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 CONTENTS
Volume 13 / Issue 2 APRIL/MAY

2010
www.AntennasOnline.com
Editor & Publisher
David Webster

Director of Content
Shannon Given

Associate Editors
Heather Krier, Nick Depperschmidt

Assistant Editor
Aaron Butzen

Director of Sales
Jessi Albers

News Editors
Laura Mayo, Sue Hannebrink, page 6 page 8
Jeremy Fleming, Jessi Albers

Manager of Administration
Marsha Grillo

Director of Support Services

Marc Vang

Circulation/Data Entry
Ross Webster

Office Manager
Julie Williams

Advertising Sales and Marketing

Laura Mayo, Account Executive
page 11 page 13
Julie Hammond, Production Manager
Jennifer Graham, Marketing Assistant

ANTENNA SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY

(ISSN #1092-2553) is a publication of
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www.AntennasOnline.com April/May 2010 Antenna Systems & Technology 3

Editor’s choice
Rayspan Releases Antenna Solution for LTE Devices
Rayspan Corp., a provider of metamaterial and RF air interface
solutions for wireless communications, has released Rayspan
MTM-E solutions for long-term evolution (LTE). MTM-E is an
antenna solution that can support six or more bands operating
from 698 MHz to 960
MHz in the low band
and 1,710 to 2,170
MHz as well as 2.6
GHz in the high band
without requiring any
switching elements
or matching circuits.
MTM-E is a small
LTE antenna platform,
meeting the require-
ments for portable
LTE devices such as mobile phones, laptops, USB dongles, wire-
less routers and wireless modems. The Rayspan MTM-E solution
is the only antenna technology that offers integrated LTE, 3G,
Bluetooth and GPS all from a single-feed antenna solution.
“Rayspan MTM-E is uniquely suited to the requirements of wire-
less and mobile standards and especially LTE,” said Gregory Poil-
asne, VP of Business Development at Rayspan. “We are pleased
to be able to offer an LTE antenna solution that not only leads the
industry in performance, integration, low power consumption and
4 Antenna Systems & Technology April/May 2010
time to market, but is ready for manufacturers today.”
Unlike competing 3D antennas designed for LTE, the MTM-E
antenna is a simple 2D design in which copper artwork is printed
directly on a device’s printed circuit board (PCB) using standard
PCB manufacturing techniques. This enables MTM structures to
be built using the finest line widths and spacing available for an-
tennas. These MTM structures, along with eliminating the need
for switching elements and matching circuits, simplify system
integration, lower power consumption, accelerate time to market
and allow for smaller handset designs.
The Rayspan MTM-E solution complies with the current LTE
standard, which calls for multiple input, multiple output (MIMO)
technology requiring two separate antenna structures that operate
over the same frequency band, at the same time, and from the
same location. The MTM-E MIMO antenna solution exhibits ex-
cellent MIMO gain performance with greater than 50 efficiency
values in free-space for handset applications, better than -10dB in
near field isolation, and better than 0.3 far-field envelop correla-
tion coefficient. The secondary LTE MIMO antenna also supports
3G diversity and GPS applications.
ARA, Inc. Reveals ARA-243 Series
Antenna Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) has released the
243 series antenna. This series is a small and lightweight fold-
www.AntennasOnline.com
 editor’s choice
able SATCOM antenna line. Utilizing input provided by former device manufac-
special operations communications experts who served in Af- turers to offer
ghanistan and other hotspots around the world, the engineering multiple radios
team at ARA has created a smart, without sacrific-
convenient and user-friendly mini ing performance,
SATCOM antenna system. space require-
One of many convenient features ments or profit
of the ARA-243 series is its ability to margins,” said
diversify its functions in order to sat- Lisa Arrowsmith,
isfy a variety of military communica- analyst, IMS Re-
tion needs. Each system is available search. “IMS Re-
with a wide range of attachments. search forecasts that by 2013, more than 4.5 billion combination
Each attachment is compatible with ICs featuring a variety of radios will have been shipped.”
the top RF part of the system, giving “As the first company to put the power of GPS, WLAN, Blue-
users the freedom to switch functions tooth and FM technologies on a single chip, we are excited to
with simplicity and ease. This system have solved some of the market’s most complex coexistence
includes all this functionality while challenges,” said Haviv Ilan, vice president and general manag-
providing optimal gain and commu- er, wireless connectivity solutions, TI. “This type of innovation
nication link performance. builds on our strong heritage in the wireless market and commit-
Antenna Research’s 243 series hosts a variety of different prod- ment to spearhead next-generation advancements. With its ability
ucts to fit a soldiers every need. The ARA-243T is an antenna with to support simultaneous use of all four radios, the WiLink 7.0
a sturdy, yet compact tripod, with continuous azimuthal and eleva- solution will truly revolutionize the way people interact with their
tion adjustment. The ARA-243P is an antenna with an easy to hold devices and connect to the larger world.”
pistol grip. ARA’s Engineering team consulted with several gun The WiLink 7.0 solution is sampling to major OEMs today.
experts in order to find the most practical and comfortable grip. Devices using the WiLink 7.0 solution are expected to enter the
The result was the use of a grip that is part of a widely used rifle. market by the end of 2010.
The ARA-243M is the magnetic mount model.
This model can be used to secure the antenna to the
top of a Connex container or other metallic surface RF & MICROWAVE THE LARGEST
when an operator may not have room to deploy a SELECTION
full tripod. FILTERS IN THE INDUSTRY
The ARA-243K model is an antenna kit that
includes all of the aforementioned attachments
(tripod, pistol and magnetic mount). This system
features a carrying case that is MOLLE compliant
so that it can be attached to the outside of the ruck-
sack. The pistol grip model comes with a smartly
designed holster that can be worn by the operator. Ceramic Cavity Lumped SAW Crystal

