March 22, 2007 Newsletter

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Microwaves & RF UPDATE
PlanetEE - http://www.planetee.com/
MWRF - http://www.mwrf.com/
March 22, 2007
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Greetings and welcome to your personal copy of PlanetEE's Microwaves and RF 
UPDATE e-newsletter. Please see below for address-change or 
subscribe/unsubscribe instructions.

Today's Table of Contents:
1. SDR Technology Has Much To Offer Public Safety 
2. Skyworks Switch Sets High Isolation Marks 
3. Agilent Gains Principal Member Status in WiMAX Forum 
4. Microlab/FXR Unleashes Hybrid Combiner For Wireless 
5. Podcast Ponders Ethernet, RapidIO Differences 
6. AWR and Flomerics Team On European Seminars 
7. SDR Forum Supports FCC On Public Safety Radios 
8. Happenings - Conferences 


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1.  Viewpoint 
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SDR Technology Has Much To Offer Public Safety

In 1998, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted service rules 
for the use of 764 to 776 MHz and 794 to 806 MHz for public safety radios. At 
that time, those bands had been allocated for television broadcasters, but TV 
stations were requested to gradually vacate the spectrum. Well, the time to 
vacate (December 31, 2006) has passed and the FCC is now considering radio 
solutions for this newly freed spectrum. The Commission (www.fcc.gov) has 
already adopted the technical and operational standards for the bands, but 
radios must be implemented. 

The issues facing users of the public safety communications band are not unlike 
those before the military in joint services operations. The military solution 
has taken the form of the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) spearheaded by 
Boeing Company (www.boeing.com) and Rockwell-Collins (www.rockwellcollins.com). 
Based on software-defined-radio (SDR) technology, the JTRS concept allows radios 
to be reprogrammed in the field for use in different theatres and by difference 
branches of the military. With ever-advancing semiconductor processes and 
lower-power processors, the JTRS approach is not only possible but also 
practical, and perhaps the best solution of cross-department public-safety 
radios. 

JACK BROWNE
Technical Director

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2. News
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Skyworks Switch Sets High Isolation Marks

Skyworks Solutions has introduced the model SKY13286-359LF high-isolation switch 
for cellular infrastructure applications. The switch, which includes a CMOS 
driver, leverages GaAs PHEMT technology to achieve as much as 60 dB isolation 
and better than 42 dB isolation between ports from 100 MHz to 6 GHz. The 
insertion loss ranges from 0.8 to 1.8 dB over that range, while the third-order 
intercept point is +49 dBm at 500 MHz. The RoHS-compliant switch, which operates 
with a single positive supply voltage, is supplied in a 4 x 4 mm QFN 16-lead 
package.

Skyworks Solutions ---> http://www.skyworksinc.com/

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3. News
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Agilent Gains Principal Member Status in WiMAX Forum

Agilent Technologies has received principal member status with the WiMAX Forum. 
The global leader in test equipment has been actively involved in the Forum 
since 2004. The firm was first to provide standard-compliant 802.16 design and 
test tools and solutions for fixed and mobile 802.16 applications, and first to 
enable RF and baseband engineers working at the 802.16-2004 PHY layer to create, 
analyze, and troubleshoot WiMAX signals. The enhanced status strengthens the 
company's ability to deliver standards-based WiMAX test solutions, contributing 
to the delivery of cost-effective, high-quality products into the marketplace. 
According to Ron Nersesian, vice president of Agilent's Wireless Business Unit, 

"Inclusion in the WiMAX Forum as a principal member is yet another opportunity 
for Agilent to continue to demonstrate leadership and ongoing commitment to 
enabling the emergence of WiMAX as a truly global technology." 

