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VOLUME 21 | NUMBER 5

wirelessdesignmag.com

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2013

THE QARDIO

MONITORING
SYSTEM FOR
SMARTER
HEALTHCARE
IN THIS ISSUE

Compact Size, Stability


& Lower Costs
Sensory Functionality
with a Unique ID
Wireless Safety in the
Workplace

WD1310_cover_online.indd 1

9/30/2013 1:37:47 PM

mouser.com
The Newest Products for Your Newest Designs

More New Products


More New Technologies
More Added Every Day
Authorized distributor of semiconductors
and electronic components for design engineers.

Mouser and Mouser Electronics are registered trademarks of Mouser Electronics, Inc. Other products, logos, and company names mentioned herein, may be trademarks of their respective owners.

WDD_Sep_NewestProducts.indd 1
WDD Oct FullPgAds.indd 2

9/4/13 2:37 PM
9/27/2013 2:14:01 PM

Be ready with the storage


thats ready for the future.
The universe of apps is exploding. Mobile downloads are skyrocketing. And the need for storage
has never been greater. Thats why for 25 years, SanDisk has been expanding the possibilities of
storage and enabling companies to create game-changing products. sandisk.com

Source: Juniper Research. SanDisk Corporation 2013

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INSIDE SEP OCT 2013 www.wirelessdesignmag.com

COVER STORY
12 Qardio Monitoring System
em
for Smarter Healthcare

Scan here for


exclusive bonus
material on the
Qardio monitoring
systems.

Qardio's smart, wearable solutions provide users with


daily heart and health monitoring.

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

INDUSTRY TRENDS

14 Compact Size, Stability & Lower Costs

6 Up Front
8 Top Shelf

ANTENNAS

PRODUCT SHOWCASES

18 Lossless Variable Capacitors Open

1
17
335
338
440
442
46

Up New Design Space for Mobile


TEST & MEASUREMENT

22 Current Trends Affecting Future


ture
Aerospace and Defense Testt &
Measurement
NFC SENSORY TAG

28 Sensory Functionality
with a Unique ID

Filters
Antennas
Timing Devices
Sensors
Integrated Circuit
Test & Measurement

COLUMNS

WIFI SOLUTION

10 What Makes It

32 Wireless Safety in

Tick & Talk

the Workplace

26 In The HotSeat
36 Brainstorm
47 Blog On

HAPTICS

44 Simple Haptics

ON THE WEB www.wirelessdesignmag.com


Quality of Service
over LTE Networks
Ongoing worldwide adoption
of mobile devices has created
unprecedented demand for
access to e-commerce,
social media, and entertainment applications anywhere, at any time.
http://bit.ly/1fvtDDD

Developing Bluetooth
Smart Accessories
with CSR uEnergy SDK
The rapid growth of
Bluetooth Smart Ready
PCs, tablets and smartphones provides a unique opportunity to
create innovative accessories.
http://bit.ly/1fNNlYL

Meaghans Minute:
Bluetooth-Enabled Bath Fan
On Meaghans Minute, Homewerks
Worldwide has introduced Bluetooth
enabled ventilation bath fans.
http://bit.ly/1dOepW0

SEPOCT 2013wirelessdesignmag.com

WD1310_toc.indd 4

9/30/2013 2:54:41 PM

More Mics. Better Voice.


New CS53L30: Easy to Use, Ultra Low Power,
Four-Channel Microphone A/D Converter
Highly integrated ADC makes it easy to add multiple
microphones to enhance the quality of voice capture.
As voice recognition becomes more important as a user interface, Cirrus Logics new
CS53L30 high performance, quad-channel output A/D converter makes it super easy to
add multiple mic-array inputs in applications such as smartphones, tablet PCs,
ultrabooks, smart TVs and set top boxes.
The ultra low power CS53L30 consumes less than 2.5 mW of power in mono and 4.5 mW
in stereo. A flexible input front end supports up to four analog or four digital (DMIC) mic
channels with two digital mic serial clock outputs. Up to four CS53L30 ICs can be
configured to output up to 16 channels of data over a single TDM line, offering an easy
upgrade path for mic-array type designs.








Ultra low power consumption


 < 2.5 mW mono analog mic record at 8 kHz
 < 4.5 mW stereo analog mic record at 16 kHz
91 db A-weighted dynamic range at 0 dB gain
Four mic-bias generators
Volume control, mute, programmable high
pass filter, noise gate
 Four-channel I2S or TDM output
Stay current at www.cirrus.com/wddaudio

2013 Cirrus Logic, Inc. All rights reserved.


Cirrus Logic, Cirrus, the Cirrus Logic logo
designs are trademarks of Cirrus Logic, Inc.
WDD102013

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9/27/2013 2:14:46 PM

UP FRONT BY MEAGHAN ZIEMBA EDITOR


www.wirelessdesignmag.com

Sacrificing Conversation
for Connection

recent video by Shimi Cohen on the Innovation of Loneliness forced me to


look at technology in a different perspective.
Inspired by Sherry Turkles book, Alone Together, and Dr. Yair AmichaiHamburgers article The Invention of Being Lonely, the video begins with an
overview of how social groups form. But as the groups reach a certain threshold of members, social order crumbles and the original membership splits into smaller groups.
The video then explains how sociological research has found that most humans are
In-person incapable of intimately knowing more than 150 people. This is interesting,
especially when you look at social sites, and see that some people have
commuinication more than 500 connections with friends.
The video points out, time is money, and everyone experiences presis becoming
sure to achieve more in a smaller time frame. Even though technology is
an endangered becoming simpler to help manage our complex lives, is it really helping us
stay connected to one another, or is it driving us into a lonely abyss?
form of
In-person conversation is becoming an endangered form of communication.
Its being replaced by email, posting, and texting, giving us all an
communication.
opportunity to craft information to present the image we want. We have a
chance to edit and delete, as we promote our individualities. We fake experiences just
to have something to share. It helps us feel alive and a part of something, but at the
same time, were sacrificing face-to-face conversations for mere connections.
We are all familiar with the couple sitting at the dinner table paying more attention to their mobile devices than each other; friends at a coffee shop engulfed in conversations concerning the latest angry cat meme; or the individual waiting in a line,
texting on their phone to avoid eye-contact with a complete stranger.
We now expect more from technology and less from each other. Were satisfied with
collecting friends like stamps and substituting quality with quantity. While I appreciate
and praise the creature comforts technology provides us, I still prefer to say, Nice to meet
you face-to-face rather than in a two sentence email. I like to shake a hand and make
eye contact, and have a real conversation instead of responding to something scripted.
Even though technology is intended to make connecting in person easier, it is
preventing us from building real relationships and having face-to-face conversations,
which are vital components for idea generation and product innovation.

meaghan.ziemba@advantagemedia.com

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CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER/CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER,


Terry Freeburg
PRESIDENT, George Fox
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER/CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER,
Prescott Shibles
VICE PRESIDENT/HUMAN RESOURCES, Susanne Foulds
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
MIKE CIVIELLO, Broadcom
FRANK DITORE, Agilent EEsof
DAVID DONOVAN, Bitwave Semiconductor, Inc.
ERIC HAKANSON, Anritsu
DAVID HALL, National Instruments
JERRY KOLBE, Murata Electronics
GIAMPAOLO MARINO, Intersil Corporation
MARK VITELLARO, Richardson Electronics
JIM NORLING, JR., Freescale Semiconductor
JUSTIN PANZER, Rohde & Schwarz, Inc.
KEVIN WALSH, RF Micro Devices

SEPOCT 2013wirelessdesignmag.com

9/30/2013 1:35:40 PM

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ITS WHATS ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS

E L E C T R O N I C S

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9/27/2013 2:15:01 PM

TOP SHELF EDITOR'S CHOICE

Step-Up Converter
verter
Microminiature
miniature SMD Crystal
Qantek (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) has introduced their new QC16 Series Surface Mount Crystal.
The QC16, measuring 1.6 x 1.2 x 0.4 mm, is designed for high-density circuit applications requiring a reliable and precise frequency source that also operates in wide temperature ranges.
Features include:
Frequency tolerance, stability, low drive level, and thermal hysteresis.
A typical frequency tolerance range from 15 to 30 PPM @ 25C.
A frequency stability range from 30 to 50 PPM over -40 to +85C.
Availability in frequencies of 24, 27, 32, 36, 38.4, and 40 MHz in fundamental mode.
www.qantek.com

User-Customizable
Innovative Integration (Simi
Valley, CA) announced the
ePC-K7, a user-customizable,
turnkey embedded instrument
that includes a full Windows/
Linux PC and supports an
assortment of FMC modules.
With its modular I/O, scalable
performance, and PC architecture, the ePC-K7 reduces time-to-market
market
while providing real-time performance. Applications include
embedded instrumentation, remote sensing, autonomous I/O, mobile instrumentation and distributed data acquisition. Features include:
An industry-standard COM Express CPU Type 6 module combined with dual FMC I/O modules
in a compact, stand-alone design.
Programmable Kintex-7 325T/410T and Spartan 6 FPGAs.
A small form factor of 5 x 8 x 11.
A conduction cooled design of fins or cold-plate.
www.innovative-dsp.com

Side Adjustable
NTE (Bloomfield, NJ) has added a new series of Economy
Trimmers to their Potentiometer & Trimmer line.
ine. The
trimmers are 3/8" square single turn, cermet, and side
adjustable. Features include:
10% tolerance.
RoHS compliance.
Industrial/sealed.
IC style pins for easier board insertion.
www.ntepartsdirect.com

WD1310_topshelf.indd 8

Advanced Powerr Electronics


(San Jose, CA) has
as launched a new
ne step-up
step up
converter capable of efficiently driving up to 8
white LEDs in series for backlighting applications. The APE1612-3 uses current mode, 1.2
MHz fixed frequency architecture to regulate
the LED current, which is set using an external current sense resistor. Features include:
A 300 mV feedback voltage that reduces power loss and improves efficiency.
An OV pin that monitors output voltage,
which turns off the converter if an over-voltage condition is present due to an open
circuit condition.
Under-voltage lockout, current limiting, and
thermal shutdown protection that prevents
damage from an output overload.
www.a-powerusa.com

Improved Thermal Performance


TE Connectivity (Harrisburg, PA) has announced an enhanced line of Small FormFactor Pluggable (SFP+) connectors added to
the companys portfolio of 16 Gb/s connectors
designed for the data communications industry. The new SFP+ connectors feature upgrades
that improve thermal performance and increase
electromagnetic interference emission (EMI)
containment, enabling communication equipment to operate more efficiently and deliver
increased bandwidth. Features include:
Improved overall energy efficiency.
Venting holes and a latch plate upgrade that
improve thermal performance.
Enhanced signal quality.
www.te.com

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 3:36:13 PM

EDITOR'S CHOICE

TOP SHELF

Wireless Range Extender


Monnit (Midvale, UT) has made some recent enhancements to the wireless range extender, improving the RF communication and performance
of networks using the device. The wireless range extenders allow extended
coverage by relaying the signals between wireless sensors, other range extenders, and the wireless gateway. Features include:
Automatic network management.
Built-in memory that can queue up to 30,000 data readings in case of
backlog or network congestion.
Support of up to 6 messages/minute.
A status/activity LED.
www.monnit.com

Low Voltage, Miniature TCXO

SyncE-Compliant Clock
Silicon Labs (Austin, TX) has introduced a low jitter, low
power, and frequency-flexible timing solution for highspeed networking equipment based on the Synchronous
Ethernet (SyncE) standard. The new Si5328 precision clock
multiplier and jitter attenuator addresses the need for ultra-low jitter physical layer reference clocks in carrier Ethernet switches and routers. Features include:
10, 40, and 100 GbE carrier Ethernet switches and routers.
A high-performance SyncE clock to that provides wander filtering, distributed timing, and a
low-jitter Ethernet PHY reference clock.
Optimization for Ethernet PHYs ranging from GbE to 100 GbE.
www.silabs.com

Rakon (New Zealand) has extended its product offering of 0.5 PPM TCXOs to include the
RIT2016C model. The RIT2016C minimizes
power consumption in portable devices to extend the battery life while still delivering performance. Operating at a 1.2 V supply voltage,
the RIT2016C reduces power consumption
and features:
Available frequencies of 19.2, 26.0, and 38.4
MHz.
A frequency versus temperature stability of
0.5 PPM over -40 to 85C.
A low start-up drift rate.
Long-term stability better than 1 PPM/year.
A low profile height of < 0.8 mm.
www.rakon.com

Lower cost than you're paying now (much lower...call for a quote!)
Faster delivery (samples shipped from Fox the next day; production quantities
in days, not weeks!)
1 picosecond phase jitter (10X better than programmables!)
Choice of 2.5 V or 3.3 V supply voltages
Custom frequencies from 0.75MHz to 1.350GHz (the exact frequency
you need, without a premium and without delay)
7 x 5 mm, 5 x 3.2 mm and 3.2 x 2.5 mm package sizes

Were On Your Frequency.