Applications
• 50 years of filter design experience
Texas Instruments Delivers Quad-Radio • ISO 9001:2000-certified • Wireless communication
• Follows MIL-STD-45208A, MIL-F-18327 • Defense electronic systems
Single Chip • GSA-approved vendor • Industrial systems
Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) has unveiled its • Anatech Microwave subsidiary for • Medical systems
WiLink 7.0 single-chip solution to integrate standard and semi-custom products • Scientific instruments
• AMCrf Web store for online purchase • GPS navigation systems
WLAN 802.11n, GPS, FM transmit/receive and
of Anatech’s standard products • Satellite communications
Bluetooth technologies. Integrating these capa- • Power dividers, duplexs, triplexers, • WiFi and WiMAX systems
bilities on a true single chip, the 65-nanometer circulators, and directional couplers • Point-to-point microwave links
WiLink 7.0 solution reduces costs by 30 percent,
www.anatechelectronics.com www.anatechmicrowave.com www.amcrf.com
reduces size by 50 percent and delivers improved Custom Products Standard Products Webstore
coexistence performance as compared to today’s
existing solutions. Anatech Electronics Inc
“TI’s announcement that its Bluetooth/FM/
70 Outwater Lane, Garfield NJ 07026
GPS/WLAN combination IC is sampling to major
973 772 4242 sales@anatechelectronics.com
OEMs marks the first of its kind, demonstrating
the strong future for combination ICs that enable Reps Needed

