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On the run-up to this week’s Mobile World Congress, many companies made announcements, hoping not to get lost in this week’s “din” about 5G, the IoT, new smartphones and virtual reality (VR). The following is a summary of news — MWC related and not — that I noted:
Companies and Products
Analog Devices (ADI) announced a 28 nm CMOS platform for 77 and 79 GHz automotive radar sensors, saying CMOS sensor performance will be equal to or better than what SiGe RFICs can deliver. With their recent acquisition of LIDAR technology from Vescent Photonics, ADI is positioning to be a major player in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
GLOBALFOUNDRIES unveiled a 45 nm RF SOI process that will support beamforming applications to 100 GHz. Thick copper and dielectrics enable improved RF performance for LNAs, switches and power amplifiers.
Keysight announced 10 PXIe instruments targeting 5G and aerospace and defense applications. The new instruments include three arbitrary waveform generators (AWG), two digitizers, two AWG/digitizer combinations and three oscilloscopes.
MaxLinear released a single chip CMOS transceiver that supports all licensed and unlicensed point-to-point bands from 5 to 44 GHz, all ETSI-defined channel spacing options from 5 to 224 MHz and up to 4096 QAM. The MxL1105 is the first in a family of transceivers for 5G, wireless backhaul, wireless front-haul and satellite broadband applications.
Modelithics released v17.0 of their COMPLETE library for Keysight EEsof ADS. v17.0 contains more than 15,000 components from over 65 suppliers and 35 new models, including a MACOM non-linear diode model, Infineon and Mitsubishi non-linear transistor models and a Mini-Circuits amplifier X-parameter model.
National Instruments (NI) released two software-defined radios (SDR) that cover 10 MHz to 6 GHz. Designed for wideband wireless research, the USRP-2944 is a 2x2 MIMO-capable SDR with 160 MHz bandwidth per channel. Designed for spectrum analysis and signals intelligence, the USRP-2945 uses a two-stage superheterodyne architecture to achieve the necessary selectivity and sensitivity for these applications.
Qorvo introduced three front-end modules (FEM) for LTE Power Class 2. The higher output power of Power Class 2 increases handset range in TD-LTE Band 41 (2.5 GHz), which is necessary to maintain coverage because of poorer propagation at these higher frequencies. China Mobile and Sprint use this band.
European defense firm Saab is offering India an AESA radar and EW jammer for the Tejas fighter. Both systems use GaN that Saab says has no ITAR restrictions.
SpaceX’s latest launch of a Falcon 9 rocket, carrying supplies for the ISS, was successful, including the reusable booster returning and landing. Seeing this is impressive!
Thales will supply the Danish Navy with 14, X-Band, GaN-based CW illuminators (CWI) for the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM). The CWI illuminates the threat so the ESSM can home in on the reflected signal. Thales’ first delivery will occur mid-2019, with the last system delivered in 2021. Thales received a second contract to support the CWI systems until 2049.
With Wolfspeed being folded back into Cree, Cree no longer needs a CEO for the business. Franco Plastina, who was appointed CEO when Cree was planning a Wolfspeed IPO, will leave Cree at the end of the fiscal quarter.
Markets and Technology
5G — 5G Americas published a report outlining 3GPP Releases 13 to 15. Release 15 defines the first 5G specifications. This is a great reference.
Compiling public information, Viavi Solutions published a summary of “5G” tests by mobile operators: 25 have announced lab tests and 12 report field trials. 36 Gbps is the highest data rate achieved in the lab, reported by the UAE's Etisalat.
AT&T requested an experimental license from the FCC to test the following bands for 5G services: 3.4 to 3.6, 3.7 to 4.2, 27.5 to 28.35, 37 to 38.6, 38.6 to 40, 64 to 71 and 71 to 76 GHz.
Verizon disclosed the 11 U.S. cities where they will be field testing pre-5G fixed wireless access: Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Bernardsville (NJ), Brockton (MA), Dallas, Denver, Houston, Miami, Sacramento, Seattle and Washington. Testing will run during the first half of 2017.
Kevin Linehan, a VP at CommScope, says densification, virtualization and optimization are required for the successful deployment of 5G:
Robert Lucky, a long time and well known observer of technology, describes millimeter wave as a frontier, “largely uninhabited and inhospitable.” Yet, he's optimistic that persistent engineering will find a way to mine the gold. Read his thoughts at IEEE Spectrum.
IoT — Strategy Analytics forecasts cellular IoT module shipments will exceed 190 million units in 2025, with 5G modules exceeding 4G in 2024. Automotive applications will be the largest user.
Broadband — DSL Reports provides this update on Google Fiber, part of Google Access, a subsidiary of Alphabet. Since we last checked, Alphabet hired a new CEO, Gregory McCray, and the strategy still appears to be shifting to wireless delivery.
Last Word — Speaking of strategy, here’s an interesting HBR article on setting realistic strategic priorities. First, decide what's critical vs. important vs. desirable. Those decisions will align resources and should set appropriate expectations.
Thoughts? Leave a comment below.