Choice of XOs and VCXOs

An Integrated Devices Technology, Inc. Company

Internal serial ID with comprehensive traceability

888-GET-2-FOX (888.438.2369)
Outside the US: +1.239.693.0099
e-mail: foxonline.com/email.htm

And a lot more!!!

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

WD1310_topshelf.indd 9

Like we said...XpressO changes everything. Details await you on


our web site! Once again...Fox Rocks!

w w w. f o x o n l i n e. c o m
9

9/27/2013 3:37:55 PM

WHAT MAKES IT TICK & TALK?

The Nexus 7, 2nd Generation Tablet


Googles Nexus 7 2nd Generation tablet features an Adreno 320 GPU and a 1.2 MP front-facing camera.

he Nexus 7 2nd Generation is drastically different from its predecessor


when it comes to the design, and it
features the following components:
1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Pro
S4 processor.
7-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD screen.
2 GB of RAM.
Adreno 320 GPU.
5 MP rear-facing camera.
1.2 MP front-facing camera.
The
T second generation
is thinner, narrower,
and taller than its
beefier predecessor,
and lacks texture on
the rear panel. Other
obvious
changes
o
include
the addition
i
of
o a rear-facing camera,
e and an upgrade to
stereo
sound. There are
st
now three grilles (serving two speakers): two at the base, and one
up top.
An inductive charging coil provides wireless charging, a first seen in a tablet since
the HP TouchPad. The NFC Module is layered on top of the inductive charging coil.
The battery tray is held in place by only
a few screws, but the battery is secured to
the tray with pretty sticky adhesive, and
is rated at 3.8 V, 15 Wh, and 3,950 mAh.

Despite the 4,326 mAh battery of the original Nexus 7, this new generation boasts
an extra hour of battery life. Devices with
lower power consumption give more bang
for the ecological-impact buck, so it's definitely a nice trend.
The daughterboard houses a single IC
nested among the connectors, ELAN eKTH325BAWS, which may be the capacitive
touchpad controller from ELAN's eKT line.
The front- and rear-facing cameras take 5
MP images and 1.2 MP for self-images. The
hardware of the tablet includes:

Qualcomm APQ8064
APQ8
Snapdragon
S4 Pro Quad-Core CPU (includes the
Adreno 320 GPU).
Elpida J4216EFBG 512 MB DDR3L
SDRAM (four ICs for 2 GB total).
Analogix ANX7808 SlimPort
Transmitter.
Texas Instruments BQ51013B
Inductive Charging Controller.
Qualcomm Atheros WCN3660
WLAN a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 (BR/
EDR+BLE), and FM Radio Module.
SK Hynix H26M51003EQR 16 GB
eMMC NAND Flash.
Qualcomm PM8921 Quick Charge
Battery Management IC.
Updated speakers are labeled
DN17128L000 and are stereo, and the
rear of the front panel is home to the Wi-Fi
antennas.

www.ifixit.com
What Makes It Tick & Talk Sponsored by:

Rogers Corporation
One Technology Drive, Rogers, CT 06263
Phone: 860 774-9605; Fax: 860 779-5509
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WD1310_tickandtalk.indd 10

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 2:17:59 PM

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IS BETTER

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WDD Oct FullPgAds.indd 11

9/27/2013 2:16:26 PM

COVER STORY WIRELESS MONITORING SYSTEMS

Qardio Monitoring System


Qardio's smart, wearable solutions provide users daily,
continuous heart and health monitoring.
By Meaghan Ziemba, Editor, WDD

n an effort to provide remote monitoring


solutions to doctors so they can be more
efficient while minimizing costs and the
consequences that come with waiting until
a diagnosis is too late, San Francisco-based
Qardio has introduced the QardioArm and
QardioCore wearable monitoring devices.
All cardiovascular conditions are chronic
in nature, explains Marco Peluso, CEO and
co-founder of Qardio. This means that you
can never really treat them, but only try to
manage them. When we started, we asked
ourselves, how can we focus on wellness
rather than trying to fix sickness when its
too late?
The QardioCore and QardioArm are
smart, wearable solutions that provide users

with daily, continuous heart and health


monitoring, allowing them to live longer,
healthier lives. These smart devices also give
families the opportunity to check on their
loved ones at anytime, from anywhere, as
well as help make routine, in-person physician visits more efficient by allowing health
professionals to place focus on what is most
important.
By bringing usability advantages of consumer electronic devices to medical devices,
patients now have a way to take care of
themselves in a smarter and healthier way,
that is less doctor-centric and more affordable, says Peluso. These devices, and the
new ways in which medical devices will
increasingly be designed, are also getting
others involved in more constructive ways,
which can be very beneficial in the long run.
Their development required a multi-disciplinary effort involving hardware, software,
design, and medical expertise.

SMARTER HEALTH
Both the QardiArm and QardioCore are
designed for anyone interested in smarter
healthcare. While the devices have the ability to communicate with each other, they
are entirely independent from one another.
The condition of a patient and the type of
information that needs to be analyzed determines which device is most appropriate,
says Peluso.
The QardioArm is a blood pressure
monitor that makes it simple and convenient to measure ones blood pressure on
a daily basis. Patients even have the opportunity to enjoy soothing images on their
Qardio app to calm stress levels during
the measurement, and they can schedule
reminders so they dont forget a measurement. The QardioArm app also provides
feedback with simple charts that track
users progress.

12

WD1310_coverstory.indd 12

The QardioCore is a revolutionary core


strap that continuously monitors ECG, heart
rate, physical activity, and skin temperature
to help improve the diagnosis of certain
cardiac conditions. Patients and doctors
are able to track their heart condition on a
daily basis with an elegant product that is
form-fitting and simple to use.

CONTINUOUS WIRELESS MONITORING


Both monitoring devices connect wirelessly to iOS devices and Qardio's secure,
integrated platform, providing readable and
personalized view of their health that is
automatically uploaded and made available
to authorized doctors and loved ones. For
each of the devices to wirelessly communicate to iOS devices, they include three main
components: a radio, microprocessors, and
bio sensors, explains Peluso. The microprocessors analyze and process the data. With
the QardioCore, the processing of signals
from the biosensors on the users body happens on a continuous basis. The computing
power that you can pack in these low-power

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/30/2013 1:59:45 PM

WIRELESS MONITORING SYSTEMS COVER STORY

for Smarter Healthcare


The QardioCore and QardioArm are revolutionary,
cardiovascular monitoring systems that provide
consumers with daily updates of their health.
Photo Credit: Qardio

microprocessor architectures is incredible, its


comparable to what you had in your desktop
computer only a few years ago.
Each device consumes power at different
rates due to the amount of data they collect
and transmit, so their power sources differentiate from one another. The QardioArm
uses four, 1.5-volt triple-A batteries, while
the QardioCore uses a Lithium-ion polymer
battery, the same power source found in
smartphones. The Lithium-ion battery provides up to 14 hours of use between charges,
and has a USB micro-charging cable.
The QardioCore is a lot more sophisticated from an electronic development point
of view, because it has sensors to measure
body temperature, accelerometers to measure physical activity intensity, and a number
of sensors to detect the EKG trace and the
beat-by-beat heart rate, says Peluso. The
QardioArm measures the blood pressure and
heart rate of the patient, so there is only one
sensor incorporated into the device to measure both.
By providing a wireless monitoring solution, patients do not have to keep returning to the hospital for tests that require
electrodes to be attached to the body with
patches and conductive gels. Instead, they
are able to monitor their health from anywhere at any time, at a much more affordable cost, and they are directly connected
to their doctor who can provide advice or
instructions.

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

WD1310_coverstory.indd 13

INTEGRATED PLATFORM
All of the collected data from the gets
wirelessly transferred to the Qardio Internet
Platform, where it is analyzed and made
available to the patient, the patients family,
and the patients primary doctor and/or cardiologist.
Having the data collected in the cloud
helps to organize it and present it in comprehensive and visually engaging charts,
says Peluso.
The platform is designed so not just individual consumers and doctors can access the
information, but so larger health institutions
can connect to the cloud and access the
necessary information needed for a proper
diagnosis.
Both the QardioArm and QardioCore use
Bluetooth 4.0 technology, which employs all
the bandwidth and security protocols that
are important for wireless communication
and help to keep things as simple as possible. The benefit of Bluetooth 4.0 is that
it is robust, secure, low power, and readily
integrated in tens of millions of handheld
devices.

EMPOWERING DOCTORS
According to Peluso, the Qardio monitoring devices empower doctors in two very

The QardioArm is a blood pressure monitor that makes it


easy and convenient to measure one's blood pressure on a
daily basis. Photo Credit: Qardio
impactful ways. With the monitoring devices,
health professionals have a much richer and
larger set of data available to them to help
them perform their work. With traditional
technology, it is difficult to diagnose certain
medical conditions due to the lack of continuous monitoring, says Peluso. By providing
a much wider coverage in terms of time and
by tracking the contextual conditions that the
patient is in, doctors now have the ability to
diagnose a patients condition sooner.
By providing remote monitoring of
patients, the devices help cut back on the
time spent on routine check-ups, giving
health professionals the opportunity to
focus on the patients who
may require more immediate
attention. Peluso also points
out how the Qardio devices allow for a much wider
patient base among a fewer
number of doctors, which is
crucial for decreasing the costs
Scan here for
of healthcare. WDD
exclusive bonus
material on the
Qardio monitoring
systems.

9/30/2013 2:00:13 PM

INDUSTRY TRENDS OSCILLATORS/TIMING DEVICES

Compact Size, Stability, & Lower Costs


WDD readers identify popular trends and design obstacles when working with
oscillators and timing devices.
ices.
By Meaghan Ziemba, Editor, WDD

CHALLENGES
CHAL

he heartbeat of most electronic systems revolves around oscillators and


timing devices. According to the
IEEE, timely oscillator options
that can deliver the highest desired
performance, while minimally compensating design steps are key to cost-effective
design solutions. However, data from a
recent survey suggests how Wireless Design
and Development (WDD) readers believe
thermal stability, decreased aging, and low
environmental dependence play the most
significant roles in the future developments
of oscillators and timing devices. The survey
also presents readers thoughts on important specifications, challenges and obstacles,
and popular trends. The results are included
below.

SPECIFICATIONS
The results were tight among WDD readers, when asked what specifications were
important to consider when implementing
oscillators and timing devices into their
designs. Total frequency stability was the
most popular (75%). Others reported the following from the multiple answers available:
Frequency tolerance 65%.

Photo Credit: Crystek Corporation

Oscillation frequency 57%.


Operating temperature 40%.
Supply voltage 39%.
Resistance 16%.
It makes sense that total frequency stability would be identified as the most important
specification to consider as frequency stability is used to keep track of time, to provide a
stable clock signal, and to stabilize frequencies for radio transmitters and receivers.
A small percent of WDD readers (6%)
pointed to other specifications, including:
Size.
Packaging.
Current consumption, enable/disable pin.
Accuracy.

When implementing oscillators/timing devices, what specications are the


most important for you to consider?
Frequency Tolerance

Oscillation Frequency
Resistance

Other
2.9%

49.3%
56.5%

Total Frequency Stability

According to readers, stability and aging


(48%) presented the biggest design obstacle.
Cost (30%) was identified as the second biggest, and energy efficiency and sustainability
(12%) came in third. The least concerning
obstacles included time-to-market (6%),
operation in severe environmental conditions
(3%), and RoHS requirements (1%).

Cost
30.4%

Time To
Market
5.8%

15.9%

Supply Voltage

DESIGN OBSTACLES

When designing for oscillators/timing devices, which of the following


is the biggest obstacle?

