==============================
Microwaves & RF UPDATE
MWRF -
www.mwrf.com
April 7, 2006
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Today's Table of Contents:
1. It's Your Life In There
2. Panasonic Acquires Tropian's Assets
3. GPS Timing Receiver Aids Network Synchronization
4. Seminars Offer Training On Design Tools
5. Study Shows Strong RFID Growth in Government
6. Front-End Module Aims At Embedded WLAN
7. Amplifiers Give Assist to WiMAX Testing
8. Happenings - Conferences
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1. Viewpoint
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It's Your Life In There
During the week of the latest Cellular Telephone Industries
Association (CTIA) annual gathering (CTIA Wireless 2006, Las
Vegas, NV), it is appropriate to ponder the state of cellular
communications and how the cellular telephone is shaping our lives.
The cell phone has become like the car keys-one of those personal
items that we check pockets or purse for before leaving the home or
office.
The cell phone has evolved from the early Motorola suitcase designs to
the modern, pocket-sized multifunction device. One service provider
has even taken up the slogan that "it is your life in there" to
signify the importance of the device to daily life. But how much is
too much?
At CTIA Wireless 2006, RF Micro Devices unveiled a module for embedded
WLAN in cell phones. Many of the devices already have Bluetooth
wireless capability not to mention cameras, display screens, and
enough memory for games, audio files, and record of "your life in
there." And many service providers want to make video an additional
service charge. Isn't it supposed to be a phone? Where did we go
wrong? Share your thoughts at
mailto:jbrowne@penton.com.
JACK BROWNE
Technical Director
*************
2. News
*************
Panasonic Acquires Tropian's Assets
Panasonic strengthened its position in wireless communications by
agreeing to acquire the assets of Cupertino, CA-based Tropian, Inc.
Tropian is perhaps best known for its power-efficient polar modulation
technology for wireless transmitters. According to the agreement,
Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American
subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., will acquire the
assets of Tropian's business. The arrangement will allow Matsushita
Electric to acquire Tropian's intellectual property and technologies.
It will also allow Panasonic Corporation of North America to acquire
Tropian's core engineering team and integrate this team into Panasonic
Emerging Advanced RF Laboratory (PEARL), a new unit of Panasonic R&D
Company of America, a division of Panasonic Corporation of North
America. This new unit will be established with about 40 employees.
According to Dr. Susumu Koike, Executive Vice President of Matsushita
Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., "Tropian's unique Polar modulation
technologies will be an important driver in the digitization of the
conventional analog radio-frequency elements within wireless
communications systems." Earl McCune, Tropian founder and new PEARL
director, noted "The Tropian management team of Tim Unger, CEO, Adrian
Woolley, VP Marketing and Sales, and I have been looking to become
part of an organization with the skills and resources to make a huge
impact with our technology. With Panasonic we have found and joined
such an organization, and we look forward to contributing to the
acceleration of Dr. Koike's vision."
Panasonic --->
http://news.mwrf.com/t?ctl=2656C:49027F
*********
3. News
*********
GPS Timing Receiver Aids Network Synchronization
Trimble announced its latest Global Positioning System (GPS) timing
receiver at this week's CTIA Wireless 2006 Conference (Las Vegas, NV).
Dubbed the Acutime Gold system, the timing receiver is slightly larger
than a baseball and housed in an environmentally sealed enclosure. It
provides a pulse-per-second (PPS) output synchronized to Coordinated
Universal Time (UTC) within 15 ns (one sigma). Once power is applied,
the receiver automatically tracks satellites and surveys its position
to within meters. It then switches to overdetermined time mode and
generates a PPS output. Ideal for precise timing and network
synchronization, the Acutime Gold receiver provides an independent
timing source, within the firewall, for any application such as
network fault detection systems and synchronization of wireless
networks. It enables easy GPS integration for applications including
cellular and paging networks.
Trimble --->
http://news.mwrf.com/t?ctl=2656E:49027F
*********
4. News
*********
Seminars Offer Training On Design Tools
Agilent Technologies is hosting a series of seminars entitled
"Power-of-Two: ADS and GENESYS. The seminars, which provide details on
two of company's high-frequency software design tools, are scheduled
for April 10th through May 31st, from 11 AM through 2 PM. The
seminars, which include a complementary lunch, cover the new release
of Agilent Technologies' Advanced Design System (ADS) 2005A. They also
address the firm's Eagleware GENESYS 2005 for RF System Architecture
Design, and how ADS and GENESYS can work together. Attendees will
learn how GENESYS SPECTRASYS, the industry's first and only continuous
spectrum simulator can be used to speed RF system architecture design
and pinpoint problems early when they are quick and easy to fix. For
more information, visit the link below.
