.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Remembering "The Dark Side"
Years ago, when I was starting my engineering career (at just about the same time as the HP8510 (automatic) Network Analyzer), I worked for M/A-Com's corporate research. My mentor would jot down some ideas he wanted me to pursue, provide a little scientific guidance and then send me to the lab to experiment. Around this time, a lot of research centered around Gallium Arsenide. Distributed circuit designs that had been applied to PCBs and alumina were being adopted for MMIC interconnects and on-chip passive components. Much of my time was spent using the available design software (SuperCompact or Touchstone) and 8510 to design and test matching, bias and coupling structures scaled for use on GaAs. The job was about science and discovery and it was fun. Who would want to do anything other than research? To do anything else was considered The Dark Side.
At a time when government funding supported the R&D efforts I was involved with, even the idea of working in production was considered moving over to the The Dark Side. High volume testing - where's the science in that? I was not alone in this thinking. Does such "purists" thinking still exist today?
As time went by, I was introduced to another specimen in the corporate food chain. This one talked much faster (and louder) and often dressed differently than the "pure" engineers I worked with. I soon found out that this individual was in product marketing. At one point this marketer had been an engineer, but was led astray, over to The Dark Side.
Eventually I made this journey myself. In product marketing, I was almost immediately surrounded by an even faster and louder talking group of individuals. These people were in sales and as I was informed by my colleagues - these were individuals that had truly crossed over to The Dark Side. Some had even been engineers at one point, if you can imagine that fall from grace !!!
I have not crossed the chasm into sales yet, but I have discovered that salespeople are not evil (for the most part) . Like the research or production engineer or the marketeer, they play a vital role in corporate life and the organization's struggle for survival. Our differences are not so great. In fact, I've heard some of them even bemoan another Dark Side - otherwise known as management.
So do we still live in an environment of mistrust over a Dark Side? Be warned, it may be your eventual career path. Like that hair style you had back in the early 90's, perceptions often become dated with time.
At a time when government funding supported the R&D efforts I was involved with, even the idea of working in production was considered moving over to the The Dark Side. High volume testing - where's the science in that? I was not alone in this thinking. Does such "purists" thinking still exist today?
As time went by, I was introduced to another specimen in the corporate food chain. This one talked much faster (and louder) and often dressed differently than the "pure" engineers I worked with. I soon found out that this individual was in product marketing. At one point this marketer had been an engineer, but was led astray, over to The Dark Side.
Eventually I made this journey myself. In product marketing, I was almost immediately surrounded by an even faster and louder talking group of individuals. These people were in sales and as I was informed by my colleagues - these were individuals that had truly crossed over to The Dark Side. Some had even been engineers at one point, if you can imagine that fall from grace !!!
I have not crossed the chasm into sales yet, but I have discovered that salespeople are not evil (for the most part) . Like the research or production engineer or the marketeer, they play a vital role in corporate life and the organization's struggle for survival. Our differences are not so great. In fact, I've heard some of them even bemoan another Dark Side - otherwise known as management.
So do we still live in an environment of mistrust over a Dark Side? Be warned, it may be your eventual career path. Like that hair style you had back in the early 90's, perceptions often become dated with time.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Computers Make Us Stupid?
I recently received this from our Jan 09 antenna expert Dr. Raines and thought it was a relevant subject these days:
"Computers Make Us Stupid"
That was a key point, and a direct quote from Prof. Pat Winston of the Electrical Engineering Dept., made to over a thousand returning alums at the MIT reunion on June 6. Looking back over recent events, it certainly seems that this was not an idle, abstract, or rhetorical observation.
On Monday, in Washington, DC, the worst Metro commuter train crash in its 33 year history claimed 9 lives and caused many more serious injuries. The most recent evidence suggests that the train was being driven by an errant computer. When the operator tried to apply the emergency brakes and override the computer, the computer prevailed.
A few weeks ago, an Air France plane disappeared over the Atlantic en route from Rio to Paris. The latest theory is that an airspeed sensor iced over and confused the computer that was flying the plane. As an amateur, instrument rated pilot, I know firsthand that the Airbus aircraft are the fly by wire type, that is, almost entirely operated by computers. From the time the airplane taxis to the takeoff position until after it lands and is on the ground, it is controlled by a computer. A pilot in the cockpit once told me, "We aren't really pilots. We’re just computer jockeys."
Almost two years ago, the entire world banking system approached a complete meltdown from which we are still suffering. The best explanation so far is that derivatives caused it. Warren Buffet calls them “weapons of economic mass destruction.” Well, it wasn't just those derivatives. It was the derivatives coupled with computer controlled trading so that billions of dollars were exchanged in less than a second with each trade.
The evidence suggests that computers are making us stupid as a society. Conversely, perhaps, a dumbed down society is complacently giving up thinking and control to computers. We are turning over major functions and decisions to computers. But who programs the computers? Perhaps, as Forest Gump astutely observed, stupid is as stupid does.
I feel like this has been an ongoing issue since the first electronic calculator was developed. Many people do not bother to perform easy math calculations in their head because they know they can use a calculator.
But on the other hand, computers have greatly advanced our knowledge and standard of living. New hardware and software have accelerated our technology at a fast rate. Our July cover story addresses how RF/microwave software has changed the industry over the years so look for that in mid-July.
What do you think???
"Computers Make Us Stupid"
That was a key point, and a direct quote from Prof. Pat Winston of the Electrical Engineering Dept., made to over a thousand returning alums at the MIT reunion on June 6. Looking back over recent events, it certainly seems that this was not an idle, abstract, or rhetorical observation.
