We are heading into show season with EDI CON, Satellite, IWCE, WAMICON, IWS, CTIA Wireless, MWIE and of course IMS all right around the corner. This is a busy time for our editorial staff as I am sure it is for engineering teams preparing products and marketing groups preparing press releases and marketing collateral. To inform the market of pending product releases that will be on display at these events, many marketers are stepping up their outbound marketing and vying for editorial space, especially in the May MTT-S IMS preview issue, our largest issue of the year. The show issue is flanked by two very popular editorial themes for semiconductor component manufacturers, namely Amplifiers and Oscillators in April and RFICs, MMICs and Semiconductors in July. If you are in the component business, the next quarter is an important one editorially.
April 2013
Our cover story is by Ulrich Rohde, founder of Synergy Microwave and his chief technologist, Ajay Poddar. Rohde and Poddar have conducted an extensive investigation into phase noise measurements, comparing many systems on the market and have authored an extensive report which may prove to be THE phase noise reference article for years to come. Such articles are why the Journal is preferred reading among RF, microwave engineers and enjoys such a long shelf life. April looks at the RF active components that are at the heart of every communication, radar and navigation system, namely oscillators and amplifiers. These devices define the behavior of the signal in our high frequency systems and therefore receive much attention with regard to performance. This month’s cover feature will examine the state of oscillators (and synthesizers) outside of North America with a report from Alexander Chenekin, Chief Technology Officer of Phase Matrix, a leading supplier of high performance microwave sources (and subsidiary of National Instruments). Chenekin’s report, “Timing Device Technology in Russia and China” is well timed with the upcoming microwave event in Beijing (EDI CON 2013) , which will feature a number of prominent Russian oscillator/PLL experts. April will also feature a report on a new process developed by Marki Microwave to offer quick turn-around low-volume, high-mix mixers with MMIC-level performance and cost. We also look at a new baseband tuning technique used in Agilent test equipment to achieve unprecedented speed.
May 2013
The May issue hits the street nearly a month before the largest microwave exhibition. This gives our audience ample time to find out who is promoting new products, what special activities will be at this year’s show and which technologies are trending in popularity. Last year we revised our product showcase (IMS exhibitors only) to act as a true show product guide, calling out “must-see” new products and organized according to exhibitor location. An event with over 500 vendors can be a little overwhelming, and the May issue helps our readers organize their visit to IMS or understand what is being showcased even if they are not attending. This year’s cover feature looks at the international aspect of our industry from Seattle to Russia to China and beyond.
June 2013
With the increasing adoption of GaN and RF CMOS technologies in high-frequency applications, the RF, microwave semiconductor business is certainly in transition. With systems requiring greater bandwidth, linearity and efficiency, IC designers must stay on top of their game and adopt the latest technologies. From the latest deep sub-micron process nodes and new “FinFET” technologies to advances in IC packaging, the evolution of semiconductor technology is at the heart of the wireless systems that fuel our industry. Now is an excellent time to let us know how your RFIC technology roadmap is shaping up. We are still planning the editorial for the June issue and would love to hear from you.