65.2%

Operating Temperature

Designers who are integrating oscillators


De
and timing devices into products face various challenges, however, design and/or
packaging
(44%) was suggested to be the
pa
biggest
challenge. Other readers cited the
b
following:
fo
Large phase noise 39%.
Strong
jitter 36%.
Str
Strong
spurious outputs 33%.
Str
Frequency
jumps 20%.
Fre
High-power
consumption 17 %.
Hi
Seven percent of WDD readers identified start-up stability and timing, cost, and
extremely long lead times as significant challenges, however, signal purity is dependent
on the amount of phase noise, and measuring jitter can be quite cumbersome, making
the results compatible with the industry
data.

39.1%
75.4%

Stability & Aging


47.8%

Energy Eciency &


Sustainability
11.6%
RoHS
Requirements
1.4%

Other 5.8%

14

WD1310_industrytrends.indd 14

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 2:18:48 PM

2 GHz Clock Generator


CG635...$2995 (U.S. list)

Square wave clocks from DC to 2.05 GHz


Random jitter <1 ps (rms)

The CG635 generates clock signals flawlessly.


The clock signals are fast, clean and accurate,
and can be set to standard logic levels.

80 ps rise and fall times


16-digit frequency resolution

How fast? Frequency to 2.05 GHz with rise and


fall times as short as 80 ps.

CMOS, LVDS, ECL, PECL, RS-485


Phase adjustment & time modulation

How clean? Jitter is less than 1 ps and phase


noise is better than 90 dBc/Hz (100 Hz offset)
at 622.08 MHz.
How accurate? Using the optional rubidium
timebase, aging is better than 0.0005 ppm/year,
and temperature stability is better than
0.0001 ppm.

Plot shows complementary clocks and PRBS (opt. 01)


outputs at 622.08 Mb/s with LVDS levels. Traces have
transition times of 80 ps and jitter less than 1 ps (rms).

You would expect an instrument this good to be


expensive, but it isn't. You no longer have to
buy an rf synthesizer to generate clock signals.
The CG635 does the job betterat a fraction of
the cost.

Stanford Research Systems


Phone: (408) 744-9040 Fax: (408) 744-9049 info@thinkSRS.com www.thinkSRS.com

WDD Oct FullPgAds.indd 15

9/27/2013 2:15:36 PM

INDUSTRY TRENDS OSCILLATORS/TIMING DEVICES


POPULAR TRENDS
When asked about the most popular trends
occurring in the oscillator and timing devices
market. Compact size, stability, and lower costs
were the most prominent responses. Other
readers suggested timing devices for serial communications, multiple frequency outputs in
single packages, and programmable oscillators.
A few even mention lower power consumption.
Readers were also asked: "What need do you
see fo oscillator phase noise in the range of
350 Fs?" Here is a sampling of some of their
responses:
When noise needs to be reduced.
There is a need for this frequency range in
wireless/medical applications.
Stability.
I see a need for this frequency range in
high-end/high-speed data acquisition.
New radio communications.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
Opinions were mixed among the WDD readers when they were asked about future developments in oscillators and timing devices. A large

number agreed that thermal


stability (46%) would play a
Which of the following will play the most signicant role in future
significant role, expressing that
developments of oscillators/timing devices?
a lot is spent on stability from
a consumer side, and temperature seems to be at the center
Thermal Stability
of all the design challenges of
46.3%
oscillators and timing devices.
Low
Others suggested the following:
Environmental
Decreased aging 21%.
Other
Dependence
Low environmental depen10.4%
16.4%
dence 16%.
Decreased
Aging
Low thermal transient senLow
20.9%
Thermal Transient
sitivity 6%.
Sensitivity
Around 10% of readers
6.0%
identified tolerance to high
pressure environments, noise,
resistance to mechanical shock
damage, size reductions, MEMS, and price as
packaging, and timing stability are some of the
the most significant roles in the future develimportant issues that designers consider when
opments of oscillators and timing devices.
it comes to oscillators and timing devices.
After viewing the results from the survey as
a whole, it is easy to conclude that the abilREFERENCES
ity to operate in harsh environments under
ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?arextreme temperatures, compact designs and
number=6305013. WDD

USE TIME WISELY


Your

rst and
second source

for Crystals & Oscillators


www.quartzfinder.com
WDI USA Corporation Miami, Florida 33131 Phone +1 305-356-7497 sales@wdi-usa.com www.wdi-usa.com

16

WD1310_industrytrends.indd 16

Optimum Frequency Control


with QANTEK
y
Crystals
y
Crystal Oscillators

XOs

VCXOs

TCXOs

VC-TCXOs
y
Automotive Components
(TS16949 and AEC-Q200)

QANTEK Technology Corporation USA


15751 Sheridan Street, Suite 126
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33331
Phone: +1 877-227-0440 (tollfree)
Fax: +1 877-227-0440 (tollfree)
qantek-usa@qantek.com

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 2:19:09 PM

FILTERS PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Filter-Band Switching

EMI/RFI Shielding
RFMW (San Jose, CA) has announced design and sales support for MAJR Products'
(Saegertown, PA) ready-to-install EMI/RFI shielded honeycomb ventilation panels.
Designated the 3000 series, the ventilation panels are ideal for both portable and
rack-mounted telecommunication systems. The 3031-20505-32 is a 5 x 5 honeycomb
style panel providing optimum EMI/RFI shielding while the thin, 0.004 conductive
walls of the honeycomb waveguide cells allow air to flow freely with low static pressure
drop (resistance to air flow). Additional features include:
An EMI/RFI gasket, which is an integral part of the honeycomb vent panel assembly.
3031-20505-32, which provides a chromate aluminum-plated honeycomb.
Availability in tin-plated aluminum honeycomb (3031-20505-42) and tin-plated steel
honeycomb (3031-20505-44) to meet specific attenuation and environmental requirements of MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD 810.
www.rfmw.com
www.majr.com

RFMW (San Jose, CA) has announced design and sales


support for 2 new Peregrine Semiconductor (San
Diego, CA) SP5T switches targeting T/R and filter-band
switching in Land Mobile Radio (LMR) and Military
radio applications where high-power handling (17 W) is
required. Both the PE42850 and PE42851 feature:
A low power consumption of 130 A.
The new capability to be configured as SP3T devices.
A frequency range from 100 to 1,000 MHz (PE42851),
and an extended low frequency to 30 MHz (PE42850).
A low, mid-band insertion loss of 0.25 dB.
www.rfmw.com
www.psemi.com

150 W Termination
nation

Low Pass Filter


The AM3009 from Atlanta Micro (Alpharetta, GA) iss a 6 GHz low pass filter providing
low loss and high rejection in a 3 mm QFN package. Features include:
A <0.5 dB insertion loss.
A 33 dB rejection.
A >10 dB return loss.
An operating temperature range from -40 to +85C.
www.atlantamicro.com

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

WD1310_productshowcase_filters.indd 17

RFMW (San Jose, CA) h


has announced
dd
design
i and
d sales
l
support for a small profile, high-power termination from
EMC Technology (Stuart, FL). Employing an Aluminum
Nitride substrate, the SMT252503ALN2F handles up to
150 W. Alumina or Beryllium Oxide substrates are also
available. Supporting applications such as base stations,
remote radio heads, combiners, and isolators. Measuring
0.245 x 0.245 x 0.041, EMCs surface mount
SMT252503ALN2F features:
Frequencies to 4 GHz with VSWR < 1.2:1 (1.13:1 <2.7
GHz).
A nominal impedance of 50 .
A max. temperature coefficient of 200 PPM/C.
www.rfmw.com
www.emc-rflabs.com

17

9/27/2013 3:40:09 PM

TECHNOLOGY FEATURE ANTENNAS

Lossless Variable Capacitors


Open Up New Design Space
for Mobile Antenna Designers
Tuning a PIFA antenna using a zero-loss tunable capacitor opens up new
design windows for antenna architectures.
By Larry Morrell, Executive VP,
Cavendish Kinetics

ireless designers continue to make


tradeoffs among power, cost, size,
and performance specifications.
Engineers working in the consumer mobile market have difficult challenges
due to its extremely competitive nature, as
well as the time pressures to produce designs
that work in some very difficult environments.

IRRESISTIBLE MARKET FORCES


Several trends are converging into the perfect storm for smartphone antenna design.
The amount of data being transferred per
phone user is anticipated to grow at 25
percent per year between 2012 and 2018.

According to Ericsson [1] the total data


traffic on wireless networks is growing at 50
percent per year. This trend puts pressure
on wireless operators to increase spectral
efficiency to serve their users. In turn, there
is a need for more efficient RF performance
in smartphones beyond the 25 percent
annualized growth per user. One tool for
carriers is to move users to LTE/4G networks,
since the higher spectral efficiency of these
networks means networks can support more
users, even with higher volumes of data.
Unfortunately, LTE deployment is in frequency bands outside the 2G/3G spectrum,
extending the frequencies needing support
at both below and above the frequency
bands. 4GAmericas points out that simply
having a roaming-capable international
system in the 700 MHz band (part of the
Digital Dividend) could be
worth almost $1 trillion in
additional GDP in the AsiaPacific region. For developing economies, widely-available broadband access would

Figure 1: Above: A fixed planar inverted F antenna (PIFA); Below: A tunable PIFA antenna.
Photo Credit: Cavendish Kinetics

18

WD1310_techfeature_cavendish.indd 18

result in $300 to $420 billion in combined


GDP, and would add 10 to 14 million jobs
[2,3].
This means that the economic drivers to
create efficient mobile terminals amount to
an irresistible force that antenna designers
cannot avoid.

THE LAWS OF PHYSICS CANT BE BROKEN


Smartphone antenna designers face
requirements of size constraints, band
coverage, and efficiency. In one of the
most referenced antenna papers in history,
Harold Wheeler introduced the concept of
an electrically-small antenna [4]. The topic
was further examined by Lan Jen Chu, who
explored the physical limitations of small
antennas [5], leading to what is referred to
as the Chu Small-Antenna Radiation Limit.
The idea is that antennas have a limit in
bandwidth constrained by antenna size, or
antenna volume, which includes the antenna radiation sphere. Antenna volume is measured in wavelength, so lower frequencies
make the antenna appear electrically smaller,

Figure 2: Illustration of narrowband and broadband antennas. Photo Credit: Cavendish Kinetics

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 2:19:57 PM

BRIDGE THE GAP. SIMPLY

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WDD Oct FullPgAds.indd 19

9/27/2013 2:15:51 PM

TECHNOLOGY FEATURE ANTENNAS


thus less efficient. This concept is embodied in
the following equation:
a 3
f
( )

f
Where:
f = center frequency
f = antenna bandwidth
a = radius of sphere containing the antenna
= wavelength
= antenna efficiency
Antenna bandwidth is proportional to the
cube of the size, and inversely proportional to
the cube of the wavelength and the efficiency.
For a given frequency and size, you can have a
narrowband, high-efficiency antenna, but not
a wide bandwidth, high-efficiency antenna.
Many studies have reaffirmed these concepts
and explored physical implementations of
electrically small antennas. Sievenpiper [6]
used measured data from 112 published
antenna designs and compared it to the
Wheeler and Chu limits. He found excellent
agreement between the theoretical limits and
the published data.

THE PLANAR INVERTED F ANTENNA


Smartphone antenna designers have adopted the Planar Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA) for
the majority of phones in production. The
PIFA is a class of microstrip antennas that uses
a shorting pin to compensate for the capacitance induced by the long parallel section. See
Figure 1.
To enable a wider frequency range and/
or a smaller size, the PIFA antenna can be
equipped with a tuning element, a digital
variable capacitor (DVC), attached to the radiating element (Figure 1). The location of the
DVC on the element is a key design parameter
and changes the way the variable load affects
the antenna. We can see that one end of the
antenna is shorted and one end is open, so the
impedance varies across the antenna, as the
voltage and currents are forced to conform to
the boundary conditions (open versus short).
This means that the DVC does not see a 50-
load and the impedance will vary at different
frequencies for a fixed antenna. This fact is
important when considering the losses the
tuning element might induce on the antenna.
The combination of PIFA and ground design
techniques has been explored to push the
PIFA envelope even further. Cabedo [7] shows
improved performance by using ground plane
slots in conjunction with a PIFA.