On Monday, in Washington, DC, the worst Metro commuter train crash in its 33 year history claimed 9 lives and caused many more serious injuries. The most recent evidence suggests that the train was being driven by an errant computer. When the operator tried to apply the emergency brakes and override the computer, the computer prevailed.
A few weeks ago, an Air France plane disappeared over the Atlantic en route from Rio to Paris. The latest theory is that an airspeed sensor iced over and confused the computer that was flying the plane. As an amateur, instrument rated pilot, I know firsthand that the Airbus aircraft are the fly by wire type, that is, almost entirely operated by computers. From the time the airplane taxis to the takeoff position until after it lands and is on the ground, it is controlled by a computer. A pilot in the cockpit once told me, "We aren't really pilots. We’re just computer jockeys."
Almost two years ago, the entire world banking system approached a complete meltdown from which we are still suffering. The best explanation so far is that derivatives caused it. Warren Buffet calls them “weapons of economic mass destruction.” Well, it wasn't just those derivatives. It was the derivatives coupled with computer controlled trading so that billions of dollars were exchanged in less than a second with each trade.
The evidence suggests that computers are making us stupid as a society. Conversely, perhaps, a dumbed down society is complacently giving up thinking and control to computers. We are turning over major functions and decisions to computers. But who programs the computers? Perhaps, as Forest Gump astutely observed, stupid is as stupid does.
I feel like this has been an ongoing issue since the first electronic calculator was developed. Many people do not bother to perform easy math calculations in their head because they know they can use a calculator.
But on the other hand, computers have greatly advanced our knowledge and standard of living. New hardware and software have accelerated our technology at a fast rate. Our July cover story addresses how RF/microwave software has changed the industry over the years so look for that in mid-July.
What do you think???
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Reader's Choice
With coverage of the IMS 2009 behind us, now is a good time to take a quick look at what visitors to the Microwave Journal web site have been most interested in (based on page views).
Why now?
Well, the IMS is a time of heavy activity for both company product releases and a curious industry that wants to know who is doing what. So here's the quick run down of the ten most visited web pages since the third week of May.
1. The IMS 2009 Multimedia section. About 1600 "readers" came to see our video interviews shot from the exhibition space. We interviewed representatives from about a dozen companies, covering topics from EM simulation (Ansoft, Agilent and AWR) to miniature passive components (Anaren) to high-voltage LDMOS transistors (Frrescale). We heard about the Narda strongest link contest and why AWR had 3D glasses at their demo stations.
2. Over 1,000 people came to our new products report, proving customers (or competitors) have inquiring minds.
3. Our third most popular feature this month was a news item entitled " Development Report of Power FETs for Solid-state Power Amplifiers from GaAs to GaN Devices". This is timely with all the GaN news coming from the show and our cover story for June - The New Power Brokers. 900 visitors
4. Many site visitors went directly to the news item of choice via our online show daily home page or through a link in our newsletter, but a number of you browsed the master listing of all show news, making it our fourth most visited page at 700 page views.
5 and 6. Our cover stories from the May issue: "IMS in Boston: Reflections from the Past" and June: "The New Power Brokers" were next in line. Our cover story usually takes the top spot each month, but with competition from Show product news and splitting the reporting period over two 2-week periods, these two items slipped in ranking but still had over 1200 page views combined.
7. News of Andrew's expansion of a production plant in China was a popular item among our readers with about 600 page views
8. The technical feature from our May issue: "Frequency Generation and Synthesis: Cost-effective and Power-efficient Solutions" was the only technical article (apart from white papers which were not part of the review) to make the top ten list. Despite appearing in the magazine and online for several weeks, readers were still interested in the subject and continued to click on this feature.
9. More news in the top ten, this time "Rohde & Schwarz at Femtocells World Summit 2009 in London" with well over 500 page views
10. And finally.... The Puzzler. Clearly, microwave engineers like to have fun too.
So while everyone was busy this past month traveling to Boston for IMS and then digging out from a back-log of action items or perhaps you were back in the office the whole time holding down the fort, some of you managed to find the time to stay informed via www.mwjournal.com. Do you think this top ten list accurately reflects the industry's interest?
Why now?
Well, the IMS is a time of heavy activity for both company product releases and a curious industry that wants to know who is doing what. So here's the quick run down of the ten most visited web pages since the third week of May.
1. The IMS 2009 Multimedia section. About 1600 "readers" came to see our video interviews shot from the exhibition space. We interviewed representatives from about a dozen companies, covering topics from EM simulation (Ansoft, Agilent and AWR) to miniature passive components (Anaren) to high-voltage LDMOS transistors (Frrescale). We heard about the Narda strongest link contest and why AWR had 3D glasses at their demo stations.
2. Over 1,000 people came to our new products report, proving customers (or competitors) have inquiring minds.
3. Our third most popular feature this month was a news item entitled " Development Report of Power FETs for Solid-state Power Amplifiers from GaAs to GaN Devices". This is timely with all the GaN news coming from the show and our cover story for June - The New Power Brokers. 900 visitors
4. Many site visitors went directly to the news item of choice via our online show daily home page or through a link in our newsletter, but a number of you browsed the master listing of all show news, making it our fourth most visited page at 700 page views.
5 and 6. Our cover stories from the May issue: "IMS in Boston: Reflections from the Past" and June: "The New Power Brokers" were next in line. Our cover story usually takes the top spot each month, but with competition from Show product news and splitting the reporting period over two 2-week periods, these two items slipped in ranking but still had over 1200 page views combined.