http://news.mwrf.com/t?ctl=26562:49027F
**********
5. News
**********
Study Shows Strong RFID Growth in Government
Research firm Venture Development Corp. projects strong
radio-frequency identification (RFID) growth in the government sector
over the next five years. The firm's recently released Government
Vertical Market volume of its annual RFID Business Planning Service
notes that RFID systems in the government vertical reached an
estimated $269 million in 2005, with hardware accounting for nearly 53
percent of the market. The study projects a compounded annual growth
rate (CAGR) of roughly 34 percent through 2010, with revenue shipments
projected to exceed $1.155 billion within five years. Governments
throughout the world are increasingly citing the implementation of
RFID as a top automatic identification and tracking priority, with
agencies at both the national and local level playing a major role in
facilitating RFID adoption.
Venture Development Corp. --->
http://news.mwrf.com/t?ctl=2656A:49027F
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*********
6. News
*********
Front-End Module Aims At Embedded WLAN
Rolling the dice on embedded wireless-local-area-network (WLAN)
applications for cellular telephones, RF Micro Devices (RFMD)
announced at this week's CTIA Wireless 2006 (Las Vegas, NV) the
availability of the model RF5924 front-end module. Designed
specifically for embedded WLAN in cellular handsets, the module
integrates an 802.11b/g WLAN power amplifier, switch, and receive
balun. According to Rohan Houlden, Director of RFMD's Network
Components Product Line, "The RF5924 is the first offering in a
dedicated line of mobile WLAN components that address all bands and
standards and continues RFMD's heritage of delivering industry-leading
technology to emerging, high-growth markets."
RF Micro Devices --->
http://news.mwrf.com/t?ctl=26570:49027F
*********
7. News
*********
Amplifiers Give Assist to WiMAX Testing
WiMAX device testing calls for robust test signals, often requiring
additional amplification between a signal generator and the device
under test (DUT). Recent tests involving two S Series amplifiers from
AR Worldwide and a WiMAX test system from Rohde & Schwarz showed that
the 50-W model 50S1G4A (0.8 to 4.2 GHz) and the 10-W model 10S4G11 (4
to 10.6 GHz) amplifiers provided good signal fidelity at the required
output levels for WiMAX testing. The tests showed that the amplifier's
output signal was almost indistinguishable from the signal generator's
output. The amplifier's ability to provide more 1-dB compression power
and higher third-order intercepts allow the test engineer to get more
useable power than competitive units. More information is available in
Application Note 39A from AR Worldwide.
Rohde & Schwarz --->
http://news.mwrf.com/t?ctl=26568:49027F
AR Worldwide--->
http://news.mwrf.com/t?ctl=26563:49027F
*******************************
8. Happenings - Conferences
*******************************
Del Mar Electronics Show
April 26-27, 2006
Del Mar Fairgrounds
Del Mar, CA
http://news.mwrf.com/t?ctl=26571:49027F
Broadband Wireless World
April 26-28, 2006
Caesar's Palace Event Center
Las Vegas, NV
http://news.mwrf.com/t?ctl=26564:49027F
IMAPS International Conference on
High-Temperature Electronics (HiTEC 2006)
May 15-18, 2006
Hilton of Santa Fe
Santa Fe, NM
http://news.mwrf.com/t?ctl=26565:49027F
International Microwave Theory & Techniques
Symposium (MTT-S)
June 11-16, 2006
Moscone Convention Center
San Francisco, CA
http://news.mwrf.com/t?ctl=2656D:49027F
************************ ADVERTISEMENT ****************************
Nominate Your Microwave Legends!
As part of the Microwaves & RF 45th Anniversary celebration in the
August issue, the magazine is spotlighting the top 45 people, places,
and things that have impacted this industry. Nominate your choices
for the Microwave Legends. Simply visit MWRF.com at the link below
before April 15th to submit your nominations. On-line voting for all
nominations will commence May 1st and conclude on May 31st.
http://news.mwrf.com/t?ctl=26572:49027F
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MICROWAVES AND RF (MWRF) UPDATE e-NEWSLETTER CONTACTS
====================================================
Technical Director: Jack Browne
mailto:jbrowne@penton.com
Managing Editor: John Curley
mailto:jcurley@penton.com
Advertising/Sponsorship Opportunities:
Paul Barkman at 1-908-704-2460 or
mailto:pbarkman@penton.com
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Microwaves & RF
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