20

WD1310_techfeature_cavendish.indd 20

Its key to note the difference between tuning in


the impedance-matching
circuit of the antenna and
tuning the resonance of
the antenna itself. Tuning
the match improves the
power the antenna has
available to radiate, since
less power is reflected back
into the source. However,
impedance tuning does
nothing to change the
radiation efficiency of the
antenna. The implication
Figure 3: ESR impact on radiation efficiency. Photo Credit: Cavendish Kinetics
is that an antenna using
only impedance-match
tuning to cover a broad band of frequencies
ZERO-LOSS TUNABLE COMPONENTS
must have a fractional bandwidth, f/f, wide
Newly available devices based on RF MEMS
enough to cover the required frequencies. From
technology have an ESR in the range of passive
the previous equation we can see that the radidevices and up to 32 different capacitance valation efficiency must decline as the fractional
ues. The equivalent circuit is a lossless 1P32T
bandwidth increases. Figure 2 illustrates the
switch connected to 32 high-Q capacitors.
improved efficiencies of tuning a narrowband
The impact of this level of device perforantenna compared to a broadband antenna.
mance is significant. Antenna designers have
With a narrowband antenna achieving higher
new design space available to address the
efficiencies, why hasnt this approach to covering
issues of shrinking antenna size and wider fremultiple bands been adopted before? The answer
quency coverage. Designs using this technique
is that the resistive losses in the tuning element
have shown 2 to 4 dB of net improvement
can degrade the performance of the antenna
in radiation efficiency. With the flexibility of
such that all the gains are lost. Previous tuning
placing the tuning element on the aperture, a
solutions have used PIN diodes, GaAs switches,
large tuning range can be generated with relaor CMOS/SOS switches. Many have low losses in
tively modest change in capacitance. Typically,
a 50- system, but much higher in a non-50-
a tuning range of 250 MHz for the low bands
environment, such as an antenna. RF switches
(700 to 950 MHz) can be attained using only
specify insertion loss, which assumes a 50-
1 to 2 pF of capacitance range. This amounts
impedance, so the IL metric is not very useful
to a f/f of over 30 percent, compared to
when evaluating suitability in an antenna tuner.
a typical fractional bandwidth of 10 to 20
A better metric is Equivalent Series Resistance
percent for untuned antennas with equiva(ESR), since symmetric impedance is not
lent efficiency. A tunable PIFA antenna can
assumed. The impact of ESR on radiation effiimprove efficiency up to 100 percent percent
ciency is significant, as shown in Figure 3. Even
over a fixed PIFA in the 700 MHz band, as
1 of ESR can generate 2 to 4 dB of radiation
illustrated in Figure 2.
loss, which could overwhelm gains made by
tuning a narrowband antenna. High Q passive
MEASURED RESULTS
components have an ESR in the range of 0.2
Meaningful performance data can only be
to 0.3 and produce around 1 dB of loss.
measured on a complete smartphone, since
However, those devices are fixed, not tunable.
the industrial design can have a significant

Cellular Band
Frequency (MHz)
TRP Change over Fixed Antenna (dB)

LTE Band 12

Band 5

704

707.5

711

829

836.5

844

+3.18

+2.76

+0.81

+0.13

+1.15

+1.2

Table 1: TRP improvement for tuned antenna compared to same size fixed antenna. Photo Credit: Cavendish
Kinetics
SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 2:20:26 PM

ANTENNAS TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

effect on the radiation performance of the


antenna system. The challenge in this design
was to cover bands from 704 to 844 MHz, and
improve the efficiency levels for total radiated
power (TRP). Fixed antennas could not meet
the minimum requirements in the low band
because of the small volume allocated to the
antenna. A reduced antenna volume has a significant impact on the instantaneous fractional
bandwidth. By trading off the instantaneous
bandwidth for higher efficiency, the tuned
antenna meets the size constraints and delivers
improved efficiency over all the low-band frequencies. Table 1 shows the measured results.
The data shows significant performance
improvement in radiation efficiency. A
weighted average of +2.3 dB improvement in
LTE Band 12 translates to nearly 70 percent
improvement in radiation efficiency. In the
data-hungry LTE band, this level of improvement will result in doubling the effective data
rate at the same power levels.
Irresistible market forces are causing antenna volumes to shrink, even as performance
requirements are increasing and frequency
bands are being added to smart phone platforms. Tuning a PIFA antenna using a zero-loss
tunable capacitor opens up new design windows for antenna architectures. The Cavendish
DVC provides tuning capability without inducing resistive losses so that 2 to 3 dB of efficiency gain is possible, even in the difficult low
frequency bands.

[5] L.J. Chu, Physical Limitations of


Omnidirectional Antennas, Journal of
Applied Physics, 19, December 1948, pp
1163-1175
[6 ]D. Sievenpiper, D. Dawson, M. Jacob,
T. Kanar, S. Kim, J. Long, R. Quarfoth,
Experimental Validation of Performance
Limits and Design Guidelines for Small

Antennas, IEEE Transactions on Antennas


and Propagation, vol. 60, issue 1, pp. 8-19
[7] A. Cabedo, J. Anguera, C.Picher, M.
Rib, and C. Puente, Multiband Handset
Antenna Combining a PIFA, Slots, and
Ground Plane Modes, IEEE Transactions
on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 57, No.
9, pp 2526-2533, September 2009 WDD

REFERENCES
[1] Ericsson Mobility Report, June 2013,
[Online] Available at
http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2013/
ericsson-mobility-report-june-2013.pdf
[2]4GAmericas, The Benefit of Digital
Dividend, [Online] Available at : http://
www.4gamericas.org/documents/4G%20
Americas-Benefits%20of%20Digital%20
Dividend-September_2012.pdf, September,
2012
[3]4GAmericas, The benefits of using LTE
in Digital Dividend Spectrum, [Online]
Available at:
http://www.4gamericas.org/documents/
Benefits%20of%20LTE%20in%20
Digital%20Dividend_11.08.11.pdf,
November, 2011
[4] H.A. Wheeler, Fundamental Limitations
of Small Antennas, Proceedings of the. IRE,
vol. 35, pp. 1497-1484, December 1947.

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

WD1310_techfeature_cavendish.indd 21

21

9/27/2013 2:20:41 PM

TECHNOLOGY FEATURE TEST & MEASUREMENT

Current Trends Affecting


Future Aerospace and
Defense Test & Measurement
Recent headlines about sequestration and the Budget
udget Control Act of 2011 have amplified
ongoing concerns about decreased spending on U.S. aerospace and defense programs.
By Chris Johnston and Greg Jue, Agilent
Technologies

ecent headlines about sequestration


and the Budget Control Act of 2011
(BCA2011) have amplified ongoing
concerns about decreased spending on
U.S. aerospace and defense programs. This
downturn is of great interest to companies
that provide test and measurement (T&M)
hardware, software, and services to the aero/
defense industry.
Data from the U.S. Department of Defense
(DoD) shows that spending has been falling

since 2011. However, it can also be shown


that the decline may have occurred without
BCA2011 and sequestration although it is
likely that these accelerated the decline.
In spite of the seemingly bleak outlook,
DoD spending plans and recent congressional action make one thing clear: during fiscal 2013, investments in more than 200 programs have continued unabated. However,
it is important to note that available information suggests there may be fewer new
program starts and potentially more cuts to
modernization programs in fiscal 2014. Even
though upgrades typically require a signifi-

cant amount of T&M equipment, the focus


is likely to shift towards purchase strategies
that help lower the total cost of test. This
shift could have important implications for
prime contractors and the T&M industry.

PAST, PRESENT, AND NEAR FUTURE


Since 1948, the industry has seen this type
of budgetary reset in the aftermath of every
major military conflict. For example, after
peaking during the Korean War, the Vietnam
War, and the last stages of the Cold War, U.S.
defense spending dropped by an average of
36 percent over the seven years following the
end of hostilities. Now, in the post-9/11 period, spending has dropped farther and faster.
Looking at data from the Congressional
Budget Office, the Future Year Defense Plan
(FYDP) shows three potential trends: fewer
new platforms, decreased spending on acquisitions, and increased spending on operations
and maintenance (O&M). In pursuit of lower
acquisition costs, the DoD is moving toward
fixed-cost or firm-fixed-price (FFP) contracts.
Compared to cost-plus, FFP places a greater
burden on prime contractors (Table 1).

IMPLICATIONS AND SOLUTIONS

Figure 1: In this configuration, an eight-channel high-speed digitizer allows waveform acquisition at up to 1.6 GSa/s with
exceptional measurement accuracy in a variety of applications: active array antenna calibration and test, beam-forming,
electronic warfare, and more. Photo Credit: Agilent Technologies

22

WD1310_techfeature_agilent.indd 22

These trends may have important implications for T&M manufacturers. As an overall
observation, less emphasis on new platforms
means greater spending on O&M of existing platforms, including periodic upgrades.
Modernization of platform technology tends
to be test-equipment intensive.
Focusing on technology, three things are
likely to stay the same whether aero/defense
customers are testing new or upgraded systems: they will need faster measurements,
better measurement performance, and greater cost-effectiveness.

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 2:23:21 PM

WDD Oct FullPgAds.indd 23

9/27/2013 2:16:09 PM

TECHNOLOGY FEATURE TEST & MEASUREMENT


From a business perspective, T&M solutions
must satisfy customers increasing focus on
reducing the total cost of test. By achieving
this goal, all participants will benefit from a
reassessment of old assumptions and a fresh
look at new ways of doing things.

MORE MEASUREMENTS IN LESS TIME


Antenna technology continues to become
more sophisticated, especially in advanced
radar systems. New active-array antennas
require a dense population of transmit/receive
(T/R) modules. Because these systems also
support multiple functions, measurements can
become more complex and time-consuming.
Testing such systems in a timely manner
requires not just higher resolution and wider
bandwidth but also new methodologies. In
response, Agilent has developed a digitizer
that provides a wideband, multi-channel,
phase-coherent platform for cross-channel
measurements of magnitude and phase. The
core of the system is an eight-channel, 12-bit,
high-speed digitizer in an AXIe form factor. It
can capture signals from DC to 800 MHz at
1.6 GSa/s (Figure 1).
To perform more measurements in less
time, a system can be scaled up to a total of
40 synchronous channels in 4U of rack space.
This wideband configuration can enable
speed improvements relative to conventional
approaches often used for cross-channel measurements.

MORE AND BETTER PERFORMANCE


In military and commercial settings, the
spectral environment is becoming increasingly complex. A quick look at any naval vessel
illustrates the point: it may carry surface-search
radars, microwave links, satellite links, and
radio antennas. An engineer may need to
check for interference between these transmitters or with shore-based transmitters.
In many cases, this type of analysis requires
more than a conventional spectrum analyzer.
One solution is a real-time spectrum analyzer
(RTSA). In the past, this functionality was only
available in expensive, single-purpose instruments. Today, RTSA is an optional capability
that can be added to new or existing signal
analyzers, such as the Agilent PXA and MXA
(Figure 2).
The ability to see, capture, and understand
highly elusive signals is enhanced by high-frequency range, wide analysis bandwidth,

24

WD1310_techfeature_agilent.indd 24

Figure 2: RTSA enables an engineer to identify interference signals. In this example, there is a small, unknown signal near the
noise floor on the right and RTSA with low noise floor and high dynamic range reveals this signal. Photo Credit: Agilent
Technologies
Cost-effective systems based on
commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)
Cost-plus
Firm-fixed-price
equipment make this possible.
One such solution from Agilent
Promise
Best effort
Delivery
combines design simulation softCash flow
As incurred
Delivery
ware and a high-speed, high-resoAdministration
High
Low
lution arbitrary waveform generator
(AWG). Agilent SystemVue elecFee limit
Predetermined
None
tronic system-level (ESL) software
Burden of risk
Greater on government Greater on contractor
can be used to create a variety of
high-dynamic range, and low noise floor.
emitters: radar, wireless communications,
Detection is further enhanced with a capability
wireless connectivity, and more. The resulting
called frequency-mask triggering (FMT), which
signal scenarios can be downloaded to and
can initiate measurements based on specific
played back by an AWG such as the 12 GSa/s
spectral content and behavior. RTSA and FMT
Agilent M8190A.
can be combined with Agilent 89600 VSA
Although this approach is memory-based and
software for comprehensive demodulation and
doesnt offer real-time capabilities, it does enable
vector signal analysis.
flexible and cost-effective multi-emitter testing
in an R&D setting. As a side benefit, the COTS
LEVERAGING COTS EQUIPMENT
equipment can be easily repurposed for other
The preceding examples point to a third sceactivities when the test system is not in use.
nario: testing the performance of radar systems
Mark Twains wisdom aside, history may
with multi-emitter spectral environments. In
repeat itself when it comes to defense spendsome cases, this type of testing may be pering. Until the next major upswing, primes,
formed using large, expensive systems.
government entities, and T&M vendors may be
Prior to such testing, however, it can be
looking for new ways to get the job done with
useful to assess radar-system performance on
greater operational efficiency and a lower total
a more limited scale during the R&D phase.
cost of test. WDD

Table 1: Cost-plus contracts versus firm-fixed-price contracts

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 2:24:09 PM

WDD Oct FullPgAds.indd 25

9/27/2013 2:15:16 PM

IIN THE HOTSEAT

Video Updates, News Exclusives & More


Highlighting the latest wireless technology, components, and design issues.
H
A Cloud Sensor Network

Developing Mobile Applications


D

Frank Stempskie, Sales Manager, Cermetek

Rachel Obstler, Senior Director, Product


Marketing, Keynote Systems
I is important to focus on mobile quality and best
It
practices to ensure ROI when developing mobile
p
eexpertise and consumer applications. Rachel Obstler,
the senior director of product marketing at Keynote
Systems, discusses the key issues and concerns companies have when developing mobile applications for
employees and consumers in this HotSeat interview.
Obstler explains best practices to ensure ROI, and the solutions
available to help companies overcome the challenges that come
with the development of mobile applications. She concludes with
her predictions for the mobile industry and where Keynote Systems
fits into those predictions.
View the full interview at http://bit.ly/18xxSYa.
For more information, visit www.keynote.com.