7. News of Andrew's expansion of a production plant in China was a popular item among our readers with about 600 page views
8. The technical feature from our May issue: "Frequency Generation and Synthesis: Cost-effective and Power-efficient Solutions" was the only technical article (apart from white papers which were not part of the review) to make the top ten list. Despite appearing in the magazine and online for several weeks, readers were still interested in the subject and continued to click on this feature.
9. More news in the top ten, this time "Rohde & Schwarz at Femtocells World Summit 2009 in London" with well over 500 page views
10. And finally.... The Puzzler. Clearly, microwave engineers like to have fun too.
So while everyone was busy this past month traveling to Boston for IMS and then digging out from a back-log of action items or perhaps you were back in the office the whole time holding down the fort, some of you managed to find the time to stay informed via www.mwjournal.com. Do you think this top ten list accurately reflects the industry's interest?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Crystal Oscillators Threatened by Si Timing Devices?
I am having IMS2009 withdrawals but came across this ABI Research release that states the crystal oscillator is threatened by a new set of devices grouped under the label "silicon timing solutions." According to research director Lance Wilson, "There’s a growing battle for market share between silicon timing solutions and the traditional quartz oscillator and its derivatives. Right now, silicon timing solutions have about 20% of the market, but ABI Research forecasts that percentage to nearly double within five years."
Virtually every device that contains an IC or generates a radio signal needs these devices. The incentives for equipment manufacturers to switch to silicon timing solutions? They are generally less expensive, more robust, and can integrate other functions onto the chip. But although great strides have been and will be made, they do not yet equal crystal oscillators in accuracy and stability.
In order to maximize their long-term chances of holding market share, many crystal oscillator vendors are focusing on military, aerospace and industrial markets where accuracy is at a premium and buyers are somewhat less price-obsessed. Silicon timing solution vendors, on the other hand, see fertile territories in mainstream computing and consumer electronics with MIDs and netbooks two particularly active new segments.
What do you think???
Virtually every device that contains an IC or generates a radio signal needs these devices. The incentives for equipment manufacturers to switch to silicon timing solutions? They are generally less expensive, more robust, and can integrate other functions onto the chip. But although great strides have been and will be made, they do not yet equal crystal oscillators in accuracy and stability.
In order to maximize their long-term chances of holding market share, many crystal oscillator vendors are focusing on military, aerospace and industrial markets where accuracy is at a premium and buyers are somewhat less price-obsessed. Silicon timing solution vendors, on the other hand, see fertile territories in mainstream computing and consumer electronics with MIDs and netbooks two particularly active new segments.
What do you think???
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
An Obsession with Size
How Big was this year's IMS? That seems to be the metric that everyone measures the show by. For me, this annual event is almost more than I can handle. Really. Fortunately our staff editors were able to stay on top of all the press releases and keep the online show coverage up to date. As for me, by the last day my head was spinning from all the input and brainstorming and information overload and piling up action items. Not that I'm complaining. I just don't see how bigger could possibly be any better. I already have regrets for the many people I was unable to see or spend quality time with. If you're on that list, please accept my apologies.
Of the meetings I did have and the press conferences I did attend, I was very impressed by Bob Van Buskirk and the entire team at RFMD as they rolled out their new GaN foundry. Bob gave a great talk about what he believed RFMD could bring to the market and specific benefits to future customers. I was also impressed by the quality of questions asked by attendees. And then... I missed my one-on-one meeting with Bob at the RFMD booth due to other meetings running late. See what I mean - it can be over whelming. There is never enough time at IMS.
Responding to the RFMD GaN foundry news, I did hear from the folks at TriQuint who sent a friendly reminder that they have been in the GaN foundry business for a few years and are therefore in a very strong position to offer many benefits to GaN designers. While I did get to exchange personal hellos with the Triquint foundry VP, Glen Riley. My colleague, Pat Hindle took the longer meeting and will be filing the report on their specific activity. I know they had a productive year, so I'm sure there will be lots of news there. The competition between foundries can only mean good things for driving innovation forward.
The RFMD conference presented me with a scheduling conflict. As I was with RFMD, our editors P. Hindle and R. Mumford and publisher C. Sheffres attended a special VIP session with Agilent. While I missed their CTO - Darlene Solomon discuss the many technologies Agilent was pursuing, I was able to later catch up with one of our past Expert Advice columnist , Agilent senior technologist - Joel Dunsmore. Joel did walk me through the latest developments with their nonlinear network vector analyzer (NVNA), the PNA-X and what has been happening with the industry adoption of X-parameters. This is a developing story that the Journal will be paying close attention to.
Nonlinear characterization was also being featured at the Tektronix/Mesuro booth with their active load-pull system and design by "waveform engineering". Rohde & Schwarz also has some activity in this arena as well. stay tuned.
We had a number of meetings with exhibitors who talked about the entire microwave supply chain, what these companies were doing to improve the supply chain and how the industry itself is evolving. Without giving too much away, this is a topic that will be giving special editorial coverage in the not too distant future. Also on this topic - Cobham is thinking outside the box and is evolving the way they do business with prime contractors that could actually transform the industry. Think efficiency on a global scale.
