RF & Microwave

Infineon has introduced a ~10 x 20mm antenna-inclusive Bluetooth 5.0 (core spec) module that consumes 1.3mA receiving (-95dBm) and 3mA transmitting (0dBm). Called CYW20822-P4TAI040, it sleeps at 2μA when retaining 32kbyte of ram, or hibernates at 800nA – the latter rising to 950nA hibernating with the wake-up receiver enabled. At maximum transmit power (+4dBm) up to 250m of range can be ...

U-blox is sampling a module that combine LTE-M cellular communication (23dBm output) and GNSS for precise location finding. SARA-R520M10 is the super-set device, combining on-board an LTE-M and NB-IoT IC (v2 of UBX-R5) with the company’s M10 GNSS receiver IC, allowing concurrent communication and location-finding in a 16 x 26 x 2.2mm package. Cellular coverage is global, and the module ...

University of Sheffield spin-out Phlux has announced its first product, a family of 1,550nm avalanche photodiodes. Called Aura, the infra-red devices are built using antimony alloy modified InGaAs. “The resulting sensors can be operated with APD gains up to 120, enabling even the smallest signals above the noise floor of a connected trans-impedance amplifier to be amplified,” according to the ...

Vodafone, Xiaomi, and Qualcomm  have successfully tested a new 5G technology that will pave the way for customers to get faster upload speeds and wider coverage with the arrival of new smartphones and devices expected during 2024. In the first European technical test of this  5G uplink technology, Vodafone, Qualcomm, and Xiaomi achieved peak upload speeds of up to 273Mbps. ...

Parallel Wireless (PW), the US  O-RAN specialist has deployed 1,500 O-RAN  sites across Africa. Expanding mobile connectivity throughout Africa is a unique challenge due to unreliable or inaccessible sources of electricity and challenging landscapes that make physical access difficult. PW partnered with regional telecommunications providers and governments in countries including Nigeria, Tanzania, Guinea Conakry, Ghana, South Sudan, Uganda, DRC, and ...

TI announced a 77GHz automotive radar for automated driving today at CES in Las Vegas. Called AWR2544 and made on 45 nm RFCMOS, it is aimed, for example, at vehicles with a radar at each corner that use ‘satellite’ rather than the more locally demanding ‘edge’ vehicle architecture, according to the company. With edge architecture, the radar will perform Doppler ...

Novocomms, the RF antenna design and manufacturing specialist, has unveiled NovoSat – a lightweight, dual-port, L Band antenna. Featuring high performance GNSS capability, the company highlights, it is also described as being ideal for high density environments, “urban canyons” and rugged terrains. The company writes: “The new antenna also performs well in poor weather conditions, thanks to its high gain, ...

5G services enhance safety and convenience in connected vehicles – but rely on a reliable connection. A project at the University of Warwick is dedicated to making sure cars and equipment are 5G-ready. The way cars are designed, made and used should significantly change with 5G connectivity. Critical properties include low latency, real-time determinism, the ability to handle large quantities ...

NXP has introduced an intelligent automotive RF IC that can implement automatic vehicle unlocking and short-range in-cabin radar, for example. “This enables OEMs to transform a single UWB-based car access system into a flexible, multi-purpose platform, enabling multiple use cases with the same hardware – for example, OEMs can leverage their secure car access system to also deliver features like ...

STMicroelectronics will be showing an evaluation kit that implements both power-line and sub-GHz RF comms for smart grid infrastructure this week at Enlit Europe. Called EVLKST8500GH-2, it combines the company’s ST8500 power-line communication SoC, STLD1 line driver and S2-LP low-power long-range sub-GHz radio transceiver – a chipset which is certified to the v1.4 Hybrid specification of power-line communication industry body ...