Microwave Vision Group has launched µ-Lab, a new patent pending, compact and portable microwave test system designed for wireless devices utilizing Wireless Gigabit (WiGig) technology. Small on-chip antennas, cell phones, laptop computers and other devices designed to communicate in the 60 GHz frequency band will benefit from the flexibility, speed and accuracy this system provides.
The WiGig standard is based on the IEEE 802.11 protocol, and is backwards compatible with previous generation capabilities. It can also switch between bands including the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and the new broadband 60 GHz (7 GHz available bandwidth) spectrum. The switching is transparent and thus provides for seamless operation.
The new WiGig protocol is thus dedicated to a wide variety of M2M applications, including Point to Point IP applications, HDMI Data Streaming, Cordless Computing, and Internet support using IEEE 802.11ad standards. Given this wide range of WiGig applications, a cost-effective and flexible system is required to evaluate devices rapidly. µ-Lab provides a versatile testing solution for devices designed for these applications.
The performance of these devices such as on-chip antennas, cell phones, small connectorized antennas, and laptops can be evaluated in minutes inside the compact µ-Lab test chamber. The baseline µ-Lab offering covers the 50-110 GHz bands (V band and W band), but other bands can be added if required. µ-Lab comprises a small anechoic chamber measuring approximately 152 cm by 152 cm by 152 cm, a rack area underneath the chamber for the workstation computer and positioner controller, and an adjacent rack for the VNA.
“µ-Lab has the unique capability to evaluate the new class of WiGig devices. The increasing number of M2M applications and the fact that we have already sold a number of µ-Lab units forecasts a promising future,” said Philippe Garreau, CEO of MVG.