All my friends in the software market have been busy and were on hand to show their latest and greatest. Ansoft was showing off the beta version of HFSS12 (almost a teenager, imagine that!!), Agilent had demos of the latest features in ADS and a very impressive EMPro demo. Sonnet, AWR, CST, Remcom and others were also "in the house" with their latest releases. We ended up shooting a few videos with the folks at AWR as well as Agilent and Ansoft. Please check them out on our online show daily.
The high power transistor guys were in full effect, with Freescale pushing their LDMOS technology higher in frequency, Integra manning a very busy booth, Eudyna with a large central presence, HVVi and Microsemi all making noteworthy news.
My final thoughts on the show? The BCEC is a wonderful convention center and all exhibitors did a great job showing off their stuff; the weather was lousy (bad news for all those chartered harbor cruises) , but could have been worse; the parties were a blast and I enjoyed catching up with so many people while meeting new friends. With that, my hat's off to Fred Schindler and everyone on the steering commitee. I had a front row seat to what goes into organizing such an event. It is time consuming and it ain't easy. You folks did a great job. Thank you.
Of the meetings I did have and the press conferences I did attend, I was very impressed by Bob Van Buskirk and the entire team at RFMD as they rolled out their new GaN foundry. Bob gave a great talk about what he believed RFMD could bring to the market and specific benefits to future customers. I was also impressed by the quality of questions asked by attendees. And then... I missed my one-on-one meeting with Bob at the RFMD booth due to other meetings running late. See what I mean - it can be over whelming. There is never enough time at IMS.
Responding to the RFMD GaN foundry news, I did hear from the folks at TriQuint who sent a friendly reminder that they have been in the GaN foundry business for a few years and are therefore in a very strong position to offer many benefits to GaN designers. While I did get to exchange personal hellos with the Triquint foundry VP, Glen Riley. My colleague, Pat Hindle took the longer meeting and will be filing the report on their specific activity. I know they had a productive year, so I'm sure there will be lots of news there. The competition between foundries can only mean good things for driving innovation forward.
The RFMD conference presented me with a scheduling conflict. As I was with RFMD, our editors P. Hindle and R. Mumford and publisher C. Sheffres attended a special VIP session with Agilent. While I missed their CTO - Darlene Solomon discuss the many technologies Agilent was pursuing, I was able to later catch up with one of our past Expert Advice columnist , Agilent senior technologist - Joel Dunsmore. Joel did walk me through the latest developments with their nonlinear network vector analyzer (NVNA), the PNA-X and what has been happening with the industry adoption of X-parameters. This is a developing story that the Journal will be paying close attention to.
Nonlinear characterization was also being featured at the Tektronix/Mesuro booth with their active load-pull system and design by "waveform engineering". Rohde & Schwarz also has some activity in this arena as well. stay tuned.
We had a number of meetings with exhibitors who talked about the entire microwave supply chain, what these companies were doing to improve the supply chain and how the industry itself is evolving. Without giving too much away, this is a topic that will be giving special editorial coverage in the not too distant future. Also on this topic - Cobham is thinking outside the box and is evolving the way they do business with prime contractors that could actually transform the industry. Think efficiency on a global scale.
All my friends in the software market have been busy and were on hand to show their latest and greatest. Ansoft was showing off the beta version of HFSS12 (almost a teenager, imagine that!!), Agilent had demos of the latest features in ADS and a very impressive EMPro demo. Sonnet, AWR, CST, Remcom and others were also "in the house" with their latest releases. We ended up shooting a few videos with the folks at AWR as well as Agilent and Ansoft. Please check them out on our online show daily.
The high power transistor guys were in full effect, with Freescale pushing their LDMOS technology higher in frequency, Integra manning a very busy booth, Eudyna with a large central presence, HVVi and Microsemi all making noteworthy news.
My final thoughts on the show? The BCEC is a wonderful convention center and all exhibitors did a great job showing off their stuff; the weather was lousy (bad news for all those chartered harbor cruises) , but could have been worse; the parties were a blast and I enjoyed catching up with so many people while meeting new friends. With that, my hat's off to Fred Schindler and everyone on the steering commitee. I had a front row seat to what goes into organizing such an event. It is time consuming and it ain't easy. You folks did a great job. Thank you.
Friday, June 12, 2009
IMS 2009 Post Show Impressions
According to IMS2009, the annual conference and exhibition attracted thousands of designers, researchers, developers, academics and executives in the microwave and RF industry to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston. Based on preliminary attendance numbers, more than 9,000 participants attended and 559 companies were represented.“This past week in Boston has been an enormous success in every respect,” said Fred Schindler, General Chair, IMS2009 and Director, RF Micro Devices Boston Design Center. “Our attendance results would be great any year, but given these difficult economic times they are outstanding.” Microwave Journal interviewed Fred on the first day of the show and you can see his interview below:
Based on initial registration data, technical registration was 2,676, an 11 percent increase over 2008 registration and exhibit-only registration numbers indicate 2,131 participants, an 83 percent increase over 2008. IMS2009 attracted 559 exhibiting companies, also an 11 percent increase over the number of exhibitors in 2008. According to preliminary results, the total number of IMS2009 participants, including exhibitor booth staff and guests, was 9,316 attendees, an 11 percent increase over 2008 participation.
Pretty good results and proves that Boston is a great location and venue (of course I am biased living here). Look for our show wrap up in a few days on our Online Show Daily and continued coverage of news and products from the show for the next couple of weeks. See you at IMS2010 which will be held May 23-28 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.
IMS 2009 Demos
I did numerous formal sponsored video interviews on Tues morning which are now live on our Online Show Daily. But I came across a couple of other interesting demos during the show and took a video of a couple of them with my cheap but convenient Flip video. Below is a Keithley demo showing their new Vector Network Signal analyzer (just turn the volume up).