I an attempt to help consumers monitor any sensor


In
eequipped process, appliance, equipment, or device,
aand to remotely control systems in response to that
ssensor data, Cermetek developed the iController.
The iController is a versatile hardware platform, and
Frank Stempskie discusses in this HotSeat interview
the iController's advantages over traditional monitoring systems. He also explains how the iController
helps improve sensor equipped processes, and the main components of its technology.
View the full interview at http://bit.ly/1fhZyES.
For more information, visit www.cermetek.com.

Device Certification
D
Billy Conley, M2M Business Development
Manager, B&B Electronics

ZigBee & the Connected Home


Z
Tobin Richardson, Chairman/CEO, ZigBee
Alliance
T increase of mobile devices is changing the way
The
iin which we connect and communicate with each
other. In this HotSeat interview, chairman and CEO
o
of the ZigBee Alliance, Tobin Richardson, discusses the progress the alliance is making toward the
Internet of Things, especially when it relates to the
connected home.
Richardson talks about the new Home Automation Standard created by the ZigBee Alliance, which is the leading standard helping
to create smarter homes that enhance consumer comfort, convenience, security, and energy management. Richardson also states
why the ZigBee standard is well suited for applications such as
home security.
He concludes the conversation with his predictions for the future
of the Internet of Things as well as the connected home.
View the full article at http://bit.ly/1cG3Qoh.
For more information, visit www.zigbee.org.

D
Device
certification is complex for OEMs because carrriers differ in requirements and processes to deploy
devices on their respective networks. It is hard to
d
predict development costs, schedule/predict timeto-market, and navigate certification processes. And,
re-branding an already-certified product is costly.
Bill Conley, M2M business development manager
at B&B Electronics, returns to the HotSeat and discusses the ways in
which to simplify the cellular certification process for M2M cellular
devices. He also explains why it is important to simplify the rebranding process.
He concludes by providing the steps that need to be taken to
establish an industry-supported collaboration center that will help
prove device and system concepts.
View the full interview at http://bit.ly/1evu8Mz.
For more information, visit www.bb-elec.com.

For a chance to sit in on the next WDD HotSeat, contact


Editor Meaghan Ziemba at meaghan.ziemba@advantagemedia.com.

In The Hot Seat Sponsored by:

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26

WD1310_hotseat.indd 26

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 2:24:59 PM

WDD Oct FullPgAds.indd 27

9/27/2013 2:16:40 PM

TECHNOLOGY FEATURE NFC SENSORY TAG

Sensory Functionality with a Unique ID


The ams-SL13A NFC sensory tag validates the origin of any object, as well as verifies
the environmental conditions to which that object was exposed.
By Meaghan Ziemba, Editor, WDD

he need for sensory tags is growing


exponentially, and the uses for them
span across various industries and
markets. From the construction history
and condition of certain buildings, bridges,
and roads, to recording patient medication
consumption, sensory tags are important for
validating the origin of any object, as well as
verifying the environmental conditions to
which that object has been exposed.
The SL13A from Austria-based ams is a
single-chip NFC-V/RFID tag that incorporates
sensory functionality in addition to providing a unique ID. The unique ID and sensor
data can be captured with an RFID reader or
an NFC-enabled phone with a dedicated app.
According to Oluf Alminde, senior marketing
manager for the power and wireless business
unit, the concept for started with the blood

bags that keep blood at


a certain temperature
when being transferred
from one point to
another.
Putting the two
technologies together
the unique ID from
RFID, and the different sensors used for
monitoring the product
not only allowed a
unique ID for a specified object, but it also
allowed that object to
be monitored, providing crucial information of what the object was
exposed to during transit.

NEW HORIZONS FOR COMPLEX APPLICATIONS


By adding sensor functions to the NFC/

S
Smart
sensory tag chip for
monitoring and data logm
gging. Photo Credit: ams
RFID
technology,
R
new
horizons are
n
opened
for complex
o
applications,
such as
a
tracking
and mont
itoring
of objects
i
and
a the surrounding
environment
in any
e
location.
Enriching
l
RFID/NFC
with senR
sors
also reveals new
s
intriguing
applicai
tions,
which include
t
tracking condition and history of constructions, contactless metering, environmental
monitoring, and many more.
Compared to existing technology on the
market, the SL13A provides a solution for
other supportive applications which deal
with more complicated devices that require
three or more integrated circuits and other
discrete components. Those particular
devices are not very easy to use, and they
are relatively expensive, says Alminde.

PASSIVE AND SEMI-PASSIVE MODES


The SL13A is based on NFC-V, enabling
affordable data logging. It also incorporates
a temperature sensor and an analog input
for external sensors. It can time stamp
events with its integrated, real-time clock
(RTC), and it works in fully passive mode,
as well as in semi-passive mode.
The semi-passive mode can either consist
of a user-controlled, on-board power source
for the sensor, or a stand-alone mode for
autonomous and long-term monitoring.
A battery helps support autonomous data
logging with the on-chip RTC. Once the battery is exhausted, it can continue working in
passive mode. In passive mode, a time stamp
is provided by the reader, and the energy to
the sensor is extracted from the readers field,

28

WD1310_techfeature_sensorytags.indd 28

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 2:25:54 PM

WDD Oct FullPgAds_2.indd 29

10/1/2013 11:25:16 AM

TECHNOLOGY FEATURE NFC SENSORY TAG


maintaining previously stored data.
Because battery replacement or a physical
connection is not required in passive mode,
the SL13A can be embedded in various
structures during manufacture, providing an
unlimited operation lifetime. Such an advantage can help detect certain structural issues
that can cause severe damage if left unnoticed.

NO NEED FOR NEW INFRASTRUCTURE


Recently, with the fast deployment of NFCenabled mobile phones, Alminde has seen an
increasing interest in the SL13A. There is no
need to build up a new infrastructure because
users already have an existing one with their
mobile phones, says Alminde. The only
thing users need to do is create an app, which
they can use to collect and store data, and
send it through their mobile network.
Compared to other wireless networks, the
SL13A sensory tag offers:
Complete data logging on a single chip.
Intuitive touch-based communication and
interaction.
Faster communication set-up latency.

30

WD1310_techfeature_sensorytags.indd 30

SL13A sensor-enabled RFID tag reference design. Photo Credit: ams


Longer battery lifetime, or even battery-less
implementation.
High immunity to eavesdropping and

interference.
Ability to add an app to an NFC-enabled
mobile phone. WDD

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 2:26:11 PM

Missing a Pulse Can Be Deadly.

The Smartest, Fastest and Only


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7KH QHZ 55 Series GHOLYHUV XQVXUSDVVHG VSHHG DQG
DFFXUDF\ IRU WKH PRVW GHPDQGLQJ 5) SRZHU PHD
VXUHPHQWV WKDQNV WR %RRQWRQV Real-Time Power
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TECHNOLOGY FEATURE WI-FI SOLUTION

Wireless Safety in the Workplace


Spectralink SAFE helps solve workplace safety issues for healthcare organizations.
By Meaghan Ziemba, Editor, WDD

ealthcare employees face a range of


potential hazards on a daily basis;
from infectious diseases to patient
altercations in psychiatric and emergency departments. Boulder-CO based
Spectralink has created a staff safety solution
for Spectralink wireless handsets, Spectralink
SAFE, which is designed to help solve the
increasing safety issues for mobile workers
within healthcare, retail, and manufacturing.

HEALTHCARE TRENDS
We saw increasing concerns about staff

safety in hospitals, especially with


nurses, says Mike Lanciloti, vice
president of marketing and product management at Spectralink.
Another trend we saw converging
with the safety concerns, was the
increasing reliance on devices
that wirelessly communicate with
each other. In certain situations,
a wireless device can be the only
communication tool that a nurse
has when working.
A third trend that Lanciloti
notes, deals with the mandatory and legislated functionality

Sp
Spectralink
SAFE Wi-Fi handset.
Photo
Ph Credit: Spectralink
requirements
of certain
r
occupations.
o
In some parts of the
world,
such as Australia,
w
Germany,
and France,
G
nurses
or lone workers
n
are
a required to have some
kind
of device that can
k
send
a signal if there is
s
some kind of distress situaso
tion, says Lanciloti.
ti
Generally, the communication system is set
m
up as a building wireless
network, which nearly all
n
healthcare facilities have.
he
Its not the mobile netIt
work that you and I use on
wo
our personal cell phones,
ou
explains Lanciloti. This is a
ex
dedicated wireless network,
ded
generally Wi-Fi, which congene
nects portable medical devices that are becoming more
Wi-Fi enabled.
These particular devices
piggy-back on the existing
infrastructure that already
exists in the healthcare facilities. The devices look like a
ruggedized cell phone.
It is really easy to change
the battery, and these types
of devices get dropped a lot.
They get sprayed with water,
and are sometimes cleaned
with very harsh chemicals.
They are still expected to be
used for years and years.

Nurses run all the time, even in non-emergency


situations, explains Lanciloti. The phone needs to
be able to determine which is which.

A NEW MODEL

Nurse uses Spectralink SAFE handset.


