RF & Microwave Community

2020 has undoubtedly been, one of the weirdest years for most people. The outbreak of COVID-19, followed by nationwide lockdowns, took the global market by surprise with initial trends forecasting grim figures across the board. However, it has led to a world that is more connected than ever before with many events and activities moving to online platforms. This also meant that the digital infrastr...read more

This article describes an Innovate UK-funded collaborative project on next-generation mmWave technology projects up to 175 GHz, to enable emerging 5G wireless XHaul requirements up to 100Gbps.E-band is well established as an attractive and cost effective, high capacity solution for mmWave XHaul applications, capable of supporting radio links upto 20Gbps. The spectrum allocations available in E-ban...read more

Wi-Fi 6 chipsets and devices harness the latest wireless standard with improved capabilities and performance. Enabling metrics such as faster data throughput and greater network efficiency may be favorable for consumers, but it places considerable demands on Wi-Fi characterization and compliance testing. When faced with test equipment that is not up for the task, engineers often resort to testing ...read more

In the past couple of decades, we have witnessed ever-increasing activity in outer space. Various countries have vastly increased their space capabilities with better satellites that offer numerous benefits. These satellites are used for multiple applications such as earth observation, communication, navigation, weather forecasting, space telescopes, etc.With this boom in the satellite industry, t...read more

1973 was a key year in the evolution of radio-frequency identification (RFID), with the first two patents being filed in the United States, one for an active RFID tag and the other for a keyless entry system. The following 20 years saw rapid commercial expansion of RFID with deployments across Europe and the US in transportation, animal tracking, and various inventory-related applications. As the ...read more

6G is the next generation of telecommunication which will be the successor to 5G. Although 5G deployment around the world is still in its initial phase, research on 6G has started taking place. 6G is being developed using a host of technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Extended Reality (XR), Automation, Robotics and many others. However, to meet such high expectations, there is a need fo...read more

Expanding the capabilities of MMW technology provides insight into the mechanics of viral transfer, offering potential treatments for COVID-19 and similar virusesThe next breakthrough in the fight against deadly viral outbreaks may be just a higher frequency away. While millimeter wave (MMW) devices are more commonly associated with military applications, remote sensing, security screening and nex...read more

RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) is a highly accurate technique used to determine the position of a receiver using the signal received from satellite-based positioning systems like GPS, Galileo, BeiDou, and GLONASS. RTK is based on the carrier phase measurement technique that uses the phase of the carrier signal to determine the location of the receiver. As a result, it is more accurate than traditional ...read more

Design engineers face a conundrum when it comes to Bluetooth Low Energy. BLE is chosen for a design project with full knowledge of its limited range in order to take advantage of the technology’s other strengths. But the implementation, once completed, often requires greater range than BLE can deliver. It’s a Catch-22 that many design engineers face when they work on a BLE-enabled proj...read more

There has been industry buzz around software defined radio (SDR) over the last several decades, however, older systems provided solutions for hobbyists with limited application in a commercial setting. Since then, many advancements in semiconductors and the overall technology powering SDRs, has made them more applicable for many commercial and mission critical applications.Simply put, SDRs allow f...read more

The whole world is moving towards wireless, with voice, data and now we are looking to truly untether humanity with wireless power. TransferFi is powering Industrial IoT sensor networks at a range of 50 meters. This carves a strong path towards the realization of Industry 4.0 and a digital economy. Cable-free technology can be a powerful enabler for the growth of Internet of things (IoT). On avera...read more

Corporate airspaces are in danger from a radio-based attack.Mobile, wireless, and IoT devices all operate within the radio frequency (RF) spectrum and many have vulnerabilities that allow cyber-thieves to compromise these devices. Due to the lack of visibility of wireless communications, devices roam freely and are usually undetected in corporate airspaces.  Cybercriminals can use compromised...read more

Gallium Nitride is a semiconductor technology used for high power, high-frequency semiconductor applications. Gallium Nitride exhibits several characteristics that make it better than GaAs and Silicon for various high power components. These characteristics include a higher breakdown voltage and better electrical resistivity.There are three main substrates that are used with GaN - Silicon Carbide ...read more

In Wireless Communication, fading refers to the attenuation of the transmitted signal power due to various variables during wireless propagation. These variables can be atmospheric conditions such as rainfall and lightning, geographical position, time, radio frequency etc. The channel between transmitter and receiver can also be time varying or fixed depending upon whether the transmitter/receiver...read more

Insteon is a technology that has been specifically developed for home automation to control lights, appliances, thermostats, motion sensors and other electronic devices found in homes. This technology uses both wireless radio frequency (RF) technology and a building's existing electrical wiring to communicate with devices. This dual-band feature makes Insteon the only home control technology w...read more