Another interesting product that is very cool is the laser etching machine from LPKF which can in seconds etch a metal pattern into a substrate like a PCB or ceramic board. It etches the pattern by scoring the surface and then heats the surface to peel away the metal which is removed by an air knife. It can do both prototypes and low volume production so it is versatile.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Old Friends at IMS/MTT-S
IMS/MTT-S is where you run into a lot of old friends and associates. You never know who you might find on the show floor. MWJ editor David Vye and myself ran into retired tech editor, Frank Bashore, who taught me well. We did a quick interview with Frank who gave his approval to the way we doing things so far. Who did you run into at the show?
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Exhibition Seminars and Talks
In addition to the conference sessions, workshops and tutorials, there are many short practical and application specific seminars and talks happening this year on the exhibition floor. The largest is the MicroApps which will have its own forum area at the front of the exhibition hall and will be presenting the technology behind commercial products and their capabilities. It is being run by Agilent and has a good number of test and measurement talks along with others being presented by participating companies.
M/A-COM Technology Solutions is running 10 minute Tech Talks in their booth (2214) covering various subjects such as PIN diodes and switches, Frac-N synthesizers, amplifiers and other design tips.
Peregrine (booth 1822) is also doing a daily series of seminars about their unique products and technologies that come out of their UltraCMOS RFIC process. Their antenna tuning technology using digitally tunable capacitors looks very interesting.
Join Sonnet Software’s experts at Booth #1002 for free 20 minute in-booth, hands-on classes to learn about Sonnet Suites Version 12, including Sonnet Lite and Sonnet’s seamless integration to AWR’s Microwave Office, Agilent’s ADS and Cadence Virtuoso. All participants will receive a free copy of Sonnet LitePlus (a $495 value).
I am sure there are more we have not heard about yet. Let us know if your company is doing any seminars or talks at the exhibition this year.
M/A-COM Technology Solutions is running 10 minute Tech Talks in their booth (2214) covering various subjects such as PIN diodes and switches, Frac-N synthesizers, amplifiers and other design tips.
Peregrine (booth 1822) is also doing a daily series of seminars about their unique products and technologies that come out of their UltraCMOS RFIC process. Their antenna tuning technology using digitally tunable capacitors looks very interesting.
Join Sonnet Software’s experts at Booth #1002 for free 20 minute in-booth, hands-on classes to learn about Sonnet Suites Version 12, including Sonnet Lite and Sonnet’s seamless integration to AWR’s Microwave Office, Agilent’s ADS and Cadence Virtuoso. All participants will receive a free copy of Sonnet LitePlus (a $495 value).
I am sure there are more we have not heard about yet. Let us know if your company is doing any seminars or talks at the exhibition this year.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Getting Hyped Up for IMS 2009
As we get ready for IMS 2009 and plan our schedules, let's take a look at the best promos, contests or giveaways being advertised by exhibitors that you don't want to miss out on.
IMS 2009 is giving away a chance to win Red Sox/Yankees tickets if you use the promotional code from the insert in the April issue of the Microwave Journal for your exhibition registration. Reactel is giving away Red Sox/Yankees tickets each day in a drawing by stopping by their booth (1504). And Skyworks (1818) is also having a drawing for Red Sox/Yankee Club Seat tickets or alternatively you can select to receive an iPod.
Hittite (booth 1007) is giving away one of their new signal generators which is probably the highest value item being given away at nearly $8,000.
Mimix (booth 1114) is giving away a Kindle 2 wireless reading device in their World Traveler giveaway where you visit other participating companies. They put some good thought into this raffle.
Narda (booth 1537/1637) is doing a very interesting give away for a Sony laptop which will go to the one who can show a picture of the oldest Narda component still in use and all entries will receive a 4 GB flash drive in their Strongest Link contest.
If you attend one of M/A-COM Tech's in-booth seminars (booth 2214), you can be entered into a drawing for a Nintendo Wii which is a nice prize for a 10 minute session.
The exhibitors seem to be going all out for the show this year and have created some very interesting giveaways to attract you to their booth. Red Sox/Yankees tickets seem to be the hot item, but I also like the idea of the Kindle 2 being given away by Mimix. Let me know what you have come across or what your company is doing for giveaways.
IMS 2009 is giving away a chance to win Red Sox/Yankees tickets if you use the promotional code from the insert in the April issue of the Microwave Journal for your exhibition registration. Reactel is giving away Red Sox/Yankees tickets each day in a drawing by stopping by their booth (1504). And Skyworks (1818) is also having a drawing for Red Sox/Yankee Club Seat tickets or alternatively you can select to receive an iPod.
Hittite (booth 1007) is giving away one of their new signal generators which is probably the highest value item being given away at nearly $8,000.
Mimix (booth 1114) is giving away a Kindle 2 wireless reading device in their World Traveler giveaway where you visit other participating companies. They put some good thought into this raffle.
Narda (booth 1537/1637) is doing a very interesting give away for a Sony laptop which will go to the one who can show a picture of the oldest Narda component still in use and all entries will receive a 4 GB flash drive in their Strongest Link contest.
If you attend one of M/A-COM Tech's in-booth seminars (booth 2214), you can be entered into a drawing for a Nintendo Wii which is a nice prize for a 10 minute session.
