Pat Hindle, MWJ Editor

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There were a couple of significant RFID news items this week. The first was a report indicating that the global radio-frequency identification ( RFID ) market is growing despite the fact that the world’s largest RFID project - the $6-billion China National ID card scheme - was completed a year earlier. According to IDTechEx , the global RFID market is rising 5 percent this year to $5.56 billion. Most of the action has been in the US, where the largest orders continue to be placed, as well as in the UK, China, and Japan. The second was a contract for...

I was a little surprised by this report that has Skyworks surpassing RFMD in market share but Strategy Analytics announced that Skyworks has managed to gain the number one position for cellphone PAs according to their research. The rapid growth of handsets has pushed the PA market to $2 billion per year with Skyworks and RFMD relying on the majority of their revenues from this market despite diversification efforts. Both firms and their competitors have invested heavily in new PA products and technologies to meet the demands of the cellphone OEMs for ever more bands, higher data rates, higher efficiency...

I recently received this from our Jan 09 antenna expert Dr. Raines and thought it was a relevant subject these days: "Computers Make Us Stupid" That was a key point, and a direct quote from Prof. Pat Winston of the Electrical Engineering Dept., made to over a thousand returning alums at the MIT reunion on June 6. Looking back over recent events, it certainly seems that this was not an idle, abstract, or rhetorical observation. On Monday, in Washington, DC, the worst Metro commuter train crash in its 33 year history claimed 9 lives and caused many more serious injuries....

I am having IMS 2009 withdrawals but came across this ABI Research release that states the crystal oscillator is threatened by a new set of devices grouped under the label "silicon timing solutions." According to research director Lance Wilson, "There’s a growing battle for market share between silicon timing solutions and the traditional quartz oscillator and its derivatives. Right now, silicon timing solutions have about 20% of the market, but ABI Research forecasts that percentage to nearly double within five years." Virtually every device that contains an IC or generates a radio signal needs these devices. The incentives for equipment...

According to IMS2009, the annual conference and exhibition attracted thousands of designers, researchers, developers, academics and executives in the microwave and RF industry to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston. Based on preliminary attendance numbers, more than 9,000 participants attended and 559 companies were represented. “This past week in Boston has been an enormous success in every respect,” said Fred Schindler, General Chair, IMS2009 and Director, RF Micro Devices Boston Design Center. “Our attendance results would be great any year, but given these difficult economic times they are outstanding.” Microwave Journal interviewed Fred on the first day...

I did numerous formal sponsored video interviews on Tues morning which are now live on our Online Show Daily . But I came across a couple of other interesting demos during the show and took a video of a couple of them with my cheap but convenient Flip video. Below is a Keithley demo showing their new Vector Network Signal analyzer (just turn the volume up). Another interesting product that is very cool is the laser etching machine from LPKF which can in seconds etch a metal pattern into a substrate like a PCB or ceramic board. It etches...

IMS/MTT-S is where you run into a lot of old friends and associates. You never know who you might find on the show floor. MWJ editor David Vye and myself ran into retired tech editor, Frank Bashore, who taught me well. We did a quick interview with Frank who gave his approval to the way we doing things so far. Who did you run into at the show?...

In addition to the conference sessions, workshops and tutorials, there are many short practical and application specific seminars and talks happening this year on the exhibition floor. The largest is the MicroApps which will have its own forum area at the front of the exhibition hall and will be presenting the technology behind commercial products and their capabilities. It is being run by Agilent and has a good number of test and measurement talks along with others being presented by participating companies. M/A-COM Technology Solutions is running 10 minute Tech Talks in their booth (2214) covering various subjects such as...

As we get ready for IMS 2009 and plan our schedules, let's take a look at the best promos, contests or giveaways being advertised by exhibitors that you don't want to miss out on. IMS 2009 is giving away a chance to win Red Sox /Yankees tickets if you use the promotional code from the insert in the April issue of the Microwave Journal for your exhibition registration. Reactel is giving away Red Sox /Yankees tickets each day in a drawing by stopping by their booth (1504). And Skyworks (1818) is also having a drawing for Red Sox/Yankee Club Seat...

Our IMS 2009 blogs take a look at the conference from the perspective of exhibitors Freescale and AWR Follow RFLeonard Blog (Freescale) Guest Blog: Sherry Hess (AWR) In addition, our May Expert Advice is given by Gayle Collins of Freescale who writes a perspective on upcoming IMS Power Amplifier papers and the potential impact of different papers on the field. Read and Comment...