Wireless Design & Development articles from August 2006

Wireless Design & Development archives from August 2006

It's not over 'til it's over.(UP FRONT)(Editorial)
August 1, 2006... By the time you read this column we will all most likely know the results of the FCC's August 9th auction (also called "Auction 66") for advanced wireless service spectrum. This auction has been in the works for years and expected to gross up...

SoC ZigBee compliant transceiver.(PRODUCT NEWS/ WHAT'S HOT)
August 1, 2006... AeroComm Inc. announces the availability of the ZB430 "ZigBee Your Way" transceiver. Based on Texas Instruments' 802.15.4 System-on-Chip and Z-Stack[TM] technology, the ZB2430 is suited for power-restricted industrial and commercial...

USB controller.(PRODUCT NEWS/ WHAT'S HOT)
August 1, 2006... New from Cypress Semiconductor Corporation is a 1.8 V high-speed USB 2.0 programmable microcontroller. The MoBL-USB FX2LP18[TM] controller delivers fast downloads of music files, photos and videos in mobile handsets. The controller supports an...

DC/DC converter.(PRODUCT NEWS/ WHAT'S HOT)
August 1, 2006... austriamicrosystems introduces the AS1325, a high efficiency step-up DC/DC converter with a fully integrated synchronous rectifier. With an efficiency of 96%, the AS 1325 is suited for battery powered portable applications with the need for 3.3...

Chip combination.(PRODUCT NEWS/ WHAT'S HOT)
August 1, 2006... Atmel[R] Corporation introduces an 802.15.4/ZigBee[TM] device that offers seamless migration to wireless networking for the more than 30,000 AVR[R]-based designs in automotive, industrial and building control applications. The AVR Z-Link[TM]...

Power amplifiers.(PRODUCT NEWS/ EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES)
August 1, 2006... Infineon Technologies AG introduces its next generation LDMOS technology. Used for manufacturing high-power RF transistors in applications such as power amplifiers in wireless infrastructure basestations and repeaters, this process operates at...

Plastic packaging for high-power RF transistors.(PRODUCT NEWS/ EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES)
August 1, 2006... Freescale Semiconductor introduces 2 GHz high-power RF transistors housed in over-molded plastic packages that deliver performance comparable to air-cavity flange packages. The transistors are based on the company's high-voltage,...

InGaP HBT power amplifier technology.(PRODUCT NEWS/ EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES)
August 1, 2006... WJ Communications, Inc. announces a 28 V InGaP HBT technology for mobile infrastructure power amplifier applications. The +28 V InGaP HBT process features excellent breakdown voltage and power handing capabilities. The process has proven to be...

Poly-band mobile broadcast tuner.(PRODUCT NEWS/ EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES)
August 1, 2006... Mirics Semiconductor announces the MSI001, a poly-band tuner for mobile digital broadcast reception. The device is a universal broadcast receiver that enables designers of mobile phones, portable media players and PDAs to easily add mobile...

Embedded system is similar to a Bluetooth equipped PC.(EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES & MARKETS)
August 1, 2006... Hypertag, the company that uses Bluetooth technology to make poster advertising campaigns interactive, has developed a much smaller and more efficient generation of its content server technology. The new hardware allows the current PC server to...

Technology optimized for battery-powered devices.(EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES & MARKETS)(Data Health System)(Coronis )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Coronis announces that its Wavenis technology has been integrated into new products by Data Health System (DHS) of Nimes, France, that automatically detect when people fall. Initially targeted for use in retirement homes, the Ynolis product...

Conterra Ultra Broadband redirects microwave frequencies.(EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES & MARKETS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Conterra Ultra Broadband introduces digital microwave networks as all affordable broadband solution for organizations without access to 'last mile' fiber. Non-urban school districts, multi-branch medical institutions and enterprises with...

AssistNow[TM] a GPS service framework.(EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES & MARKETS)(AG)
August 1, 2006... u-blox AG's AssistNow[TM] is a complete Assisted GPS ("A-GPS") service package that brings instant positioning to any u-blox GPS-enabled device with mobile phone connectivity. The new technology cuts a GPS receiver's Time To First Fix...

Meeting obsolescence & compliance challenges in the age of RoHS.(TECHNOLOGY FOCUS: RoHS COMPLIANCE)
August 1, 2006... There's no escaping the impact of the EU's newly enacted RoHS law, even if your products do not sell Europe. While hundreds of new products that are compliant with the RoHS law are being introduced to the North American market every month,...

WiMAX: ready for prime time.(Cover story)
August 1, 2006... The emerging WiMAX standard promises to be the core enabling technology for next-generation broadband mobile wireless applications last mile broadband, botspots, cellular backhaul and full mobile high speed broadband access. Architected to...