www.AntennasOnline.com April/May 2010 Antenna Systems & Technology 5

new products & services antennas
Powerwave Optimizes Next-Generation Antenna Family for SY250-HF2SNM(U) Yagi Directional Antenna
Emerging Wireless Markets Sinclair presents the new heavy duty model in the SY250 series
Powerwave Technologies, Inc., a pro-
ducer of end-to-end wireless coverage
and capacity solutions, has optimized its
antenna product line to address the needs
of emerging wireless markets and help
bridge the digital divide.
“Offering high efficiency, as much as
one dB in gain above competing offer-
ings and remote electrical tilt functional-
ity, Powerwave antenna offerings are well
suited for emerging markets, enabling op-
erators to cover more range with less net-
work downtime and financial burden.”
Globally, the number of mobile sub-
scribers is expected to climb to 5 billion
by 2015, and a large proportion of those
new users will be in developing nations
and/or in rural areas with little to no exist-
ing infrastructure. A wide range of wire-
less protocols, from GPRS to WiMAX,
are being leveraged as wireless networks
in emerging markets begin to take shape.
However, the key criteria they all share is
Powerwave Family
the need for reliable, cost-effective wireless infrastructure.
“There is great potential for mobile broadband to become a
viable fixed-line alternative in emerging markets, but also great
challenge for operators to build and run highly efficient networks
to counteract lower Average Revenue Per User,” said Khurram P.
Sheikh, chief product and development officer, Powerwave Tech-
nologies, Inc. “Offering high efficiency, as much as one dB in
gain above competing offerings, and remote electrical tilt func-
tionality, Powerwave antenna offerings are well suited for emerg-
ing markets, enabling operators to cover more range with less
network downtime and financial burden.”
Building on the company’s existing family of single-and dual-
band antennas, Powerwave’s optimized antennas offer high ef-
ficiency, low interference and improved gain per length, enabling
operators to quickly and cost-effectively deploy new services le-
veraging frequencies in all major frequency bands: 700/800/900/
1700/1800/1900/2100/2600 MHz.
Powerwave antenna options include fixed electrical tilt sup-
port, as well as remote electrical tilt functionality under one an-
tenna radome. Powerwave antennas have the ability to provide
consistent performance across frequency bands and down tilts
via Powerwave’s patented Aperture Coupled Patch technology,
which ensures consistent performance over the entire band and
the elimination of dead zones. This also translates to reduced to-
tal cost of ownership as operators can cover more area with few-
er cell sites. The Aperture Coupled Patch also offers improved
azimuth tracking, translating into less optimization needed by
the network.
6 Antenna Systems & Technology April/May 2010
of advanced Yagi directional antennas. The SY250-HF2SNM(U) is
designed for 40 mm ice loading and high front-back ratio. Covering
a frequency range of 138 to 174 MHz, this extra broadband antenna
ensures improved performance in extreme wind and ice conditions.
These models are universally mountable i.e. they can be center,
end or wall mounted with optional clamps. Mounting clamps are
available upon request.
Aeroflex’s DC to 40 GHz SMART^E 5300 reduces life cycle
cost of high-performance, high-speed RF and microwave testing
For high-performance, high-speed testing of RF and micro-
wave devices, Aeroflex introduces the SMART^E 5300 general-
purpose test environment. The DC to 40 GHz SMART^E 5300 is
unique in its ability to test, monitor and control any Device Under
Test (DUT) within a single test environment.
“SMART^E 5300 eliminates a large rack of test equipment and
replaces it with a compact test system that is quickly reconfigured
and redeployed to suit any individual DUT or production line,”
said Dr. Francesco Lupinetti, senior business development execu-
tive for Aeroflex’s High Speed Test Solutions. “The SMART^E
5300 also has the ability to emulate legacy and obsolete instru-
ments. In this market, long-term support is a major concern. The
fact that we can offer customers a ‘future-proof’ system gives
customers peace of mind.”
SMART^E 5300
is designed for para-
metric and functional
testing in the mili-
tary/aerospace and
high-performance
commercial markets.
The system is well
suited for customers
with one or more of
these demanding RF/
microwave test requirements including high throughput produc-
tion, large number of unique tests per DUT, highly repetitive tests
per DUT, product lines requiring rapid software reconfiguration of
test systems, and replacement of racks of older or obsolete equi-
ment with a “synthetic” or software-defined test environment.
The Aeroflex SMART^E 5300 is currently available for de-
livery 24 to 28 weeks upon receipt of order. Because of the
SMART^E 5300’s high degree of customization and scalability,
prices can vary considerably.
Heavy Duty GPS Timing Antenna Can be Used for
Network Synchronization
Mobile Mark has recently introduced a Heavy Duty GPS Tim-
ing Antenna that can be used for a wide variety of applications
including network synchronization in equipment cabinets and
cell towers, geographic surveying, railroad track-side electronics
shacks and agri-business planting.
www.AntennasOnline.com
new products & services antennas
The new GPS Timing Antenna, the NT-1575, is housed in a
rugged and weather-resistant radome that has undergone rigorous
temperature, moisture, shock and vibration testing. The antenna
has a 4 dBi patch element and a 26 dB L.N.A. and is designed
for right-hand circular polarization (RHCP). The interior of the
antenna is completely sealed with high impact foam.
“Our customers were asking
for an extremely durable and low
profile timing antenna and the new
NT-1575 meets their needs,” said
Ken Lukowski, VP Sales. “They
like the fact the foamed interior
provides additional protection
from shock and vibration.”
The compact antenna measures 1.6-inches (40 mm) tall by
3.66-inches (93 mm) in diameter. It terminates with a TNC Jack
connector and can be surface mounted to a 0.75-inch diameter
hole or pole mounted on pipes up to 2.5 inches outside diameter.
The antenna has been tested to and passed the following in-
dustry and military standards: EN-61373, IEEE-1478, and MIL-
STD-810G. The antenna has also been rated at IPx7 for water
ingress resistance and has an ESD rating of 15KV.
Pulse Monopole Antennas Enable Multiple M2M Applications
Pulse, a producer of electronic component and subassembly
design and manufacturing, has released a new set of monopole
antennas that deliver ZigBee 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) and ISM bands
868 megahertz (MHz), 915 MHz and 2.4 GHz. These antennas
are suitable alternatives to using trace antennas because they oc-
cupy very little printed circuit board space while maintaining their
key properties regardless of changes to the board. They provide
a radio interface for multi-purpose machine-to-machine (M2M)
devices and applications such as data loggers, remote control,
tracking, monitoring,
Smart Grid, auto-
mated meter reading
(AMR), tags, remote
keyless entry, indus-
trial, metering, secu-
rity, automation and
point-of-sale (POS).
The monopole
family of ceramic an-
tennas consists of the
W3000, W3014, W3016 and W3043. Due to their small size they