The exhibitors seem to be going all out for the show this year and have created some very interesting giveaways to attract you to their booth. Red Sox/Yankees tickets seem to be the hot item, but I also like the idea of the Kindle 2 being given away by Mimix. Let me know what you have come across or what your company is doing for giveaways.
In Search of Economic Indicators
There seems to be a direct (and perhaps obvious) connection between the length of my driving commute to work and the state of the economy. I have a pretty lengthy drive to the office, right along the famed Route 128 that surrounds greater Boston. This highway once known as America's Technology Highway can be more of a parking lot than a freeway. However, as the economy began its slide last November, the traffic became noticeably lighter. While I am grateful for the absence of traffic jams, there have been times that I felt uncomfortable knowing why there were so few cars on the road. The traffic never got to the level you would expect in an episode of the twilight zone, where the central character is alone in the world, but it did occasionally feel … eerie.
Well, I never thought I would say it, but I am a little relieved to see traffic starting to pick up again. The past few weeks have most certainly shown an uptick in cars on the road. I could only attribute this to some change in the economy as we have not entered the summer driving months yet. Couple this personal observation with what I hear in the news and I am started to believe we may have indeed turned a corner.
Now - if traffic is to return to former levels, I will attribute it to a recovered economy and be glad. Although, I will probably get cranky over the return of longer commutes. If it happens to you as well, might I recommend you download one of our pre-IMS podcasts to listen to in your car as you sit in your respective traffic jam. Happy commuting.
Listen/download MWJ Podcasts >>
Monday, June 1, 2009
Expanded Blog Coverage for IMS
Our IMS 2009 blogs take a look at the conference from the perspective of exhibitors Freescale and AWR
Follow RFLeonard Blog (Freescale)
In addition, our May Expert Advice is given by Gayle Collins of
Freescale who writes a perspective on upcoming IMS Power Amplifier papers and the potential impact of different papers on the field.
In addition, our May Expert Advice is given by Gayle Collins of
Freescale who writes a perspective on upcoming IMS Power Amplifier papers and the potential impact of different papers on the field.Thursday, May 28, 2009
IMS 2009 MTT-S Coverage
As we approach IMS 2009 MTT-S June 7-12, most of our entries will be related to the conference and exhibition in Boston (our home town). Microwave Journal's May issue is dedicated to show coverage and has various exclusive articles including the cover story that takes a look at the past conferences in Boston as told by the past chairs and a preview of the upcoming show.
We have a dedicated web site that is live now, the Online Show Daily, that covers the show news, new products, articles from the May issue, messages from the chairs, videos, photos, special blogs, and informational podcasts. We also will be the landing page for the Cyber Cafe at the show. We hope everyone will find useful information and the latest news about the show.
We have a dedicated web site that is live now, the Online Show Daily, that covers the show news, new products, articles from the May issue, messages from the chairs, videos, photos, special blogs, and informational podcasts. We also will be the landing page for the Cyber Cafe at the show. We hope everyone will find useful information and the latest news about the show.
Stimulus Funds for Wireless
We have covered the potential benefits of the stimulus funding to the wireless industry and now ABI has released a report covering this subject. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, also known simply as the Stimulus Bill) will provide funding for a massive $6.8 billion worth of wireless communications upgrades and new deployments over 2009-2010. The Act offers a significant one-off opportunity for wireless equipment vendors.
In healthcare, the scope for adding wireless to the technology mix encompasses Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices and sensors, communications systems linking health networks, telepresence, wireless LAN equipment, and Wi-Fi-enabled video surveillance systems.
In education, already a leading adopter of Wi-Fi solutions, equipment vendors are developing templated solutions in such areas as WLANs for "learning anywhere," voice-over-Wi-Fi, and WLAN equipment and software to track students’ progress for "No Child Left Behind" record keeping.
The Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection are potential goldmines for wireless vendors because of the many agencies within them that will use ARRA funds for tactical communications equipment, infrastructure equipment, and security equipment. Even critical infrastructure construction projects such as bridges and tunnels often require wireless video surveillance systems.
Hopefully these funds will find their way into the hands of companies soon.
In healthcare, the scope for adding wireless to the technology mix encompasses Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices and sensors, communications systems linking health networks, telepresence, wireless LAN equipment, and Wi-Fi-enabled video surveillance systems.
In education, already a leading adopter of Wi-Fi solutions, equipment vendors are developing templated solutions in such areas as WLANs for "learning anywhere," voice-over-Wi-Fi, and WLAN equipment and software to track students’ progress for "No Child Left Behind" record keeping.
The Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection are potential goldmines for wireless vendors because of the many agencies within them that will use ARRA funds for tactical communications equipment, infrastructure equipment, and security equipment. Even critical infrastructure construction projects such as bridges and tunnels often require wireless video surveillance systems.
Hopefully these funds will find their way into the hands of companies soon.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Thoughts after Memorial Day Movie Madness
My youngest child loves those old war movies, which (I confess) I don't mind watching either. Last weekend, AMC ran a full day of the classics and we sat down and watched some of them before heading out to enjoy the breaking New England weather. The two of us watched the classic George C. Scott movie "Patton" and "The Battle of the Bulge". While we only caught parts of each, the two major scenes we did see involved the Army's and Air Force's inability to function during bad weather. Somewhat like me and my son waiting for the sun to come out.