Technology trends supporting millimeter-wave MMIC product development.(MILLIMETER WAVE)
August 1, 2006... Established and emerging markets such as point-to-point radio and satellite communication systems pose significant challenges to existing GaAs millimeter-wave MMIC technologies. Solid state Ka-band power amplifiers capable of efficiently...

Improving RF performance in. mixed-signal circuits.(MIXED SIGNAL)
August 1, 2006... Satellite applications using advanced CMOS technology for devices throughout the signal chain benefit from double the capacity, higher integration and lower power consumption. Satellite communication is perhaps the most challenging...

Microwave and MMW Conversion Catalog.(NEW LITERATURE)
August 1, 2006... MITEQ has released its Microwave and Millimeter Wave Conversion Products short-form catalog. It features a sampling of the company's latest mixers, images rejection mixers, modulators, multipliers and custom products. There are also sections...

Test Tools Catalog.(NEW LITERATURE)
August 1, 2006... Fluke Corporation announces a new edition of its Test Tools Catalog. The 2006 product catalog provides detailed information on features and specifications for the full line of Fluke products, as well as selection guides and ordering...

Short Form Catalog.(NEW LITERATURE)
August 1, 2006... The Datatronics Magnetics Selection Guide & Short Form Catalog provides specification information on dozens of transformers and inductors. For designers of life support, high-reliability and mission-critical equipment, the guide includes...

Data conversion product guide.(NEW LITERATURE)
August 1, 2006... Acqiris has released a product guide that provides quick and easy reference to the company's line of data conversion products, which include CompactPCI, PCI, PXI, VXI, VME and OEM digitizers, time-to-digital converters and waveform analyzers...

2006 Selection Guide.(NEW LITERATURE)
August 1, 2006... Hittite Microwave Corporation announces the release of the June 2006 Product Selection Guide which summarizes over 430 products including 31 new products. The selection guide organizes Hittite's portfolio by product line as well as by market...

Broadband products.(NEW LITERATURE)
August 1, 2006... Hutton Communications announces the release of a 200+ page Selection Guide devoted to its line of broadband products. The guide covers point to point radios, point to multipoint radios, in addition to related products such as antennas,...

Test and Measurement Product Catalog.(NEW LITERATURE)
August 1, 2006... Keithley Instruments, Inc. has announced the availability of its 2006 Test and Measurement Product Catalog. This desktop reference guide offers details and specifications on Keithley's general-purpose and sensitive sourcing and measurement...

Sockets and Adapters.(NEW LITERATURE)
August 1, 2006... Advanced Interconnections Corporation has released Catalog 16 Preview, a short form catalog featuring up-to-date material specifications and part numbers for RoHS Compliant IC Sockets and Adapters for BGA, PGA, DIP and SIP packages. The RoHS...

RF SiP Methodology Kit.(TECHNOLOGY AWARD)
August 1, 2006... Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has released a complete set of EDA products and capabilities that enable the mainstreaming of System-in-Packaging (SiP) IC design. The Cadence solution addresses the limitations inherent in the current "expert...

SiGe discrete device.(POWER)
August 1, 2006... Sirenza Microdevices has announced its Silicon Germanium (SiGe) high linearity, medium power discrete product. The SGA-8543Z offers versatility and high performance from 50 to 3500 MHz. It can be biased from 2.7 to 3.3 V over a wide range of...

Buck regulator.(POWER)
August 1, 2006... Semtech Corporation's SC194A is an integrated 1 A DC/DC step-down (buck) regulator with the small size and output flexibility needed for portable device applications. It has an input voltage range from 2.7 to 5.5 V with a focus on portable...

Li-Ion battery charger.(POWER)
August 1, 2006... Texas Instruments has introduced its l-A, bqTINY[TM] single-cell Li-Ion linear charger with enhanced thermal fold-back regulation and low dropout power management. The 3 x 3 mm device will enable PDAs, cell phones, digital cameras and wireless...

Ball grid array package.(MATERIALS)
August 1, 2006... TT electronics IRC Advanced Film Division has developed a high-speed digital termination ball-grid-array package that is designed to prevent signal theft in consumer electronics devices. Designated the CHC series, the company's BGA termination...

RFID reader module.(INTEGRATED SUBSYSTEMS)
August 1, 2006... WJ Communications, Inc.'s WJR7090 is a scalable, Gen2 UHF RFID reader module for the Korean handheld and mobile markets. Packaged in a PCMCIA Type II PC card format, it is designed to offer maximum read range in applications such as handhelds,...

Upconverter mixer.(SIGNAL PROCESSING)
August 1, 2006... To facilitate designs at the higher ISM frequencies of 2400 to 2500 MHz, Mini-Circuits announces a passive mixer that allows OEMs currently working in the 2450 MHz band to upconvert those frequencies to the 5.7 to 5.8 GHz band. The model...