are well suited to solutions where PCB size is limited for the an-
tenna. Compared to a PCB antenna, the high temperature ceramic
(HTC) material used in the monopole family means they detune
less due to human tissue proximity or device mechanics, making
them a well suited choice for hand-held or body worn products.
These antennas can be used for multiple functions because their
operating frequencies can be changed simply by implementing
different matching circuits.
The smallest antenna is the W3043, at 3.2 mm wide by 1.6 mm
8 Antenna Systems & Technology April/May 2010
long by 1.1 mm high with a weight of 33 mg. It is matched to 2.4
GHz or other frequencies.
The W3000, also compact, measuring 7 mm by 1.6 mm by 1.6
mm and weighs 86 mg. It's used for 2.4 GHz and ISM band 868.
With clearance, these antennas measure 66 mm² (11 mm by 6
mm). Compared to a typical 2.45 GHz FR-4 trace antenna which
measures 200 mm² (20 mm by 10 mm), Pulse’s monopole anten-
nas deliver 67 percent more board space. Thus, a smaller device
can be designed or space freed up for other components, and PCB
costs are reduced.
The W3014 is a 10 mm by 3.2 mm by 1.5 mm chip with a
weight of 240 mg. It uses ISM band 915 so it can be used for de-
signs containing a suitable matching circuit. The W3016 is well
suited for ISM band 868 and is 10 mm by 3.2 mm by 4 mm with
a weight of 600 mg.
“With so many emerging applications in the M2M sector, de-
signers need an antenna solution which accommodates different
ground plane sizes and product dimensions,” said Elaine Baxter,
marketing manager, Pulse Wireless Devices Antenna Division.
"Pulse's new range of ZigBee and ISM band ceramic monopole
antennas offers a comprehensive and flexible portfolio which can
be matched to the majority of M2M applications. They provide
more reliability and higher performance than traditional trace an-
tennas used on the PCB.”
All Pulse monopole antennas are RoHS compliant and fully com-
patible with surface mount devices. They are easy to implement
and come with Pulse's worldwide technical support. The antennas
are packaged in tape-and-reel. Prices range from $0.25 to $0.55 and
may vary according to destination and order configuration.
SkyCross Expands its iMAT Antenna Offering for LTE
SkyCross has combined its iMAT antenna technology with ad-
vanced digital band-switching to deliver an improved antenna so-
lution for LTE. This solution not only delivers performance with
up to 2.5 times faster 4G data rates, but it also supports the legacy
wireless protocols that operate alongside LTE, while doing so in
a small footprint.
iMAT specifically addresses
the MIMO (multiple-input,
multiple-output) requirement
of 4G protocols. Mobile de-
vices that support MIMO
typically require multiple an-
tenna resonators, but space
constraints and interference
issues make this a difficult im-
plementation challenge. SkyCross iMAT antennas utilize a pat-
ented antenna design technique that enables a single optimized
antenna element to take the place of multiple antennas, which
lowers cost, improves MIMO performance and streamlines the
integration process when compared to traditional antennas.
Since LTE devices must support legacy 3G networks as well as
added features, band-switching technology from SkyCross enables
the antenna to actively tune across multiple frequencies as required
www.AntennasOnline.com
 antennas new products & services
for the function operating on the device at that moment. This further Panorama Launches Ultra Wideband Ceiling Mount Antenna
reduces the space occupied by the antenna, especially at 700 MHz, Panorama Antennas, a RF antennas company, has launched the
while still delivering improved performance for all of the device’s next generation of in-building antennas. Designed to support a
features. Current SkyCross designs support up to 10 bands includ- multi-service, multi-operator wireless environment, the CMWB-
ing 700 MHz band 13 and 17 for North American LTE, 2600 MHz 038-6 operates on the full wireless spectrum, from 380 MHz
band 7 for global LTE carriers, as well as legacy penta-band 3G cel- through to 6 GHz in a single antenna.
lular, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which emerging 4G smartphones A true wideband system,
require. SkyCross can apply this innovative antenna technology to Panorama’s CMWB-038-6
support any combination of bands needed, so device manufacturers allows businesses and fa-
can select which bands apply to their designs. cilities to support multiser-
vice/multi-operator wireless
coverage. Any number or
PCTEL Unveils New Dual Polarization MIMO Antenna for combination of services are
supported including TETRA
Broadband Wireless Mobile Applications UHF, GSM 400, AWS 700
PCTEL, Inc. has unveiled its new Medallion Dual Polarization
MHz, Quadband GSM, 3G UMTS, 2.4 GHz WLAN, LTE and
GPS Multi-Band mobile antenna. The new model, based on the
WiMAX enabling simultaneous mobility for employees, consum-
popular Medallion mobile antenna platform has been enhanced
ers and emergency services whilst providing in-building service
to provide MIMO coverage for broadband wireless frequencies
providers and DAS installers with a convenient ‘one size fits all’
used for voice, video and data transmission in public safety,
solution. The aesthetically pleasing form ensures that the antenna
emergency response and mass transit applications.
blends into the ceiling furniture.
PCTEL’s new Medallion antenna provides dual vertical and
With a highly efficient design the antenna delivers wireless
horizontal polarization and diversity at 2.3 to 2.7 GHz frequencies
coverage in the most complex of locations and structures, includ-
commonly used for data and streaming video communications.
ing multi-building campus sites, high-rise offices or large com-
The antenna enables enhanced data throughput with faster transfer
plexes such as airports.
speeds and decreased interference in urban areas with highAntennaAd-AST:Layout
lev-
1030 “The rapid evolution
6 3/4/10 of wireless
4:56 PMtechnologies
Page 1 is a complex
els of wireless activity. The modular design of the
Medallion platform adapts easily to other frequen-
cy applications, including 3.5 GHz WiMAX.
The Medallion antenna also supports no tune,
multi-band coverage of GSM 850/1900 and GSM Antennas
Assemblies
900/1800 frequencies as well as GPS L1 track-
ing. Other features include low profile housing
and over-molded gasket design for water and dust
Custom designs for critical data transmission
ingress protection.
“Our Medallion platform has been extremely
well received in the marketplace since its intro-
duction last year,” said Jeff Miller, vice president
and general manager of PCTEL’s Antenna Prod-
ucts Group. “We are pleased with the Medallion’s
performance in emergency response, fleet man- Gain
agement and locomotive applications. The plat-
Polarization
form’s versatility has allowed us to expand our
offering by applying new technologies and added
frequencies, as shown with this new multi-band We design and build custom application-specific
antennas exceeding your electrical and mechanical
MIMO antenna with GPS tracking.” parameters. Our antenna specialists use sophisticated
simulation software and in-house testing to optimize
your antenna. And our vertical integration allows us to
use a wider range of materials in the manufacturing
@
process and deliver prototypes and production m
ut m
volumes in shorter lead times. h co
k o tru
.
ec pec

