January 20, 2005 Newsletter

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Microwaves & RF UPDATE
PlanetEE - www.planetee.com
MWRF - www.mwrf.com
January 20, 2005
==============================

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. Designing for Changing Markets 
2. Agilent Names Sullivan New President/CEO 
3. Markets for MM-Wave MMICs Poised For Growth 
4. IC Holds Trio of MIMO Transceivers 
5. FOCUS Enhancements Readies for UWB Video 
6. Integrated Passive Technology Shrinks WLANs 
7. SiGe Reports Fivefold Revenue Growth 
8. FCI Grants High-Speed Connector License to Gore 
9. AWR Teams With Rohde & Schwarz 
10. Happenings - Conferences 

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1.  Viewpoint 
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Designing for Changing Markets

Design engineers are accustomed to dealing with variables. Over time, 
however, the number of variables in the design process has increased. 
Designers once concerned only with a set of circuit-element values must 
now take into consideration such factors as the bill of materials (BOM) 
and the time to market. In some markets, such as when selling to 
automotive-electronics customers, even the cost becomes a variable. Most 
automotive customers require a cost scheme that decreases over time 
(based on their own projected product lifetimes for a given model 
vehicle). This forces suppliers of integrated circuits (ICs), for 
example, to arrive at an initial price for their products that is 
considerably higher than their projected price 10 years hence. Assuming 
that the IC supplier maintains suitably profitable margins for their 
products, part of a design plan for automotive ICs must include 
strategies for improving product yield and manufacturing efficiency 
while reducing final product cost throughout the lifetime of the design.

Not every high-frequency company will be able to gear itself to sales in 
markets like automotive electronics. Some firms, such as IC houses, can 
take advantage of process improvements and higher levels of integration 
to create more function (per dollar) per chip.

But for traditional microwave component suppliers, where package and 
connector costs often exceed the cost of the circuitry, the road to 
consumer markets may not be as smooth. Still, even traditional military 
customers now evaluate cost more than ever, placing greater pressures on 
high-frequency designers to create cost-effective solutions. In any 
case, designing for such markets requires a long-term strategy that 
includes process improvements, BOM reductions, and increased use of 
automation on manufacturing and testing. 

JACK BROWNE
Publisher/Editor

Please share your thoughts by contacting me at: mailto:[email protected]
For the full editorial, visit Microwaves & RF ---> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BBmv0AK



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2. News
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Agilent Names Sullivan New President/CEO

The board of directors of Agilent Technologies has elected William P. 
(Bill) Sullivan as the company's next president and chief executive 
officer(CEO), effective March 1, 2005. Sullivan, 55, currently Agilent's 
executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO), succeeds the 
retiring Ned Barnholt as CEO. Barnholt notes that "I leave Agilent with 
a great sense of pride in terms of what we have accomplished. We are 
financially sound, we have a leaner, more flexible organization, and we 
have extended our market leadership through continued innovation. It's 
the right time for me to step down, and Bill Sullivan is clearly the 
right person to lead the company forward." James G. Cullen, 62, who has 
served on Agilent's board of directors since 2000, will assume the 
position of non-executive chairman upon Barnholt's retirement in March. 
At that time, Sullivan will join the board. Barnholt will stay on as 
chairman emeritus as long as needed to ensure a smooth transition.
Agilent Technologies ---> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLR0AO



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3. News
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Markets for MM-Wave MMICs Poised For Growth

Millimeter-wave monolithic microwave integrated circuits 
(MMICs)represent a strong growth opportunity according to research firm 
Engalco. In the firm's latest report, "Millimeter-wave MMIC's - the 
Worldwide industry & Market Opportunities to 2012," mm-wave MMICs are 
expected to see expanding use in business segments such as Ka-band 
satellite systems and automotive radars. The report notes that the total 
available market (TAM) for mm-wave MMICs will grow steadily from $384.9 
million in 2004 to more than $1.7 billion by the end of 2012, which is 
an average annual compound growth rate of just over 20 percent. Although 
defense electronics is still the mainstay of mm-wave MMICs, commercial 
opportunities will be increasingly important in satellite 
communications, automotive electronics, and secure access links for 
enterprise applications. The study provides detailed market and data on 
applications in the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) area, 
wireless infrastructure, and 40G/80G fiber-optic segment. The report 
includes in-depth studies on the types of fabrication plants, typical 
product offerings, types of modules into which these MMICs are 
implemented, and the increasingly significant roles of fabless players. 
Engalco ---> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLS0AP



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4. News
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IC Holds Trio of MIMO Transceivers

Athena Semiconductors, Inc. and Samsung Electronics' Digital Media R&D 
Center have developed a single integrated-circuit (IC) solution for the 
emerging wireless Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) standard (IEEE 
802.11n). The IC, called TRINI, contains three RF CMOS OptimRF 
transceivers based on Athena's patent-pending, modified direct 
conversion architecture. The device is designed to provide a data rate 
that is far higher than existing IEEE 802.11a/g WLAN-standards-based 
equipment, increasing from 54 Mb/s to more than 200 Mb/s. First 
demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, NV 
(January 6-9, 2005), the chip was used to transmit and receive two 
simultaneous High Definition Television (HDTV) video streams and a 
single Standard Definition Television video stream with link throughputs 
in excess of 50 Mb/s. 
Athena Semiconductors ---> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLT0AQ

Samsung Electronics ---> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLU0AR
 

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5. News
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FOCUS Enhancements Readies for UWB Video