BAW filters.(SIGNAL PROCESSING)
August 1, 2006... Infineon announces two bulk acoutic wave (BAW) filter products for UMTS/W-CDMA cell phones. The NWX2015CR and NWX2015CT are produced using wafer-level packaging technology, reducing production cost and board space requirements in 3G mobile...

CDMA power amplifiers.(AMPLIFIERS)
August 1, 2006... Anadigics, Inc. has announced its AWT6310 and AWT6314 dual-band CDMA PA modules that feature 39% efficiency and 50 mA of quiescent current to provide desirable talk-time and standby-time. The PA modules deliver 27 dB gain in the cellular band...

HBT power amplifiers.(AMPLIFIERS)
August 1, 2006... Mimix Broadband, Inc. has introduced its family of internally pre-matched power amplifiers that are designed for linear WiMAX applications at 700 MHz, 2.5 and 3.5 GHz. These devices are processed in a repeatable InGaP high voltage HBT process,...

Bluetooth power amplifier.(AMPLIFIERS)
August 1, 2006... NEC has developed the UPG2314T5N GaAs HBT Power Amplifier IC to serve 2.4 to 2.5 GHz applications, delivering up to +20 dBm output power with current consumption of 65 mA. The low power consumption and a package measuring 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.37 mm...

Digital signal controllers.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
August 1, 2006... Microchip Technology Incorporated introduces a family of 16-bit dsPIC[R] Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) for common, multi-loop switch-mode power supplies (SMPSs) and other power-conversion applications. The dsPIC30F1010 and dsPIC30F2020/2023...

WiMAX System-on-Chip.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
August 1, 2006... Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. has announced its Mobile WiMAX System-onChip (SoC) and roadmap. This highly integrated one-chip MAC and PHY mixed-signal baseband SoC is designed to optimize both performance and power consumption using...

Smart card reader.(INTEGRATED COMPONENTS)
August 1, 2006... Omnikey has launched its CardMan[R] 4321 featuring the ExpressCard[TM] interface, enabling smaller and faster PC card solutions in the latest laptops, in addition to or as a replacement for traditional PC Card expansion slots. The CardMan 4321...

SDRAM module.(INTEGRATED COMPONENTS)
August 1, 2006... White Electronic Designs Corporation introduces its 128 MB DDR2 SDRAM unbuffered, ECC, w/PLL. The device is a 32 M x 40 Double Data Rate II (DDR2) SDRAM module that consists of three 32M x 16-bit DDR2 synchronous DRAMs in FBGA packages, mounted...

Kits and RFDA software.(SOFTWARE)
August 1, 2006... RF Monolithics, Inc. has begun shipping evaluation kits for its TRC101, TXC100, TXC101, TXC102 and RXC101 single chip, transceiver, transmitters and receiver IC products. The evaluation boards, available in various frequencies, are designed to...

Surface mount inductors.(PASSIVES)
August 1, 2006... The Coiltronics[R] brand of high-current HC9 surface-mount inductors from Cooper Bussmann Electronics Technology are designed for use in VRM (multi-phase buck regulator) circuits with higher speed switch-mode applications requiring lower...

Thick film chip resistors.(PASSIVES)
August 1, 2006... ROHM's KTR10 and KTR18 chip resistors use a proprietary structure and trimming process in order to deliver high voltage resistance, so that one resistor can be used in high voltage circuits that normally require multiple resistors, resulting in...

Ceramic package crystal.(SIGNAL SOURCES)
August 1, 2006... Micro Crystal's micro-miniature tuning fork crystal, the CC7V-T1A Thin, is designed for use in the smallest telecom and industrial applications. This timing crystal has a package height of 0.60 mm and a footprint of 3.2 x 1.5 mm. Intended for...

Micro-miniature TCXOs.(SIGNAL SOURCES)
August 1, 2006... NDK has announced its NT2520S series, an SMD TCXO (temperature-compensated crystal oscillator) measuring 2.5 x 2.0 mm with a height of 0.8 mm, and weighing 0.013 g. It is available in standard frequencies of 13, 19.2 and 26 MHz. It operates on...

Signal analyzer.(TEST EQUIPMENT)
August 1, 2006... Anritsu Company has introduced the MS2781B Signature high-performance signal analyzer that integrates a full suite of physical layer measurements of both fixed and mobile WiMAX signals. It also delivers good spectrum analyzer measurement...

Spectrum analyzer and phase noise tester.(TEST EQUIPMENT)
August 1, 2006... Rohde & Schwarz has introduced the R&S FSUP, an instrument designed for measuring phase noise and characterizing RF signal sources. The instrument combines a spectrum analyzer and phase noise tester covering 8, 26.5 or 50 GHz. When measuring...