MC
The end result is a high performance C S
w
Ne
antenna designed and built just for your e
E
ec
th
application and budget.
Give us a call at 888.267.1195 S p
or visit SpecEMC.com.

www.AntennasOnline.com April/May 2010 Antenna Systems & Technology 9

 IEEE MTT-S

M A Y 2 3 - 2 8 , 2 0 1 0 A N A H E I M , C A L I F O R N I A

Have you seen what WWW.IMS2010.ORG

has to offer lately?
If you haven’t been to the IMS2010 website please take For those family and guest of attendees, please be
a moment to log on and view updates for the upcoming sure to visit the IMS2010 hospitality suite which will
IMS2010 symposium. The IMS2010 website is a great place be located at the Sheraton Hotel. Only a short distance
to start if you are not familiar with the symposium or local from the Anaheim convention center, we have created a
area. Here you can gather general information and comfortable setting where you can meet with friends,
also learn about travel and lodging near the Anaheim grab a snack, check email and learn what the local area
convention center. We also recommend that you view the has to offer. There will also be special activities for the
technical program schedule along with learning more children.
about who is exhibiting and how your company can
become an exhibitor. We look forward to your attendance and participation
in the coming year at IMS2010!
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for two fun-filled
hours of networking with “Microwave & RF” female
Come visit i f o rn ia
colleagues during IMS2010. There is a Women in a l
, Cfor IMS2010
Microwave Engineering (WIM) reception happy hour a h e i m
to be held Tuesday evening at the Uva Bar located in An
Downtown Disney. Check the IMS program for more details.