Agilent Technologies ---> http://www.agilent.com/find/wimax/

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4. News
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Microlab/FXR Unleashes Hybrid Combiner For Wireless

Microlab/FXR, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wireless Telecom Group, Inc., has 
introduced a broadband 4:2 hybrid combiner for wireless applications from 700 to 
2700 MHz. It is designed to combine as many as four signals, as from different 
antennas, with high isolation and minimum interference between signals. The high 
isolation alleviates the need for additional filters. The hybrid combiner, which
is ideal for neutral host distributed antenna systems or indoor wireless 
repeater systems based on leaky coaxial cables, offers better than 25 dB 
isolation across the band with passive intermodulation (PIM) of at least -130 
dBm. Each input port is rated for 80 W average power and 3 kW peak power. The 
hybrid combiner is available with Type N or 7/16 EIA type connectors. 

Microlab/FXR ---> http://www.microlab.fxr.com/

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5. News
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Podcast Ponders Ethernet, RapidIO Differences

The latest episode of RadioIO(R) Radio delves into the technical differences 
between Ethernet and RapidIO communications interfaces. The episode, "A 
Technical Comparison of Ethernet and RapidIO," is available for immediate 
download from RapidIO and/or iTunes.com. It builds on an early podcast in 
January which covered the white paper "System Interconnect Fabrics; Ethernet 
Versus RapidIO Technology." The new episode is hosted by Tom Cox, white paper 
author, and Greg Shippen, system architect for Freescale Semiconductor's 
Digital Systems Division, NCSG and a member of the RapidIO Trade Association's 
Technical Working Group.  

iTunes ---> http://www.iTunes.com/

RapidIO ---> http://www.RapidIO.org/

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6. News
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AWR and Flomerics Team On European Seminars

Two leaders in design software, AWR and Flomerics, have combined forces on a 
European seminar series that highlights the integration between AWR's Microwave 
Office suite and Flomerics MicroStripes full-wave three-dimensional (3D) 
electromagnetic (EM) simulator. The seminar explores different techniques for 
circuit and system simulations using the two tools in tandem. Application areas 
include wireless antenna design, system-in-package (SiP) design, RF module 
design, and wireless system design. The dates and locations include: 

24th April 07 Utrecht, Netherlands
25th April 07 Paris, France
26th April 07 Bracknell, UK
3rd May 07 Stuttgart, Germany
9th May 07 Gothenburg, Sweden
10th May 07 Helsinki, Finland
15th May 07 Milan, Italy

Registration ---> http://www.flomerics.com/microstripes/events/

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7. News
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SDR Forum Supports FCC On Public Safety Radios

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) recent call for advanced 
software-defined-radio and cognitive radio technologies to address the needs of 
improved public safety radios was enthusiastically supported by the SDR Forum. 
The nonprofit industry group responded to the FCC's Ninth Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (NPRM)for a broadband public safety radio network in the 700-MHz band 
by urging the FCC to complete a detailed scientific study to determine the 
actual amount of broadband spectrum required to support public safety users 
through the year 2020. The SDR Forum also offered to assist in such a study.

SDR Forum ---> http://www.sdrforum.org/

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8.  Happenings - Conferences
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RFID World 2007
March 26-28, 2007
Grapevine, TX
http://www.rfid-world.com/

ARMMS RF And Microwave Society Conference
April 16-17, 2007
Milton Hill House
Steventon, Abington, Oxfordshire, England
http://www.armms.org/

IEEE Sarnoff Symposium 2007
April 30-May 2, 2007
Sarnoff Labs
Princeton, NJ
http://www.sarnoffsymposium.org

2007 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium
June 3-8, 2007
Hawaii Convention Center
Honolulu, HI
http://www.ims2007.org/

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Visit Microwaves & RF's RF Test Blog to learn about the latest developments in 
RF and microwave test equipment and measurement techniques. Sponsored by 
Keithley Instruments, this blog highlights hot new products, white papers, 
and application notes. And while you're there, take a look at the new RF 
Components Blog, sponsored by M/A-COM for the latest component news, at:

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====================================================

Technical Director: Jack Browne
mailto: [email protected]
Managing Editor: John Curley
mailto: [email protected]

Advertising/Sponsorship Opportunities:
Paul Barkman at 1-908-704-2460 or
mailto: [email protected]

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