The second Electronic Design Innovation Conference (EDI CON) will take place at the Beijing International Conference Center on 8 to 10 April 2014. As well as attracting high-level participation from Chinese academia and industry the event has, once again, proved to be key for the international RF and microwave design community keen to share its intellectual knowledge, technological expertise and latest product developments with a Chinese audience that embraced the focussed, unique concept of the inaugural EDI CON in 2013.

Among the global participants eager to build on last year’s success is a significant representation from Europe who have continued to be enthusiastic in their support of EDI CON 2014 at every opportunity, from the conference sessions, workshop presentations and the showcasing of the latest innovations on the exhibition floor.

For instance, on the opening morning the Industry Keynotes will feature Josef Wolf, Director Spectrum/Network ANA and EMC of Rohde & Schwarz, alongside speakers from China Mobile, ZTE and National Instruments. He will consider: 5G – the next challenge for test and measurement, emphasising that the T&M industry needs to be a forerunner enabling the development and test of any new technology.

As EDI CON Diamond Sponsor Rohde & Schwarz is also sharing its expertise across a broad spectrum in nine technical session presentations, a workshop and a featured panel. The wide range of topics under discussion include amplifier testing – envelope tracking technology, the applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems and the characterisation of satellite frequency up-converters, together with the measurement of radio links in the E-band and high precision power measurements using Android mobile devices.

Continuing its Gold Sponsorship Computer Simulation Technology (CST) will offer a technical paper that will give an insight into high speed and high power connector design, and two workshops. One will focus on MIMO antenna system simulation and the other on simulation and measurement: complementary design tools.

An OMMIC/ERA workshop will consider 100 nm GaN/Si technology for mm-wave applications and the company’s Marc Rocchi will contribute to the Semiconductor Panel Session. Technical presentations will also be given by the Microwave Vision Group who will consider MIMO OTA based on anechoic chamber for discriminating between good and bad 2x2 MIMO antenna systems and AMCAD Engineering who will look at stability analysis of microwave circuits. On the materials side Element 6 asks whether GaN on Diamond is the next gold?

In 2013 the EDI CON Exhibition proved to be a busy platform for companies from across the globe to showcase and demonstrate their latest products and as a result the exhibition has expanded this year. European companies of note include Rohde & Schwarz (Booth 101), which offers test and measurement solutions across the test & measurement spectrum including wireless communications, covering almost all mobile radio and wireless technologies, from GSM, UMTS/HSP(+) and CDMA2000 to LTE FDD and TD-LTE networks, with the company already venturing into LTE-Advanced.

CST (Booth 117)offers a wide range of EM simulation software to address design challenges across the electromagnetic spectrum. The mainstay of the product range is CST STUDIO SUITE^®, which comprises the company’s complete set of 3D electromagnetic simulation tools, along with a number of related products dedicated to more specific design areas such as cable harnesses, PCBs and EM/circuit co-simulation.

The Microwave Vision Group (Booth 410), which comprises SATIMO, ORBIT/FR, AEMI and REMC delivers a wide range of innovative measurement solutions for antenna, RCS and radome testing and wireless device certification. The company's products include full turn-key systems, MV-Scan™ multi-probe arrays, anechoic chambers, antennas and probes, measurement software, positioning equipment and RF absorbers.

OMMIC/ERA(Booth 508) – is a supplier of MMIC circuits, foundry services and epitaxial wafers based on III-V (GaAs, GaN and InP) materials. Its principal markets are in cellular communications, high data rate links, phased array antennas, millimeter-wave sensors, HiRel devices for space and defense and foundry services. ERA is the unique authorized distributor of OMMIC in the Greater China region.

Providing an important bridge between academia and industry IHP (Booth 316) performs research and development in the fields of silicon-based systems, high-frequency integrated circuits, and technologies for wireless and broadband communication.

Through EDI CON 2014 the RF & microwave industry is forging global links and relationships, with Europe playing its part.