The lack of air support due to winter weather for Patton was so bad, that he ordered his chaplain to write a prayer for good weather (one of the movie's more memorable moments). Remember that scene? The situation in the Battle of the Bulge was equally dire, although it was not portrayed with the same humor. At the time, it got me thinking about how fortunate we are to have developed radar that would allow pilots to see through inclement weather. Its "awesome" that engineering can be applied to remove almost any obstacle. With this in mind, this little news item from Wednesday May 27th grabbed my attention.
EADS Defence & Security (DS) will equip the German Armed Forces with a new kind of ground surveillance radar – Bodenüberwachungsradar (BÜR) – for detecting movements on the ground and at low altitudes with unmatched precision. Initially Defence Electronics (DE), an integrated activity of DS, has handed over the first of two system demonstrators to the German Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) for evaluation by the Bundeswehr’s Technical Centers.
The delivery of approximately 80 BÜR systems is scheduled to start in 2012. They are intended to close the gap in capabilities of the German Armed Forces in the area of intelligence gathering and reconnaissance. A modified version of this radar destined for civil applications such as surveillance of border regions or industrial facilities is currently under development.
The BÜR system is based on Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) electronic scan control technology, which opens up new possibilities for detection and surveillance. Thanks to delay-free electronic beam control, the radar can perform multiple reconnaissance tasks at the same time, thus achieving a much greater level of efficiency and reliability in comparison to mechanically scanned radars. Each BÜR system can therefore assume the tasks of several conventional radars.
With old war movies fresh in my mind, I can only say - good thing this technology was not available when Messerschmitts and Stukas dominated the skies of Europe.
The lack of air support due to winter weather for Patton was so bad, that he ordered his chaplain to write a prayer for good weather (one of the movie's more memorable moments). Remember that scene? The situation in the Battle of the Bulge was equally dire, although it was not portrayed with the same humor. At the time, it got me thinking about how fortunate we are to have developed radar that would allow pilots to see through inclement weather. Its "awesome" that engineering can be applied to remove almost any obstacle. With this in mind, this little news item from Wednesday May 27th grabbed my attention.
EADS Defence & Security (DS) will equip the German Armed Forces with a new kind of ground surveillance radar – Bodenüberwachungsradar (BÜR) – for detecting movements on the ground and at low altitudes with unmatched precision. Initially Defence Electronics (DE), an integrated activity of DS, has handed over the first of two system demonstrators to the German Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) for evaluation by the Bundeswehr’s Technical Centers.
The delivery of approximately 80 BÜR systems is scheduled to start in 2012. They are intended to close the gap in capabilities of the German Armed Forces in the area of intelligence gathering and reconnaissance. A modified version of this radar destined for civil applications such as surveillance of border regions or industrial facilities is currently under development.
The BÜR system is based on Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) electronic scan control technology, which opens up new possibilities for detection and surveillance. Thanks to delay-free electronic beam control, the radar can perform multiple reconnaissance tasks at the same time, thus achieving a much greater level of efficiency and reliability in comparison to mechanically scanned radars. Each BÜR system can therefore assume the tasks of several conventional radars.
With old war movies fresh in my mind, I can only say - good thing this technology was not available when Messerschmitts and Stukas dominated the skies of Europe.
Friday, May 22, 2009
ZigBee to Propose ZigBee Smart Energy
The ZigBee® Alliance announced it is proposing use of the ZigBee Smart Energy public application profile to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as a basis for an IEC standard. ZigBee Smart Energy is the only standardized home area network solution in the market today meeting the tough requirements of leading utilities worldwide according to the alliance. The deployment of an estimated 30 million ZigBee equipped smart meters is underway in North America. Working with the IEC on an even broader global standardization will benefit the energy sector and public by placing more emphasis on energy management and smart grid development.
The ZigBee Alliance and its members are already working with a variety of organizations focused on smart grid technologies. Those organizations include the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Digital Addressable Lighting Initiative (Dali), HomePlug Powerline Alliance, International Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), European Smart Metering Industry Group (ESMIG), National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Open Smart Grid, other industry organizations and various governmental authorities worldwide.
It seems like ZigBee is finally starting to take hold with some wide use commercial applications and could automate and optimize our energy use. I still think it will take a while for it to be wide spread but it looks like a promising sector for growth.
The ZigBee Alliance and its members are already working with a variety of organizations focused on smart grid technologies. Those organizations include the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Digital Addressable Lighting Initiative (Dali), HomePlug Powerline Alliance, International Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), European Smart Metering Industry Group (ESMIG), National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Open Smart Grid, other industry organizations and various governmental authorities worldwide.
It seems like ZigBee is finally starting to take hold with some wide use commercial applications and could automate and optimize our energy use. I still think it will take a while for it to be wide spread but it looks like a promising sector for growth.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Huawei Tops Alcatel-Lucent Optical Networking Market in Q1
Huawei beats Alcatel-Lucent in 1Q09 to top optical networking market for the first time as Asia-Pacific led by strength in China and India, shows remarkable resilience despite the global downturn.
The global optical networking (ON) market was $3.6 billion, down 15% sequentially and down 8% compared with 1Q08. “This marks the second time in two quarters that the ON market has shrunk compared with the year-ago quarter, but given the global financial meltdown the situation could have been much worse.” remarks Ovum’s Vice President, Optical Networking, Dana Cooperson.
“Spending in Asia-Pacific was surprisingly strong. We did not see the seasonal decline we normally expect in China, for example, as the race to build 3G mobile networks and support them with transport capacity obliterated any seasonality or macroeconomic downturn factors. Huawei, posting a remarkable $790 million in revenue to lead the market for the quarter, benefited from China’s 3G race, along with teledensity growth in India, a strong and stable currency, and comparatively little exposure to the cool North American market, while Alcatel-Lucent suffered from much of the opposite.”