Official Media Source

Media Partners: of the MTT Society:
May 23-28, 2010
IMS2010 I Anaheim Convention Center
 antennas
battleground for both businesses and operators alike,” said Chris-
topher Jesman, managing director. “There is a constant drive for
integrated solutions that can cover all the bases, with the flex-
ibility to enable system upgrades without complete infrastructure
change. With the CMWB-038-6, Panorama has an in-building
solution that can facilitate all of these demands.”
Radio Waves Releases New 15 GHz Discriminator for
Dragonwave ODU
Radio Waves, Inc. has released a new
member of the Discriminator family to
cover the 15 GHz microwave band.
This latest Discriminator is the HP-
CPE-15DW2 and it integrates directly
with the Dragonwave ODU. The Dis-
criminator is known for its low profile
and improved side lobe performance.
“At Radio Waves we are committed
to developing innovative antenna prod-
ucts,” said Andy Singer, president of
Radio Waves. “Our 15 GHz Discrimi-
nator is a very aesthetically pleasing
solution for 15 GHz microwave instal-
lations that make it easier to get landlord and zoning approval.”
www.AntennasOnline.com
new products & services
New RET Antennas for Cellular Applications
Sinclair’s latest offering for the cellu-
lar antenna market is the Remote Electrical
Downtilt Adjustable Antenna, featuring 0° to
10° electrical downtilt either manually or by
AISG compatible remote control unit. These
wideband antennas cover a broad spectrum of
wireless frequencies from 806 to 2,170 MHz.
SX400 and SX500 series antennas cover
806 to 960 MHz and 1,710 to 2,170 MHz
respectively, and both offer dual polariza-
tion and horizontal beamwidth of 33, 65 or
90°. For applications requiring fixed down-
tilts non-RET versions of these antennas
are also available. For more comprehensive
coverage the SX400/500 series combines
SX400 and SX500 series antennas into a
single radome, covering 806 to 960 MHz
and 1,710 to 2,170 MHz in dual ports or
806 to 960 MHz, 1,710 to 1,880 and 1,920
to 2,170 MHz in triple ports.
Send new product releases to Heather Krier at
heatherk@infowebcom.com
April/May 2010 Antenna Systems & Technology 11
new products & services Test & Measurement
PXA Signal Analyzer with Embedded LTE and HSPA+
Measurement Applications
Agilent Technologies, Inc.’s new advanced measurement ap-
plications embedded in the Agilent N9030A PXA signal analyzer
are used to test radio frequency (RF) transmitters.
The advanced measurement applications test a variety of sig-
nal standards in cellular communication and digital video. Sig-
nal standards include LTE-FDD, LTE-TDD, W-CDMA/HSPA/
HSPA+, DVB-T/H and ISDB-T.
For LTE FDD and TDD, the N9080A and N9082A applications
enable one-button testing that simplifies the design, validation
and manufacturing of base stations (BTS) and user equipment
(UE) in accordance with 3GPP standards (TS 36.141 and TS
36.521-1). The applications support all LTE channel bandwidths;
channels and signals for uplink and downlink; in-band trans-
mitted signal quality measurements; and out-of-band unwanted
emissions measurements. Key measurements include error vec-
tor magnitude (EVM), frequency error, adjacent channel power
(ACP), spectrum emissions mask (SEM) and transmit on/off
power (unique to TDD). The applications also include a wealth of
essential measurement functions and provide a unique capability
to recall enhanced test model (E-TM) setups for modulation qual-
ity measurements, simplifying RF transmitter conformance tests.
The N9073A W-CDMA/HSPA/HSPA+ measurement applica-
tion provides one-button RF transmitter conformance measure-
ment of BTS and mobile station (MS) devices in accordance with
3GPP test standards (release 99 to 8). Key measurements include
error vector magnitude (EVM), frequency error, peak code do-
main error, spectrum emissions mask (SEM) and adjacent chan-
nel power (ACP).
The N6153A DVB-T/H and N6155A ISDB-T measurement ap-
plications provide one-button, standards-based power and modu-
lation analysis capabilities. These simplify the design, evaluation
and manufacturing of DVB-T/H and ISDB-T modulators, trans-
mitters, amplifiers, tuners and gap fillers/repeaters.
The PXA signal analyzer is the highest-performance member
of the Agilent X-Series. Combining the PXA with an embedded
measurement application provides excellent dynamic range, up
to –87 dB for 3GPP ACLR, and power meter-like accuracy of
±0.19 dB, reducing the number of tools needed in BTS R&D
and manufacturing.
The PXA is the only signal analyzer to provide simultaneous
140 MHz bandwidth with up to 75 dBc of spurious-free dy-
namic range. This allows multi-carrier signal analysis as well as
12 Antenna Systems & Technology April/May 2010
analysis and troubleshooting of the digital predistortion (DPD)
techniques used in power amplifiers in wide-bandwidth sys-
tems such as LTE. For engineers transitioning from 3G to 4G,
the 140-MHz bandwidth is the best choice for true 4G mobile
broadband systems such as LTE Advanced, which extends LTE
to a 100 MHz bandwidth.
The N9030A PXA signal analyzer is available worldwide.
Base prices range from $51,900 for the N9030A-503 (3.6 GHz)
to $66,300 for the N9030A-526 (26.5 GHz).
Spectrum XT Delivers Wireless Spectrum Analysis with
Powerful New Features and Universal USB Form Factor
AirMagnet, Inc., a Fluke Networks company, has released
AirMagnet Spectrum XT, a USB-based professional spec-
trum analyzer solution that combines in-depth RF analysis
with real-time WLAN information for quick and accurate
troubleshooting of wireless performance problems. This new
combined “impact analysis” view of RF interference on a
network’s overall performance helps to more effectively pin-
point the root-cause of interference issues, enabling IT staff
to quickly identify and troubleshoot RF issues that are more
critical than others.
AirMagnet Spectrum XT is now available in the universal
and convenient USB form factor, allowing it to be used on any
notebook, netbook or Tablet PC. Spectrum XT detects, identi-
fies and helps locate those individual sources of RF interfer-
ence that impact the performance of the WLAN network, in-
cluding non-WLAN devices such as Bluetooth, conventional/
inverter microwave ovens, analog/digital cordless phones,
digital video monitors, ZigBee devices, game controllers, RF
jammers, baby monitors, wireless cameras and many more.
“RF interference can have a major impact on the overall
performance of a WLAN. AirMagnet’s spectrum products
have always offered the industry’s most comprehensive
and powerful features for identifying and troubleshooting
RF problems,” said Chia-Chee Kuan, VP of engineering at
AirMagnet. “The latest release of AirMagnet Spectrum XT
continues that innovation and further demonstrates our com-
mitment to the product. By offering a combined view of the
impact analysis of RF interference on a network's overall per-
formance, Spectrum XT helps network managers pinpoint the
root-cause of interference problems.”
AirMagnet Spectrum XT is available now at a US list price
of $2,495. Until June 30, users can take advantage of the early-
adopter program and purchase Spectrum XT at an introductory
price of $2,195.
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Your subscription to Antenna Systems & Technology might
be about to expire. Check your status in the colored box lo-
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 components new products & services
GaAs and SOI Antenna Switch Modules for 2/3/4G Wireless (CMOS) decoder and dual low pass harmonic filters. The small
3.0 by 3.8 mm switch has five 3/4G transmit-receive (TRx)
Broadband and Mobile Handset Applications ports, three receive (Rx) ports, and two global system for mobile
Skyworks Solutions, Inc. has introduced a family of antenna communications (GSM)
switch modules (ASMs) for 2/3/4G handset and data card plat- transmit signal low-pass
forms using both gallium arsenide (GaAs) and silicon on insulator harmonic filters that make
(SOI) technologies. Skyworks products address the three primary it the flexible choice for
switching functions: main antenna, diversity and band/mode. multiple combinations of
“These solutions highlight the breadth and dep th of our tech- 2/3/4G multimode cel-
nology as we look to best serve our customers’ needs on multiple lular applications. Using
fronts and with highly integrated architectures.” advanced switch tech-
These compact solutions deliver state-of-the-art technology to nologies, the ASM main-
meet both high performance and low-cost architectures, depend- tains low insertion loss
ing upon the interface requirements. By delivering a comprehen- and high isolation on both
sive RF switch portfolio based on both technologies, Skyworks is transmit, transmit-receive and receive switching paths.
able to augment its already broad portfolio of world-class switch- The SKY14152 is a low-cost, single-pole eight-throw (SP8T)
es currently used in the company’s front-end modules. ASM for use in multimode embedded data cards. The compact
“Skyworks is pleased to be supporting such a broad range of 3.2 by 3.2 mm device is designed for universal mobile telecom-
next-generation wireless broadband and mobile handset applica- munications system (UMTS), code division multiple access
tions with our new family of antenna switch modules,” said Dr. (CDMA2000), enhanced data for GSM evolution (EDGE) and
Gene A. Tkachenko, Skyworks’ senior director of engineering. GSM applications and supports flexibility with up to five 3/4G
“These solutions highlight the breadth and depth of our technol- TRx bands. The device consists of an SP8T switch, GSM trans-
ogy as we look to best serve our customers’ needs on multiple mit signal low-pass harmonic filters and a RX SAW filter.
fronts and with highly integrated architectures.” The SKY14153 is a low-cost, single-pole, four-throw (SP4T)
The SKY13362 is a single-pole 10-throw (SP10T) ASM switch designed for wideband code division multiple access
with an integrated complementary metal oxide semiconductor (WCDMA) and diversity switching applications that demand

