This passive beamforming topology is not well known but is widely used – a common situation in the RF world. Part 1 was an introduction to the electronic steering of an antenna beam and the Butler matrix; this part continues the investigation. Q: The Butler passive arrangement seems simpler; why not use it in all…
DSL router uses parts from old phones
A consortium of companies found a clever way to recycle phone parts, showing how reusing electronics can improve sustainability. Electronic waste is a huge environmental problem of which disposed cell phones are a major contributor. Think about it, all that metal, plastic, and working semiconductors go into landfills. Some materials, such as gold from PCB…
FAQ on the Butler matrix for beamforming: part 1
This passive beamforming topology is not well known but is widely used — a common situation in the RF world. For many years, radar applications defined much of the world of directional antennas. These antennas were designed with a fixed directivity or rotated in a steady pattern at a known rate, as seen in Figure…
Standards group to address 6G multiple access
ETSI has established a new Industry Specification Group (ISG) focused on Multiple Access Techniques (MAT) for 6G mobile systems. The group aims to build industry consensus on numerous multiple-access techniques based on 3GPP specifications. The ISG MAT will explore candidate techniques such as Orthogonal Multiple Access (OMA), Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA), Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access…
Dev kit lets engineers add NFC into designs
STMicroelectronics is making it easier to explore creative applications for contactless near-field communication (NFC) technology with a novel development kit featuring the new ST25R200 reader/writer IC. ST’s latest-generation ST25R200 NFC transceiver combines an advanced design for strong and clear wireless connections with low power consumption and controls for signal quality and power management. The STEVAL-25R200SA…
Passive antenna adds wireless 400 MHz to 8 GHz communications to IoT devices
Ignion launches OMNIA mXTEND, a triple-radio chip component that simplifies IoT antenna integration. Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, 12th November 2024: Ignion, a Barcelona-based innovator in RF connectivity, announces a one-of-a-kind three-port Virtual Antenna component to support simultaneous cellular, GNSS, and Wi-Fi/BLE radios. The surface-mounted passive component, called OMNIA mXTEND, turns the ground plane of a printed…
UWB “tulip” antenna lets devices detect distance
KYOCERA AVX released the innovative new surface-mount, on-ground, ultra-wideband (UWB) LDS Tulip antenna (9002305L0-L01K) for 6.0–8.5GHz applications to market at Embedded World North America. The novel new UWB LDS Tulip antenna is manufactured using laser direct structuring (LDS) technology. This process allows KYOCERA AVX to create conductive traces on complex 3D structures with unique patterns and develop…
8-port antenna switch targets RF applications
Signal Hound announced the addition of the RFS8 to its expanding product line. This powerful antenna switch is in stock and available for order now. The RFS8 is a single pole eight-throw (SP8T) absorptive solid-state switch. Using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, the RFS8 provides RF switching across eight ports at up to 8 GHz. The RFS8…
Waterproof GPS/GNSS antenna with built-in amplifier added to IoT portfolio
Amphenol RF announces the expansion of their emerging antenna portfolio with an additional external antenna design. This external antenna features an adhesive mount and sealed IP67-rated waterproof protection from the threat of external elements that might compromise signal integrity. This active GPS/GNSS antenna includes a built-in low noise amplifier (LNA) for enhanced performance which makes…
Can dielectric waveguide antennas boost 5G efficiency?
5G base stations rely on phased arrays to steer signals and increase data rates. Beam steering circuits, however, consume power. Using waveguides could reduce energy consumption in base stations. Waveguides are physical structures that direct electromagnetic waves from one point to another, confining energy within specific boundaries to control propagation, direction, and mode. While waveguide…