Articles by Pat Hindle, Editor, Microwave Journal

Over the last few years, advances in semiconductor technology and RF design have enabled a plethora of high frequency test equipment that is affordable for the everyday engineer, hobbyist or student to purchase for personal use and/or learning.

Under the theme of Intelligent Connectivity, MWC19 Los Angeles showcased the convergence of Artificial Intelligence, IoT and Big Data enabled by 5G taking place Oct 22-24. This used to be CTIA but GSMA took it over recently so has re-branded it as MWC Los Angeles and they have MWC in Barcelona and Shanghai so cover the globe now with Barcelona being the marquee event.

Phased array systems continue to be a rapidly evolving technology with steady advances motivated by the challenges presented to modern military and commercial applications. This year, the conference had a significant amount of commercial content as phased arrays are being designed and produced for mmWave 5G applications from fixed wireless access to repeaters to small cells.

The 2019 IEEE International Symposium on EMC and Signal/Power Integrity (EMC+SIPI) was held in New Orleans for the first time in our 50+ year EMC Society history taking place July 22-26. Read this review of the event.

Professor Theodore S. Rappaport and colleagues at NYU WIRELESS recently published a new article entitled “Wireless Communications and Applications Above 100 GHz: Opportunities and Challenges for 6G and Beyond,” outlining the challenges and possible solutions for future communications using frequencies from 100 GHz to 3 THz. Read this summary of their findings.

Yole Développement (Yole) has just released a report showing an industry shift in packaging technology as 5G is implemented. They state that 5G will totally redefine how the RF front-end interacts in-between the network and the modem. The new RF bands for sub 6 GHz pose big challenges for the industry.

In June, the first 5G specification was finalized as 5G NR phase I (release 15) and next year will see the completion of phase II for the 5G NR specification. 5G started in the U.S. in Oct this year when Verizon released the first commercial 5G service with the deployment of mmWave Fixed Wireless Access service in several cities. AT&T is starting the deployment of the first standards-based 5G mobile service now and T-Mobile plans to start in the first half of 2019. Although it will be several years before 5G becomes prevalent to the consumer around the world, we have to ask what’s next.

SweGaN is a spin-off from Linköping University that recently announced a new GaN-on-SiC HEMT heterostructure, QuanFINE ™, built on the concept of a GaN−SiC hybrid material that combines the high-electron-velocity thin GaN with the high-breakdown bulk SiC. According to their web site, the structure is realized by the company’s unique hot-wall MOCVD process and shown good result in both high-frequency and power transistors. 

Many of us have seen exciting applications for radar to see through walls, detect cancer, or scan people for hidden weapons. But much of this technology has to date been too expensive for wide use and adoption in commercial markets. Vayyar is changing all of that with their low cost radar on chip.