Photo Credit: Spectralink

32

WD1310_techfeature_spectralink.indd 32

The Spectralink SAFE is


a new model of the current
devices available, with addi-

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

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TECHNOLOGY FEATURE WI-FI SOLUTION


tional capabilities that would
detect certain distress situations;
for example, if a nurse is running, has fallen over, or is not
moving.
One of the biggest challenges
Lanciloti points out, deals with
configuration and customization. Every department and
facility is different, and a solution needed to be created to prevent false alarms. Nurses run all
the time, even in non-emergency
situations, explains Lanciloti.
The phone needs to be able to
determine which is which.
The main features that can
be configured, and are usually
indicative of some kind of emergency situation, include movement, rate of movement, and
lack of movement. One example
of a nurse down situation, would

S
Spectralink
Wireless DECT phone that supports
SSpectralink SAFE. Photo Credit: Spectralink

include
lack of movement for a
i
certain
period of time, plus the
c
phone
being positioned a certain
p
way
w [horizontally or vertically],
says Lanciloti. That particular
situation is something that can be
highly
configured to indicate an
h
emergency
situation.
e

CCOMPONENTS
An accelerometer identifies each
iindividuals situation and helps
tto set certain thresholds, like rate
of movement, time for no moveo
ment, etc. With real-time location
m
sservices (RTLS) software, the exact
physical location can also be idenp
ttified, which can be important to
determine if a nurse is in distress.
d
""If a nurse is not moving, it may

mean she is just sitting down eating lunch,"


says Lanciloti. "By knowing employees' locations also helps prevent false alarms."
The device is also designed around the
802.11 Wi-Fi, DECT (Digital Enhanced
Cordless Telecommunications), and SIP
(Session Initiation Protocol) standards.
We also include middleware software,
generally from third parties, which determines
what actions to take when a distress alarm is
triggered, like sending a text message or have
the phone call someone, says Lanciloti. The
nurse also has the ability to manually hit an
alarm button.
The Spectralink SAFE device is a huge step
in providing nurses with more functionality in
a single device that they require to successfully
do their jobs in a safe manner.
There is a lot of pressure for nurses to be
more efficient and effective at the same time,
and one of Spectralinks objectives is to help
solve those issues by creating very powerful
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WD1310_techfeature_spectralink.indd 34

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 3:44:11 PM

ANTENNAS PRODUCT SHOWCASE


Low Frequency Attenuators

USB Controlled
ll d Attenuator
RFMW (San Jose, CA) has announced application
and sales support for the Telemakus (Folsom, CA)
TEA13000-12 USB Controlled Digital Attenuator. The
TEA13000-12 is used in benchtop test or ATE applications and spans a frequency range of 100 MHz to 13
GHz. With 30 dB of dynamic range, multiple attenuators
can be put together to provide up to 90 dB of attenuation with 16-bit control resolution. Features include:
A typical insertion loss of 2 dB.
150 mA from a standard USB 2.0 interface.
An SMA male connector at port 1 and female connector at port 2, which allow for easy interconnection with
other Telemakus products.
0.5 GB of flash memory.
www.rfmw.com
www.telemakus.com

Pasternack Enterprises (Irvine, CA) has introduced a


new line of 3 and 4 GHz frequency attenuators. The line
of low-frequency coaxial attenuators is suited for in-thefield uses where stainless steel designs and high performance are not required. Features include:
A max. operating frequency of 4 GHz.
Peak power ratings ranging from 5 to 200 W.
Aluminum heatsink cooling fins.
An operating temperature range from -55 to +125C.
www.pasternack.com

Wideband Antenna
Laird Technologies (Earth City, MO) has released of 2 new products
for the public safety industry, a new UHF Wideband Antenna and
an elastomer spring for mobile coil antennas. The B3803WS UHF
Wideband Antenna is a high-performance mobile coil whip antenna.
As a wideband antenna, it eases interoperability issues while still maintaining antenna performance. Features include:
3 dBi of gain.
Coverage of the full UHF band from 380 to 520 MHz.
Easy installation on a permanent NMO mount.
A UV treated radome, which resists sun damage and is ideal for use
on vehicles in harsh environments.
www.lairdtech.com

Peel and Stick Antenna

Navigation Antenna
Pulse Electronics Corporation (San Diego, CA)
has introduced its new vehicular mount antenna for
3G, 4G long term evolution (LTE), WLAN, and GPS
applications. The GPSDM700/5800SSS (black) and
GPSDMW700/5800SSS (white) offer gain over multiple
frequency bands. By including 5 GHz bands, from 5,150
to 5,850 MHz, the range of IEEE802.11a/b/g/n bands
are included in a single device for WLAN applications.
Features include:
Frequency bands of 698-960/1710-2170/23002700/2400-2485/5150-5850/1575 MHz.
A compact design that measures 3.5" x 4.16" @ base
antenna.
Rugged, aesthetically pleasing antennas with UV and
IP65 protection to ensure a long, reliable, maintenance-free life.
www.pulseelectronics.com

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

WD1310_productshowcase_antennas.indd 35

Pharad (Hanover, MD) has expanded its range of peel-and-stick appliliqu antenna products to beyond 10 GHz with its Ultra-Wideband
(UWB) antenna. While the UWB antenna was designed and developed for high-definition video transmission for military applications, Pharad has also seen an increased commercial interest in
UWB technology for medical applications, such as medical imaging and health monitoring. This UWB antenna:
Has < 0.75" x 1.5" flexible, paper-thin design, weighing less
than 1 oz.
Features a durable 1-time use pressure sensitive adhesive on one side
id off th
the
radiator.
Is suitable for mounting on material constructed from non-metallic, low-loss composites, such as fiberglass, Kevlar, polycarbonate, polyethylene, or other plastics.
www.pharad.com

Titanium Whip VHF Antenna


SkyProbes (Scottsdale, AZ) has announced its longrange antenna for handheld VHF and UHF radios. The
SSP58, with its highly flexible Titanium whip, gives
up to 6 times the range over the rubber duck antennas supplied with commercial VHF handheld radios.
Features include:
Communication ranges up to 75 miles.
A connector that is needed to mate with the specific
commercial handheld radios.
An indestructible titanium whip.
www.SkyProbes.com

35

9/27/2013 3:35:03 PM

BRAINSTORM TEST & MEASUREMENT

QA
&

In what ways is using USB-based modules over traditional bench instrumentation beneficial when performing fundamental RF measurements?
Leonard Pelletier, Applications Support, Freescale

Freescales RF product group activities include


demonstrations of its RF power devices' performance
d
ccapabilities at various trade shows and events.
SSetting up these offsite demonstrations requires a
ssignificant quantity of test equipment and power
supplies in order to support a re-creation of standard operating
conditions for its high-power, amplifier line-up assemblies. At
times, the overall mass of the test equipment can outweigh the
items being tested, and it becomes slightly unclear as to which
item is actually being demonstrated, the RF devices, or the RF test
equipment.
Making travel demonstrations easier is the universal serial bus
(port) (USB)-based RF test equipment. While the overall maximum test capability of these USB-based equipment sets is slightly
less sensitive, slower, and has a less dynamic range than their
full-sized, large-boxed lab bench cousins, in most cases, the test
capability provided is more than adequate for demonstrating the
RF performance capability with no degradation in test functionality. With these, canned software programs that accompany
these USB test systems, can port the collected data into other data
collection software tools. This allows users to combine the data
from the USB-based testers with additional data that was collected
using more conventional general purpose interface bus controlled
test equipment sets, and then post process the data to show real
time, overall system performance.
There are two limitations to the USB-based test equipment.
One is the relatively low limited DC current capability, presently
limited to 900 mA @ 5 VdV, with the latest USB 3.0 standard.
Typically, this is enough current to power most sensor heads and
monitoring ports without the use of an external power supply.
The other limitation is the expected lifespan of a standard male

WD1310_brainstorm.indd 36

USB connection, which is limited to an average lifespan of about


1,500 insertions and extractions. That may seem like a large number, but there have been several occurrences of a USB port connector wearing out and becoming intermittent or damaged due to
excessive or improper insertion.
After a thorough investigation of the pros and cons, we are convinced the benefits afforded are significant thereby relegating
the older and heavier lab bench varieties as a thing of the past.

Scott Blanchard, President, Vaunix


USB-based modules are providing the streamlined
ffunctions, cost, size, power, and simplified programmability test engineers are looking for. Even the
m
most fundamental RF measurements are becoming
m
ccomplicated. Building a test stand with traditional
instrumentation becomes expensive, and quite often you have overkill in one place, in order to make up for a deficiency somewhere
else. Vaunix offers various programmable USB signal generators for
as low as $1,400. USB equipment is not only cost efficient, but the
current draw is far lower. This eliminates the need for forced cooling in, and is the key to making an ATE stand portable.
As complexity increases, engineers want a simple and cost effective
method for programming their test instruments. Vaunix offers a wide
variety of easy-to-use drivers, along with sample programs that are easy
for test engineers with even the most basic software background to use.
In our fast-paced environment, where time-to-market is key to securing market share, quick shipping is essential. USB suppliers, like us,
recognize that to compete we have to deliver in days not weeks.
As our industry continues to evolve, the cost advantages of USB will
be recognized in reduced capital expenditures, and in the reduced time
for programming, reduced energy costs, and reduced time-to-market.

10/1/2013 11:27:17 AM

WDD Oct FullPgAds_2.indd 37

9/27/2013 2:12:57 PM

PRODUCT SHOWCASE TIMING DEVICES


Miniature Crystal Unit
Qantek (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) has
as introduced the new QTC3 Series Surface
rface Mount
Tuning Fork Crystal, their
second smallest package in
the QTC family at 32.768
KHz. The QTC3, measuring
a 3.2 x 1.5 x 0.65 mm, is
designed for high density
circuit applications, requiring a reliable and precise
time-of-day frequency source, operable in wide temperature ranges. Typical applications are mobile and handheld
products, which require an accurate real-time clock frequency source in consumer and
medical electronics. Features include:
A typical frequency stability of 20 PPM @ 25C.
A tolerance of 10 PPM.
An operating temperature range of -40 to +85C.
www.qantek.com

Protection & Timing System


The STC5429 is a single chip, multi-service synchrochronization solution for applications in Ethernet
Equipment Clocks, DOCSIS, SDH/SETS, and
SONET from Connor-Winfield (Aurora, IL).
The QFN64 packaged device is fully compliant with ITU-T G.813 opt 1 and 2, G.8262 EEC
opt 1 and 2, and Telcordia GR1244 and GR253
standards. The STC5429:
Features 2 timing generators T0 and T4; T4 may
ay
lock to T0s synchronized output.
Supports master/slave and multiple-master redundant
dundant
application (T0 timing generator only).
Provides programmable compensation for phase delay between master and slave unit,
in 0.1 ns steps.
Accepts external oscillator at frequency of 10, 12.8, 19.2, or 20 MHz with programming.
www.conwin.com

Small Surface-Mount Package


NEL Frequency Controls (Burlington,
WI) has released a new ultra-low phase
noise OCXO at 100 MHz. The O-CS8-0X
Series comes in a 14 x 21 x 6.8 mm surface-mount package. This OCXO offers
superior close-in phase noise of -135 and
-180 dBc/Hz phase noise on the floor. Ideall
for instrumentation, radar, high-end synthe-sizers, telecommunication systems, and dataa
communications applications, features include:
ude:
Availability in 5 V.
SC-cut crystal and a frequency range of 80 to 120 MHz.
Stabilities that range from 50 ppb with temperatures from -55 to 85C.
Sine wave +17 dBm output.
www.nelfc.com

38

WD1310_productshowcase_timingdevices.indd 38

Factory Configurable
Cardinal Components (Wayne, NJ) has introduced
the CJ series of factory-configurable oscillators XO
and voltage-controlled oscillators VCXO. The CJ series
temperature range is both commercial 0 to 70C and
industrial -40 to +85C. The CJ series is offered as a
surface-mount packaging plastic 5 x 3.2 mm, plastic 5 x
7 mm, and ceramic 5 x 3.2 mm and 5 x 7 mm. Features
include:
Applicability in computing, communications,
data-communications, multi-media, networking, homeland security, and industrial.
A frequency range of 10 MHz to 1.5 GHz.
An operating voltage range from 2.5 or 3.3 V.
A phase jitter of 12 kHz to 20 MHz @ 0.9 ps RMS.
www.cardinalxtal.com

Single-Chip System
Semtech (Camarillo, CA) has
announced the addition of the
ACS9522T to its ToPSync platform that integrates a new synchronization system on a chip
hip
(SoC). The ACS9522T
provides a single-chip
hardware and software
synchronization solution
for IP-based wireline and
wireless applications, with
a special emphasis on the
requirements of the emerging
ing
4G LTE and small cell market.
ket.
Features include:
CPU, memory, and 6 phase-lock loops (PLLs), which
support IEEE 1588 packet-based synchronization.
Frequency synchronization via synchronous Ethernet
or SONET/SDH.
Synchronous Ethernet/IEEE 1588 hybrid mode operation.
Network asymmetry correction.
www.semtech.com

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 3:42:04 PM

TIMING DEVICES PRODUCT SHOWCASE


Enhanced Stability & Over-Extended Temperature

Tight
ght Stabilitiess
Fox El
Electronics
i (F
(Fort M
Myers, FL) h
has
announced the FTM Series of surface mount
OCXOs that is suited as the timing reference for network synchronization. The new
SMD OCXO offers specifications suitable for
communication equipment, including base
stations, radio network controllers, wireless
backhaul equipment, routers, multi-service
switching platforms, and transmission equipment. Features include:
A standard stability of 10 ppb across a set of
frequencies in the 5 to 40 MHz range.
An operating temperature range from -40 to
+85C.
Stabilities as tight as 5 ppb.
A frequency control pin that allows a min. of
0.7 PPM of frequency adjustment.
A 3.3 VDC supply voltage, 5 VDC optional.
A max. of 1.2 W @ 25C.
An output load of 15 pF.
Long term aging over 10 years that is only
0.4 PPM for all effects.
www.foxonline.com