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April/May 2010 Antenna Systems & Technology 13
new products & services components
high linearity and low-insertion loss. The compact 2.0 by 2.0
mm switch is optimized for third generation partnership project
(3GPP) 3/4G bands from 0.70 to 2.7 gigahertz (GHz).
The SKY14155 is a low cost, double-pole, four-throw (DP4T)
switch designed for broadband, 3/4G band switching applications
which demand low insertion loss, high isolation and high linear-
ity. The compact 2.0 by 2.0 mm switch is manufactured using a
state-of-the-art SOI process and is optimized for 3G WCDMA
mode/band switching applications.
The SKY18106 is a SP8T ASM designed for multimode, high
power switching applications that demand low harmonics and in-
sertion loss. The 3.2 by 4 mm switch is optimized for both 2G
GSM/EDGE and 3G WCDMA applications and supports up to
six 3/4G TRx ports with very low insertion loss, high isolation
and excellent linearity under antenna mismatch conditions.
Samples of the SKY14152, SKY14153, SKY14155 and
SKY18106 are currently available.
RFMD Introduces Single-Placement RF Front Ends
RF Micro Devices, Inc., a producer in the design and manufac-
ture of high-performance radio frequency components and com-
pound semiconductor technologies, has introduced the RF7178,
a front end module to integrate a quad-band, class 12-compliant
GSM/GPRS power amplifier, a pHEMT antenna switch and re-
ceive SAW filters.
14 Antenna Systems & Technology April/May 2010
The RF7178 offers full quad-band transmit performance
(GSM850/EGSM900/DCS1800/PCS1900) and four dedicated
receive ports in a compact single-placement package. Both the
transmit and receive paths are performance-optimized to deliver
a low-loss, high efficiency front end solution without requiring
additional matching components.
RFMD has also introduced the RF7177, a dual-band
(EGSM900/DCS1800) front end module that is pin-to-pin com-
patible with the RF7178 and features a similar feature set inte-
grating the pHEMT antenna switch and SAW filters. When com-
bined, RFMD's RF7178 and RF7177 provide a scalable platform
solution for handset manufacturers seeking advanced levels of
integration, streamlined inventory management and minimal de-
ployment of valuable RF design resources.
Compared to traditional discrete implementations, the RF7178
and RF7177 each eliminate approximately 10 component place-
ments, thereby reducing assembly costs, improving line yields
and lowering the costs associated with purchasing and managing
inventory. Additionally, by allowing the use of common printed
circuit boards (PCBs) across handset models, the RF7178 and
RF7177 reduce handset manufacturers' inventory costs and en-
able configurable end-products based upon regional and/or cus-
tomer-specific requirements.
The RF7178 is production released and samples are currently
available. The RF7177 is scheduled for production release in the
June 2010 quarter.
www.AntennasOnline.com
 wireless / wi-fi / Lte new products & services
Axell Wireless Extends Digital Repeater Product Range for Planned Europe-
an deployments of
Mobile Network Operators Solutions for In-Building, On- LTE promises much
Board and LTE higher data transfer
Axell Wireless, a provider of wireless coverage solutions, has speeds for subscrib-
launched three new digital repeaters that allow mobile operators ers but presents
to extend network reach and to efficiently exploit new commer- unique radio fre-
cial opportunities. The new digital products, Digital Multiband quency challenges
repeater for inbuilding applications, the Digital OnBoard train of getting the ser-
repeater and the Digital LTE repeater all provide operators a cost vice into the com-
effective means of deploying mobile voice and broadband data mercial and public
services in complex and challenging environments. buildings where
The accelerating global demand for multi-megabyte mobile most of the services
data services requires reliable and high performance network will be used. De-
equipment and each mobile operator to make increasingly effi- ploying dedicated base stations to every location along with the
cient use of their available radio spectrum. To meet those require- associated high speed backhaul connection required by LTE is
ments, Axell Wireless has developed a digital multiband repeater not economically viable for most mobile operator business mod-
(D-MBR) that provides coverage for 900 Mhz, 1800 Mhz, 2100 els. To meet this challenge, Axell Wireless has developed the dig-
Mhz and LTE operating at 2600 Mhz in a single box. The D-MBR ital Axell 2626 LTE repeater. The 2626 LTE is a sophisticated off
allows mobile operators to serve subscribers on all major net- air repeater that allows operators to pick up outside signals and
work types and frequencies in the same building without having simply and cost effectively propagate them throughout a build-
to deploy a number of devices. Based on a highly resilient digital ing. It has the potential to substantially limit the investment that
architecture, the D-MBR features a massive 240 MHz bandwidth would otherwise be required in base station infrastructure.
capability which, combined with multiple sub-band filtering, of- Following the EU’s decision to standardize cross-border com-
fers the perfect solution for operators working in either demand- munications through the pan-European connection of GSM-R
ing spectrum allocations or physical environments. networks, Axell Wireless has developed a new digital onboard