Want to know more about the Optical Networking Market from an engineer's perspective? Join our special TriQuint webinar on 10, 40 and 100 Gb/s Optical (GaAs) Driver power amps, next week (Tuesday, May 26th at 11:00 am ET). Register for Webinar
The global optical networking (ON) market was $3.6 billion, down 15% sequentially and down 8% compared with 1Q08. “This marks the second time in two quarters that the ON market has shrunk compared with the year-ago quarter, but given the global financial meltdown the situation could have been much worse.” remarks Ovum’s Vice President, Optical Networking, Dana Cooperson.
“Spending in Asia-Pacific was surprisingly strong. We did not see the seasonal decline we normally expect in China, for example, as the race to build 3G mobile networks and support them with transport capacity obliterated any seasonality or macroeconomic downturn factors. Huawei, posting a remarkable $790 million in revenue to lead the market for the quarter, benefited from China’s 3G race, along with teledensity growth in India, a strong and stable currency, and comparatively little exposure to the cool North American market, while Alcatel-Lucent suffered from much of the opposite.”
Want to know more about the Optical Networking Market from an engineer's perspective? Join our special TriQuint webinar on 10, 40 and 100 Gb/s Optical (GaAs) Driver power amps, next week (Tuesday, May 26th at 11:00 am ET). Register for Webinar
Friday, May 15, 2009
10G and 40G Market Segments to Grow at CAAGR of 28 Percent
A study last July by Strategy Analytics, "Fiber-optic Analog IC Market Forecast: 2007-2012," predicts that GaAs and InP (Gallium Arsenide and Indium Phosphide) technologies will be the drivers for 10G and 40G growth. Collectively, the 10G and 40G capacity market segments will grow at a CAAGR (compound annual average growth rate) of 28% with demand for GaAs and InP transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs), post amplifiers and optical laser drivers representing over 25% of the total fiber-optic analog IC market in 2012.
The total market for fiber-optic analog ICs will grow at a respectable CAAGR of 9% through 2012. Driven by increasing broadband connectivity and bandwidth requirements across both fixed and mobile platforms, 10G and 40G network infrastructure rollout will be the fastest growing end markets for fiber-optic analog ICs, with compound semiconductors serving as the primary enabling technologies.
"The overall market for TIAs, post amplifiers and laser drivers will be worth almost $500 million by 2012," predicts Asif Anwar. "While the overall market will be dominated by CMOS and SiGe technologies, GaAs and InP technologies will be the drivers for 10G and 40G growth, especially for the optical laser driver function."
"Content delivery to the home over fiber and 3G and 4G wireless platforms will drive bandwidth requirements upwards," notes Stephen Entwistle, VP Strategic Technologies Practice. "10G and 40G rollout will be key in supporting the rollout of future wireless and fixed broadband platforms. The market is already looking to 100G in the future."
In March, TriQuint announced the release of two new driver amplifiers including the optical communications market's first surface-mount technology (SMT) device for next-generation 40Gb/s (Gigabits per second) networks. This new high-performance device will ease assembly and significantly reduce power consumption as designers address the need for faster, more economical networks.
"The new TGA4943-SL represents significant advances on many levels. Its power consumption is appreciably better. It consumes only 2.1 Watts – about 50% of comparable optical network solutions. It's a greener product that should provide real-world savings for network operators," said TriQuint Optical Networks Product Marketing Manager Mike Tessaro.
Mr. Tessaro will be one of the presenters of our webinar May 26th on the topic of these new GaAs 10 and 40 GB/s optical drivers. Given TriQuint's strong earnings of late, it should be worth the time to find out what has them pushing hard into the fiber long-haul market.
The total market for fiber-optic analog ICs will grow at a respectable CAAGR of 9% through 2012. Driven by increasing broadband connectivity and bandwidth requirements across both fixed and mobile platforms, 10G and 40G network infrastructure rollout will be the fastest growing end markets for fiber-optic analog ICs, with compound semiconductors serving as the primary enabling technologies.
"The overall market for TIAs, post amplifiers and laser drivers will be worth almost $500 million by 2012," predicts Asif Anwar. "While the overall market will be dominated by CMOS and SiGe technologies, GaAs and InP technologies will be the drivers for 10G and 40G growth, especially for the optical laser driver function."
"Content delivery to the home over fiber and 3G and 4G wireless platforms will drive bandwidth requirements upwards," notes Stephen Entwistle, VP Strategic Technologies Practice. "10G and 40G rollout will be key in supporting the rollout of future wireless and fixed broadband platforms. The market is already looking to 100G in the future."
In March, TriQuint announced the release of two new driver amplifiers including the optical communications market's first surface-mount technology (SMT) device for next-generation 40Gb/s (Gigabits per second) networks. This new high-performance device will ease assembly and significantly reduce power consumption as designers address the need for faster, more economical networks.
"The new TGA4943-SL represents significant advances on many levels. Its power consumption is appreciably better. It consumes only 2.1 Watts – about 50% of comparable optical network solutions. It's a greener product that should provide real-world savings for network operators," said TriQuint Optical Networks Product Marketing Manager Mike Tessaro.
Mr. Tessaro will be one of the presenters of our webinar May 26th on the topic of these new GaAs 10 and 40 GB/s optical drivers. Given TriQuint's strong earnings of late, it should be worth the time to find out what has them pushing hard into the fiber long-haul market.
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