CTS Electronic Components (Elkhart, IN) has announced the Model 680,
a small sized, lightweight, and rugged HCMOS crystal clock oscillator for operations under extended temperatures and stringent environments. Features include:
e:
A hermetically sealed 5 x 7 mm surface mount package.
A frequency range from 20 kHz to 100 MHz.
A stability of 50 PPM over an operating temperature range from -55 to +180C.
A low phase noise of -170 dBc/Hz @ noise floor, and an ultra-low jitter of <80
sec.
www.ctscorp.com

Ultra-Low Jitter
Crystek Crystals (Fort
Myers, FL) has released
a 245.760 MHz SAW
Clock Oscillator (in single
frequencyband), the CCSOO
914X-245.760. Crystek
designed the module using
proprietary circuitry and SAW
(surface acoustic wave) resona-tor technology to provide ultra-low
jitter/phase noise performance with true SineWave
output. The resulting oscillator features:
A -150 dBc/Hz phase noise @ 10 KHz offset.
A noise floor of -169 dBc/Hz.
A 9 x 14 mm SMT package.
3.3 and 5 V input voltages that generate a
true-sinewave with +8 dBm min. output
power.
An operating temperature range from -40 to
+85C.
www.crystek.com

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

WD1310_productshowcase_timingdevices.indd 39

39

10/1/2013 11:40:40 AM

PRODUCT SHOWCASE SENSORS

Background Suppression
Battery-Free Orientation Tag
The Kineo1 from Farsens (Spain) is a battery-free RFID sensor tag capable of transmitting a unique
identifier and the associated orientation data to a commercial EPC C1G2 reader. The main advantage
of the product lies on the possibility of using the sensor without batteries at all. This feature allows for
a range of opportunities using orientation sensors in applications where the accessibility is restricted, or
where the use of batteries is not recommended. Features include:
The ability to communicate to around 1.5 m.
The ability to transmit through materials such as plastics or concrete.
The ability to be embedded in hardly accessible locations.
A 3-axis acceleration data with an ODR of 10 Hz.
www.farsens.com

Weld-Resistant Coating
Balluff (Florence, KY) SteelFace sensors are designed and built tough to survive abusive applications. For
applications that require something more compact than a tubular sensor, Balluff now offers the flatpack
SteelFace sensor. The 1-piece stainless steel
housing offers a robust operating face,
and Balluffs new patent-pending coating
makes it ideal for extreme applications.
Features include:
5 mm operating distance (flush).
Factor 1 all metals can be sensed.
Weld slag resistant W51 coating (patent
pending).
Weld field immunity.
High switching frequency.
A round corner housing.
www.balluff.com

Dual Axis Mechanical Tilt Sensor


Radio Frequency Systems (RFS) (Meriden, CT) has announced
nced
the availability of an AISG 2.0-compliant, dual axis Mechanical
cal
Tilt Sensor (MTS). The in-line device enables RFS customers
to accurately measure the position of its antennas in real-time
me
without physically having to check the placement on site.
The sensor:
Is engineered to withstand extreme temperatures and
weather conditions, and prevents water intrusion.
Features digital filtering that ensures stable measurements and prevents false alarms caused by antenna
vibrations.
Has a .5 degree of accuracy, which improves RF optimization.
Has the ability to be installed into a live system and be recognized without requiring the system
to be shut down or rebooted.
www.rfsworld.com

40

WD1310_productshowcase_sensors.indd 40

Carlo Gavazzi (Buffalo Grove, IL) has


announced a new range of Background
Suppression (BGS) Photoelectric Sensors in
their popular PA18 and PH18 housings. This
allows for precise distance detection and a
fine distinction between a target and its background, with the flexibility of an industry standard housing. Features include:
A sensing range of 200 mm.
A power supply from 10 to 30 VDC.
Short-circuit, reverse polarity, and overload
protection.
An operating temperature range of -25 to
+60C.
www.gavazzionline.com

Sensor-Enabled RFID Tags


ams (Austria) has announced next-generation
sensor-enabled RFID tags offering breakthroughs for medical, automotive safety, and
other applications where temperature, physiological, or environmental data is required. The
new devices, the SL13A and SL900A enable
a simple, low-cost implementation of a new
class of wireless data-logging applications. The
SL13A is an ISO15693-compliant tag for use
with near field communications (NFC-V) and
high-frequency radio-frequency identification
(HF RFID) readers. The SL900A is an EPC
Gen 2 Class 3 tag for use with RFID readers.
Features include:
An on-board temperature sensor.
An interface to an external sensor.
The capability of operating in passive (batteryless) mode.
www.ams.com

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 3:39:08 PM

SENSORS PRODUCT SHOWCASE


Compact, High Performance
Measurement Specialties (Hampton, VA) has expanded its line of pressure sensors with 2 compact,
high-performance units for demanding industrial applications. The M7100 and U7100 feature high
reliability, and can withstand high vibrations as well as
harsh conditions, such as dust particles, contaminated
water, and corrosive fluids. The compact size is suit-able for many modern on-highway and off-highway engines, HVAC controls, and energy and
water management equipment. Features include:
A total error band of 1%.
An operating temperature range from -40 to
+125C.
An output voltage from 0.5 to 4.5 VDC.
A pressure cavity that was machined from a solid
d
piece of 17-4 PH stainless steel.
A 1/4 NPT pipe thread for a leak-proof, sealed system,
ystem,
with additional port sizes available.
A pressure range from 200 to 10,000 psig.
www.meas-spec.com

Hardwired System-Shutdown

OKW PLASTIC
ENCLOSURES
Award winning designs
for todays electronics!

DIN RAIL
ENCLOSURES

Microchip Technology (Chandler, AZ)


has announced a new 6-member family of
temperature sensor ICs called the EMC118X,
with 1.8 V SMBus and I2C communications.
Features include:
An advanced sample-frequency-hopping
filter that enables temperature-monitoring
traces of up to 8" in noisy environments with
accurate readings.
Options for dual, triple, and quad temperature monitoring.
Hardwired system-shutdown settings that cannot be overridden by software.
www.microchip.com

e-Compass Sensor
MagnaChip Semiconductor (Cupertino,
no, CA)
has announced a new e-Compass
sensor product, the MXG1300,
based on MagnaChips low noise
0.18 micron technology. The
MXG1300 targets the growing market
for smartphones, tablets, and other
handheld devices. The e-Compass is an
important sensor for smartphones and
tablets as it maintains alignment of the
display with the users orientation. Features
ures
include:
Enhanced navigation and augmented reality applications for smartphones and tablets.
New 0.18 micron e-Compass that provides high performance and industry-standard
heading accuracy.
A broad range of software, hardware, and OEM partner support.
www.magnachip.com

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

WD1310_productshowcase_sensors.indd 41

okwenclosures.com
OKW ENCLOSURES, INC.
Phone: 800-965-9872

41

9/27/2013 3:39:24 PM

PRODUCT SHOWCASE INTEGRATED CIRCUITS


LIN Slave
Companion IC

Extended Resistance
Range

ams AG (Austria) has


announced the AS8530
miniature power/transceiver IC that supports
LIN slave applications
and complies with the
ISO26262 functional safety
standard. The AS8530 is a
power management and
communication device that
includes a LIN 2.1 transceiver, a 50 mA LDO to
supply a local micro, and a reset generator in an 8-pin SOIC 8 package.
As a differentiator, the AS8530 offers a series of system management
functions through a shared pin serial interface, all within the same
small, 8-pin SOIC8 package. Additional features include:
Enhanced diagnosis functions that provide built-in support for the
requirements of ISO26262.
A 2-wire serial port routed through shared Enable and TX pins, which
allows the device to read out status registers and provide diagnosis
information to the systems microcontroller.
A window watchdog function and access to back-up registers to store
data when the microcontroller shuts down.
www.ams.com

KOA Speer Electronics


(Bradford, PA) has
announced the TLRH3AW,
a metal plate chip current
sense resistor that features
an extended resistance
range of 10 ~ 270 m
with greater corrosion
protection and higher
temperature resistance up
to +170C. The TLRH3AW
provides resistance to
extreme temperatures,
as well as to thermal
and mechanical shock,
moisture, and vibration. The TLRH series is AEC-Q200 qualified and
available with lead-free terminations to meet EU RoHS requirements.
Features include:
Metal foil technology.
A thickness as low as 0.5 mm.
A 2 W power rating in a 2512 package size.
TCR of 75 ppm in 10~22 m, 50 ppm in 24~270 m, in a 1%
resistance tolerance.
www.koaspeer.com

42

WD1310_productshowcase_integrated.indd 42

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 2:28:09 PM

INTEGRATED CIRCUITS PRODUCT SHOWCASE


Maximized Battery Life

Ultra-Low-Power PSoC 1

Texas Instruments (Dallas,


Dallas,
TX) has introduced RF
F
power converters
that integrate the
MIPI Alliances
radio frequency
front-end (RFFE) digital
tal
control interface, a specificaifi
tion that simplifies multi-band
and multi-radio communications. The highly
efficient LM3263 buck converter and LM3279
buck-boost converter reduce the heat and power
consumption in RF power amplifiers, improving
battery life and extending talk time in 2G, 3G,
and 4G LTE smartphones, tablets, and data cards.
Features include:
Compatibility with next-generation RF front
end chipsets, power amplifiers, and reference
platforms.
Voltage and current requirements of 2G, 3G,
and 4G, and the LM3279 supports 1-A loads
for 3G and 4G.
Extended battery run-time and 95% efficiency.
Reduced heat dissipation and battery current
consumption.
Support of high linearity and high output
power.
www.ti.com

Cy
Cypress
Semiconductor (San Jose, CA) has announced
new device series in its PSoC 1 programmable systeman
on-chip family. The new CY8C24x93 device series is
o
optimized for battery-powered applications, leveraging a
o
1.1 A Standby mode and a 100 nA Deep-Sleep mode to
1
extend battery life. Features include:
ex
A full speed USB 2.0 with a serial peripheral interface
((SPI), enabling a streamlined, cost-efficient design with programmable serial bridges.
Multiple small-footprint packaging options, including a 3 x 3 mm QFN package.
10-bit ADC and 2 comparators, along with 16-bit timers.
www.cypress.com

Reflective Switch
RFMW (San Jose, CA)
has announced design
and sales support for
a 6 GHz single-pole,
triple throw (SP3T)
switch from TriQuintt
Semiconductor
(Hillsboro, OR).
The TQP4M0011
is controlled using
positive DC voltages from 1.8 to 5 V.
Classified as a reflective
ive
switch, the TQP4M0011
011
is ideal for wireless infrastructure, small cell, and T&M applications
where low insertion loss and high input IP3
are required. Features include:
An operation down to 100 MHz.
A 3 x 3 mm surface mount package.
Broadband performance and low DC power
consumption.
www.rfmw.com
www.triquint.com

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

WD1310_productshowcase_integrated.indd 43

High L-Band Efficiency


Cree (Raleigh, NC) has released two new
gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility
transistors (HEMTs) ideal for use in 1.2 to 1.4
GHz L-Band radar amplifier systems: the 250
W CGHV14250 and the 500 W CGHV14500.
Featuring a high L-Band efficiency performance at 85C, high-power gain performance,
and wide bandwidth capabilities, these new
transistors are designed to enhance the performance of band-specific applications ranging
from UHF to 1,800 MHz, including tactical air
navigation systems (TACAN), identification, friend or foe (IFF) systems, and other military telemetry
systems. Features include:
Excellent power and small signal performance.
Internally pre-matched input.
Ceramic/metal flange and pill packages that are smaller than competing gallium arsenide or silicon RF technology.
Enhanced design flexibility.
www.cree.com

Waterproof Rocker Switches


C&K Components (Newton, MA) has
expanded its product offering of miniature rocker switches to include IP65-rated
waterproof switches, which have a splash
proof rubber boot option for waterproofing.
Available in multiple versions and styles, the
miniature IP65-rated rocker switches meet
a wide range of application requirements
including appliances, computers and peripherals, medical instrumentation, and electric
tools. Features include:
PC and quick connect terminals.
Various styles, of the D Series, DA Series,
DM Series, and CR Series.
A recessed bracket that prevents accidental actuation.
An electrical life of 10,000 cycles.
An operating temperature range from -20 to +65C (D Series and DM Series) and -20 to
+85C (DA Series).
www.ck-components.com

43

9/27/2013 2:28:25 PM

TECHNOLOGY FEATURE HAPTICS

Simple Haptics
The availability of sophisticated haptic drivers in today's
market makes their implementation into a system quite simple.
By Duane Sorlie, Senior Staff Engineer,
Fairchild Semiconductor

actile feedback, often referred to as simple haptics, uses the sense of touch
in a user interface design to provide
information to an end user. This generally means the use of the systems vibration
alert system to denote that a button has been

pressed. The resistive force that some force


feedback joysticks and video game steering
wheels provide is a form of haptic feedback.
This type of feedback can be costly to
implement because of the support devices
required to produce the haptic event or
vibration alert. A full system requires a
touch controller with embedded software,
another controller with USB interface to

talk to the touchscreen controller, a power


amplifier, and an eccentric rotation mass
(ERM) motor or linear resonant actuator
(LRA). Today, there are many drivers with
combined functions and controllers that
have the ability to drive complex pulse
width modulation (PWM) signals and can
be implemented into a system at a lower
cost.