Video specialist FOCUS Enhancements recently demonstrated the 
effectiveness of wireless high-definition TV (HDTV) transmissions using 
low-power ultrawideband (UWB) technology. By means of video 
transmissions through a wall in its semiconductor facility in Hillsboro, 
OR, FOCUS showed that the technology is suitable for video distribution 
throughout the home of the future. The company's UWB technology is 
designed to be interoperable with standards set by the Multiband OFDM 
Alliance (MBOA), but with extended range and data rates. The firm 
expects to sample UWB chipsets towards the end of the first half of 2005 
and modules containing UWB chipsets later in the year.  Performance 
expectations are anticipated to range from 880 Mb/s at 8 m to 37 Mb/s at 
around 40 m. According to Tom Hamilton, executive vice president and 
general manager of FOCUS Enhancements' semiconductor group, "We have 
essentially doubled the IEEE's UWB targets of 110 Mb/s over 10 m. Other 
solutions fall short in delivering sustained high-resolution video, are 
hampered by short range, and/or are subject to interference from 
microwave ovens and cordless telephones.  We have managed to overcome 
these obstacles - even sending an HD stream through a wall - and come up 
with something that can actually work in the real world."
FOCUS Enhancements ---> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLV0AS



************************ ADVERTISEMENT ****************************    

Maury Microwave Automated Load Pull Measurement For PA Designers

In January 2005, Maury Microwave Corporation is releasing the latest 
software for our Automated Tuner System, MT993 Version 4.0.  Key 
features of Version 4.0 include an improved GUI, significant functional 
enhancements, complete migration and support for ATN systems, and a 
comprehensive DLL kit.  With this release, Maury continues to provide 
leading-edge solutions for device characterization measurements.  For 
additional details, please contact our Sales Department at 
mailto:[email protected] or phone (909) 987-4715.

Find out what's new at Maury by visiting our website:
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLW0AT


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6. News
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Integrated Passive Technology Shrinks WLANs

SyChip has developed Integrated Passive Device (IPD) technology to 
miniaturize integrated modules for mobile and WLAN markets. The 
technology allows a complete IEEE 802.11g module to be fabricated in an 
area of 90 square millimeters and only 0.9 millimeters high. The 
technology enables the integration of approximately 50 passive 
components, such as capacitors, filters, and inductors, directly into 
the IPD substrate, providing enhanced performance along with a large 
reduction in discrete components. According to Moses Asom, SyChip 
co-founder and senior vice president of marketing and business 
development, "SyChip's IPD technology, with its world class size, 
electrical performance and plug-and-play capability, is perfectly 
positioned to meet the market challenges and help manufacturers reduce 
design cycles by six months."
SyChip ---> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLX0AU



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7. News
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SiGe Reports Fivefold Revenue Growth

SiGe Semiconductor today reported sales revenue of $20.1 million US 
($24.6 million Canadian) for 2004, a fivefold increase compared to the 
previous year. The company's success was fueled by the growing demand 
for its Bluetooth, GPS, and WLAN integrated circuits (ICs). The company 
ended the year more than 30 million units sent to customers around the 
world, with many of these devices shipped to China. According to SiGe 
president and CEO, Jim Derbyshire, "we expanded our product line, 
captured significant market share in key wireless arenas, and expanded 
our operations as a global company with a greater emphasis
on the Asia-Pacific region."
SiGe Semiconductor ---> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth04us0A4



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8. News
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FCI Grants High-Speed Connector License to Gore

FCI announced that is has granted a license to W. L. Gore & Associates, 
Inc. for the use of its AirMax VS (registered) connector technology. 
Matched with Gore's capabilities in high-frequency, high-speed cables, 
the combination is expected to yield high-performance interconnect 
solutions for a wide range of applications, including for 
telecommunications systems and IP switches. According to Rob Poort, 
Global Communications Market Manager at FCI, "working with Gore will 
drive the development of high performance digital cable connectors that 
can support very high data rate transmissions." Gore Global Data Comm 
Market Segment Leader, David Gioconda, concurs: "We are pleased to bring 
together FCI's expertise in high speed connector design with Gore's high 
data rate cable technology to offer a data link that can provide an 
aggregate bandwidth of 1.0 Terabits per second using only 50 linear 
millimeters of backplane space."
FCI ---> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLY0AV

WL Gore ---> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLZ0AW


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9. News
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AWR Teams With Rohde & Schwarz

Software supplier Applied Wave Research (AWR) has announced that it is 
teaming with test-equipment maker Rohde & Schwarz to provide test 
solutions backed by AWR's design software. These solutions provide 
bidirectional transfer of data between instruments and EDA software, and 
the capability to use measured data in place of models when simulating 
complex systems. In addition, Rohde & Schwarz will strengthen the AWR 
sales channel by providing AWR's Microwave Office and Visual System 
Simulator (VSS) design solutions throughout Europe.
Applied Wave Research ---> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLa0Ad

Rohde & Schwarz ---> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLb0Ae


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10.  Happenings - Conferences
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ARMMS RF & Microwave Society Conference
April 18-19, 2005
Milton Hill House Hotel, Milton Hill, Oxfordshire, UK
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLc0Af


IEEE Compound Semiconductor IC Symposium (formerly the GaAs IC 
Symposium)
October 30 - November 2, 2005
Palm Springs, CA
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0JtlqC0Gth0BOLd0Ag



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MICROWAVES AND RF (MWRF) UPDATE e-NEWSLETTER CONTACTS
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