Figure 1: ERM driver. Photo Credit: Fairchild Semiconductor

Figure 2: Arduino uno schematic. Photo Credit: Fairchild Semiconductor

Figure 3: Driver output. Photo Credit: Fairchild Semiconductor

Figure 4: Arduino PWM schematic. Photo Credit: Fairchild Semiconductor

44

WD1310_techfeature_fairchild.indd 44

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 2:29:22 PM

HAPTICS TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

HAPTIC DRIVER DESCRIPTION


These devices are high-performance
enhanced haptic drivers used to produce an
alert to the user that a task has been executed or completed. There are two ways a
haptic driver can generate a vibration alert or
haptic event. The first method controls the
haptic enable (HEN) pin with a controlled
high/low signal, and the second drives the
PWM input with a single-ended PWM signal
to control a DC or AC motor. The PWM
input signal-duty cycle changes the amplitude of the positive and negative outputs for
the motor drive, which controls the vibration strength. The vibration is at a maximum
when the duty ratio is 1/99 percent, or 99/1
percent and stopped at 50 percent.
Many of these devices have their own
register maps, which are accessible via I2C
serial communication. If the system is using
a microcontroller, it can generate both PWM
and I2C code, making the task to control the
alert quite simple.
The haptic driver converts the PWM output to differential DC levels on the MDP/
MDN outputs of an ERM device, and in the
case of an LRA driver, converts the PWM
output to an AC signal equal to the resonant
frequency of the LRA. Generally, this PWM
output signal is in the range of 150 to 250
Hz. It is critical that any haptic driver used
with an LRA device, has the ability to detect
the resonant frequency of the LRA in use on
an event by event basis.

SIMPLE HAPTICS IMPLEMENTATIONS


The first haptic implementation is a driver
that uses the HEN pin to control when the
programmed differential voltage will be driven across the output of an ERM. This driver
is used in its default mode, which means
that the output differential drive is 3 V. The
schematic in Figure 1 shows the power and
control signals to the haptic driver and in this
case, uses a 555 timer to generate the haptic
control pulse on the HEN pin. The length of
time that the ERM is on determines the time
constant of the resistor/capacitor combination R4/C9. In this case, the motor rotates
approximately 1.1 seconds each time the
momentary switch S1 is depressed.
The next implementation uses an Arduino
Uno to control the HEN pin. The ability
to generate different alert signals is easier
when using a microcontroller. This also

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

WD1310_techfeature_fairchild.indd 45

Figure 5: Simple ramp. Photo Credit: Fairchild Semiconductor


provides the ability to talk to the I2C port
if desired. In the schematic in Figure 2,
haptic vibrations are generated based on
which one of the three switches is depressed,
allowing control of the haptic output of the
driver. When SW1 is pressed the ERM will
spin once for the length of time the program holds pin 12 high. The other switches
produce a double pulse (SW2) and a triple
pulse (SW3) output again for the length of
time pin 12 is held high.
Figure 3 is a scope capture of the output
of the driver. SW3 is depressed, causing the
motor to start and stop three times or a SW3.
The M1 plot is a mathematical equation of the
difference between the MDP and MDN pins.
As you can see, the default programmed output level of the driver is 3.0 V. If you have an
ERM, which requires a different drive voltage,
this can be programmed through the I2C port.
The next implementation uses a PWM signal to generate haptic events, which can be
used for both ERM and LRA devices. In this
case, the implementation of an Arduino Uno
controller drives the PWM and I2C lines of
this LRA haptic driver. The LRA is a Precision
Microdrives LRA, which resonates at 175 Hz.
To implement the correct resonant frequency,
a command is sent through the I2C line to the

driver device a PWM divide by the ration of


357, because the PWM is driving at 62.5 KHz.
This device is set by default to calibrate the resonant frequency of the LRA every time a haptic
event is executed when triggered by HEN being
driven from low to high (Figure 4).
Figure 5 is a scope capture of a simple ramp.
The inputs are shown in channel 1 (HEN) and
2 (PWM). The PWM signal is under sampled,
so it represents the varying amplitude of the
PWM as the duty cycle increases from 50/50 to
99/1 percent. The PWM is actually at 62.5 KHz.
Outputs of the driver are shown on channels
3 and 4. At the beginning of the output signal,
the calibration pulses are evident and then the
LRA is driven from no differential voltage to a
maximum differential voltage of 2 V RMS, and
then back down to zero.
The availability of sophisticated haptic
drivers in todays market makes their implementation into a system quite simple. A
systems designer can decide if they want to
run a simple driver and just toggle a HEN
pin, or they can chose to use a more complex implementation and use a PWM signal
along with the HEN and I2C control. These
haptic driver devices are user friendly and
require minimal, if any, external components. WDD

45

9/27/2013 2:29:46 PM

PRODUCT SHOWCASE TEST & MEASUREMENT


WIRELESS DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

Portable Logic Analyzers


A
Agilent
Technologies (Santa Clara, CA) has introduced its 16850
SSeries portable logic analyzers. The instruments offer fast timing
ccapture with deep memory for debugging digital systems. The
16850 Series also offers a portable logic analyzer with both sin1
ggle-ended and differential probing options to help designers get
their high-speed digital devices to market faster. Features include:
400 ps period
i d timing
i i capture across all input channels.
Up to 128-megasample memory depth.
Up to 50% faster timing capture with deep memory.
www.agilent.com

Mixed Signal Oscilloscope


Tektronix (Beaverton, OR) has introduced the new MSO/
DPO70000DX Series of performance oscilloscopes that
feature models with 23, 25, and 33 GHz bandwidth, and
enhanced tools for debugging digital and analog circuits.
Features include:
16 digital channels.
An 80 ps timing resolution.
SPI in real-time while performing analog validation of high-speed DDR memory on 4
high-bandwidth channels.
www.tektronix.com

ADVERTISERS INDEX
Agilent Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Cirrus Logic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Components Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Copper Mountain Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . 37
CTS Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
EPCOS, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Fox Electronics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Fujipoly America Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Keystone Electronics Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
MPD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 27
Mouser Electronics, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 2
National Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

1. Publication Title: WIRELESS DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT 2. Publication Number: USPS # 011-425 3. Filing Date:
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Rakon Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
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SanDisk Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Stanford Research Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Temwell Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Vectron International Hudson . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
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WDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Wireless Telecom Group, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

46

WD1310_adindex_products.indd 46

With up to 500 MHz bandwidth on 4 channels, and


an industry-leading 2 G
samples of buffer memory, the new PicoScope
6000 Series from Pico
Technology (UK) features:
An integrated function
generator or arbitrary
waveform generator
(AWG).
Advanced triggering.
Automatic measurements with statistics.
FFT spectrum analysis
mode.
Comprehensive waveform maths.
Mask limit testing and
serial decoding for popular industry standards.
www.picotech.com

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required and will be printed in the October 2013 issue of this publication.
17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner
3UHVFRWW6KLEOHV&KLHI0DUNHWLQJ2IILFHU&KLHI'LJLWDO2IILFHU (Signed)

Average No. Copies


Each Issue During
Preceding 12 Months

No. Copies of Single


Issue Published
Nearest to Filing Date

17,751

17,046

15,035
0

15,534
0

66

65

0
15,101

0
15,599

2,337
0

1,067
0

125
2,462
17,563
188
17,751
86.0%

200
1,267
16,866
180
17,046
92.5%

(ISSN #1076-4240, USPS #011-425),


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SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

9/27/2013 3:35:34 PM

BLOG ON

Wire Less, Write More


A sampling of online blogs written by our industry's own design engineers and business leaders.
ZigBee & the Smart Home
Z

A New Kind of Optical Storage

Cees Links, Founder & CEO, GreenPeaks

M. Simon, Technical Contributor

Technologies
Around 600 million homes have WiFi. People
sshare their lives with their family and friends, and
eexecute their financial transactions wirelessly over
the Internet without being overly worried about security. Despite
the recent NSA disclosures, how many people have changed their
online behavior?
To put things in perspective, ultimate security will be cumbersome for the user. There is always a balance between security
cost and user friendliness.
Read the full article at http://bit.ly/17qZQ8f.

IIT
T Certification
Julie Gaudet, Senior Director, Gilmore Global
The U.S. currently has the largest IT certification
market in the world. However, others are catching
m
up fast so the U.S. needs to ensure that it maintains
its lead by engaging in training and certification
it
schemes that will help win against global companies that endorse
certification, and have large numbers of employees registered on
their schemes. Businesses that engage can guarantee that when
they tender for large projects, potential customers will take certifications into account.
Ultimately, many of the benefits of IT certification relate to
enhanced competitive edge. This extends far beyond corporations
from mature markets battling for advantage over businesses based in
emerging economies. It is just as much about employees competing
for advantage over their peers in the job market whether as part of
an international battle, or experienced staff taking on the challenge
offered by university graduates with all the latest technical skills.
Read the full article at http://bit.ly/18VdX3w.

Your Data is Only as Secure as


Y
Y
Your Device
Alan Grau, CEO, Icon Labs
The inherent insecurity of many medical devices
was highlighted in a recent FDA and Homeland
w
alert. M
More than 300 devices have been identified that
Security alert
utilize a hard code password, creating a huge security loophole.
With so many medical devices now collecting and storing patient
data, how secure is the data stored on these devices? In the case
of these 300 devices with hard-coded passwords, not very secure
at all. The bottom line is, your data is only as secure as your
device.
Read the full article at http://bit.ly/18QzITg.

SEPOCT 2013 wirelessdesignmag.com

WD1310_blogs.indd 47

A new kind of optical storage is being developed,


a DVD-sized optical memory that could hold 360
Terabytes and be good for about a million years.
T
Longevity and capacity are the key factors to conL
sider in terms of data storage, but existing options are limited.
Optical storage media such as DVDs are more stable, but with
standard single-layer discs maxing out at 4.7 GB of data, they are
an unwieldy option for vast digital archives. Scientists have been
pursuing the idea of glass as a medium for mass data storage since
1996, when it was first suggested that data could be written optically into transparent materials.
Read full article at http://bit.ly/1g1b84Q.

Device Interoperability
D
Bill Conley, M2M Business Development
Manager, B&B Electronics
oneM2M is addressing the need for a standardized approach to M2M connectivity, promoting
iz
interoperability across all industries and networks.
in
To that end, oneM2M is working to create service layer optimizations to ensure the functionality and interoperability of M2M.
This service layer has been proprietary to each manufacturers
implementation, so that it is not interoperable with other manufacturers equipment. oneM2Ms goal is to enable M2M services
to share the same service layer language globally so they can talk
to each other.
Read full article at http://bit.ly/1e3mMjb.

The End-to-End Ethernet


T
S
Success Story
John DAmbrosia, Chief Ethernet evangelist, Dell
Bruce Kraemer, Senior Manager of Strategic
Marketing, Marvell Semiconductor
Ethernet the fundamental backbone of networking worldwide celebrates its 40th anniverw
sary this year. This milestone, accomplished via a
sa
never-ending evolution of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet
n
specification, enabled the development and deploysp
ment of technology that rose to meet the challenge
m
of ever-changing market demands.
Ethernet, like the IEEE 802 suite of standards, was created within a rigorous process, rooted in consensus, due process, openness,
right of appeal, and balance.
Read full article at http://bit.ly/14G3Qnx.

47

9/27/2013 3:47:01 PM

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WDD Oct FullPgAds_2.indd 48

9/27/2013 2:13:12 PM

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