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www.AntennasOnline.com April/May 2010 Antenna Systems & Technology 15
new products & services wireless / wi-fi / Lte
repeater (D-OBR) for in-train cellular and GSM-R coverage. The
D-OBR will allow the train operators system to automatically
retune services at border crossings to support local network op-
erators thus providing passengers with seamless voice and data
connectivity during their journey. For maximum flexibility, the
system also enables the train operator to turn off the service when
entering a territory where it has no agreement in place with a
mobile provider. The D-OBR supports up to 5 separate cellular
bands covering all major European frequency allocations includ-
ing LTE at 2600 Mhz.
Ian Brown, CEO of Axell Wireless, said, “Axell pioneered re-
peater technology in the 80s and since then we have continued to
focus on technical leadership and innovation. Our latest digital
coverage solutions are designed to be technology agnostic so that
operators have the flexibility to provide coverage for any wireless
standard at any major frequency band. In a world in which opera-
tors are increasingly having to squeeze more capacity and benefit
out of their existing spectrum allocations this is a major advantage.
Extending network reach in a highly competitive environment and
extracting benefit from the LTE challenge are a key focus for the
industry right now. Axell’s solutions deliver on both counts.”
Flexible, Modular Fiber Base Unit to Support Multi-Band and
Multi-Standard Distributed Antenna Systems
Powerwave Technologies, Inc. has introduced its Fiber Base
Unit (FBU), a flexible and modular platform for wideband cover-
age distributed antenna systems (DAS), designed to support wire-
less coverage in a range of venues including subways, airports,
office buildings, shopping malls and stadiums.
As mobile users continue to demand seamless wireless access
wherever they roam, dedicated in-building coverage systems are
a suitable solution for improving quality of service. Critical mar-
ket requirements for these systems include flexibility, broadband
functionality, easy installation and swift upgrades to ensure a
future-proof solution. Powerwave’s FBU, which converts and re-
converts RF signals to optical signals, is easy to install and main-
tain, and provides network operators, integrators and OEMs with
a cost-effective, configurable and multi-standard system for feed-
ing in-building coverage solutions based on Powerwave’s Nexus
FT and fiber optical repeaters.
“Operators are always challenged with providing comprehen-
sive coverage, especially in settings such as urban centers, trans-
portation systems and terminals,” said Khurram P. Sheikh, chief
product and development officer, Powerwave Technologies, Inc.
“Our Fiber Base Unit offers a small footprint with significant
flexibility and functionality to ensure repeater networks large or
small can address wireless coverage system needs today and as
they evolve in the future.”
Composed of individual modules with defined functionality –
such as RF filtering, combining, remote control, alarming, optical
interface and more – the FBU is configurable with up to six fiber
optical nodes with optional wave division multiplexing (WDM).
Designed for mounting in a 19-inch rack system, the unit features
16 Antenna Systems & Technology April/May 2010
slot-in design for each module, providing for easy serviceability
and reconfiguration. Powerwave’s FBU offers long-reach fiber
optic distribution and can manage up to 24 remote units per rack.
Powerwave’s FBU can be managed remotely through Power-
wave’s Netway Vision, a SNMP-based platform that centrally
monitors and manages critical network interconnected remote-
controlled devices, and via a third-party SNMP-compliant NMS
software package.
Multi-radio 802.11n Wireless Distribution System Provides
Unprecedented Wi-Fi Mesh / Backbone Capacity
Xirrus, Inc. has released its next step in RF Innovation: multi-
link 802.11n wireless mesh. The advent of the 802.11n standard
has enabled unprecedented data capacity over Wi-Fi networks.
Combining this with the unique, multi-radio architecture of the
Xirrus XN Wi-Fi Arrays, a Wi-Fi mesh backbone can now be ac-
complished with a level of performance previously only possible
with dedicated, expensive, point-to-point systems or wire itself.
A Wireless Distribu-
tion System, or WDS,
is a system that uses
Wi-Fi to connect mul-
tiple Access Points to-
gether in a daisy chain
or mesh configuration.
In the past, Wi-Fi has
not been very effective
for deploying high per-
formance WDS because
of legacy Wi-Fi band-
width limitations and
the limited number of
radios used in standard
products. A traditional Access Point typically has only two radios,
with one radio allocated to the WDS or a repeated mesh link and
one radio servicing local Wi-Fi stations. There are several funda-
mental limitations with this design:
• A single 802.11n radio in the Access Point limits the wire-
less backbone link to a maximum 300Mbps data rate. This single
radio’s bandwidth is typically shared among multiple APs in a
meshed fashion that significantly reduces the effective bandwidth
even further.
• The second 802.11n radio remaining in the AP is used for sta-
tion connectivity and must operate in only one of the two avail-
able Wi-Fi bands, 2.4GHz or 5GHz, limiting performance and
flexibility of the network.
• A single radio backhaul link creates a bottleneck for all traffic
and a single point of failure.
• The limitations mentioned above can be alleviated in part by
dedicated wireless backbone / backhaul devices, but this means
additional components and cost added to the network.
Xirrus has overcome these limitations with its enhanced WDS
implementation in the 802.11n XN Wi-Fi Arrays. Up to three
802.11n radios can be dedicated and aggregated into a single
www.AntennasOnline.com
 wireless / wi-fi / Lte new products & services
wireless link, and up to four such links can be created per Ar- the same firmware version to greatly simplify the task of building
ray. The radio density of Xirrus’ new XN12 and XN16 Arrays a large-scale, multi-site wireless enterprise.
provides the flexibility to create multiple wireless links in one The powerful AP-7131 achieves its coverage in three ways.
device to create a Wi-Fi backbone as an element of an all wireless First, the aggregate radio transmit power is increased from 24.7
network, while at the same time servicing up to hundreds of 2.4 dBm to 27.7 dBm, doubling the output signal strength. Second,
GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi clients - all in one device. the receiver sensitivity is improved to -96 dBm, allowing the AP
“With up to 16 radios, the Array offers tremendous flexibil- to not only transmit data to clients at further distances, but also
ity and advantages when designing wireless networks,” said Jose receive data from them while maintaining maximum QoS. Finally,
Villarreal, Xirrus Wi-Fi Consulting Engineer. “We can offer cus- Motorola's adaptive AP uses a 3 by 3 antenna array with three
tomers solutions to deploy Wi-Fi across a campus environment transmitter and receiver chains, providing an optimal multiple in-
with multiple buildings without having to spec out a multitude put multiple output (MIMO) configuration for improved coverage
of different devices. And most importantly, performance is not and reliability, as opposed to the 2 by 3 antenna arrays with only
compromised as it typically is with shared radio mesh networks. two transmitter chains commonly found in the marketplace today.
The Array can dedicate radios at the full performance 802.11n The AP-7131's third radio is currently available in two options.
provides for either backhaul or servicing clients without the need The first includes a wireless sensor that supports dedicated, 24/7
to chop up resources to fit the application.” dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz) Motorola AirDefense Wireless
IPS. The sensor radio also supports Motorola AirDefense Ad-
vanced Troubleshooting, which enables Level 1 help-desk sup-
Motorola Redefines Wireless LAN Quality of Service with port staff to immediately and remotely mirror a user's problem,
test it from a device's perspective through to the application and
Powerful Indoor 802.11n Solution identify the root cause that requires repair. The second option of-
The Enterprise Mobility Solutions business of Motorola, Inc. fers an expansion slot for a 3G WAN backhaul, which can be used
has announced that its adaptive tri-radio AP-7131 access point for primary network access or high-availability.
(AP) is now available with a powerful 802.11n transmit-radio
with increased receiver sensitivity, resulting in expanded wire-
less LAN (WLAN) coverage when compared with other 802.11n
APs available in the marketplace. For customers, this translates
into considerable savings on infrastructure costs and accelerat-
ed return on investment, while giving them the confidence that
their wireless infrastructure provides the quality of service (QoS)
and improved performance required to support mobile access to
business-critical voice, video and data services. The AP-7131 is
Wireless
currently available with two configuration options for its third ra-
dio, which can provide always-on Motorola AirDefense Wireless
Intrusion Prevention System (Wireless IPS), rogue detection and
Solutions
troubleshooting or offer 3G wide area network (WAN) backhaul.
"Motorola's high-performance tri-radio 802.11n APs have
raised convergence at the WLAN edge to new levels with con-
current video, voice and data transmission, network services,
mesh networking and full-time Wireless IPS or 3G backhaul
in a single integrated device," said Darryl Morin, president and
chief executive officer, Advanced Wireless, Inc. "Now, by lead-
ing the industry in coverage performance with the breakthrough
27.7 dBm transmit-radio, Motorola took 802.11n networking to
the next level, enabling our customers to reduce the number of
APs required to provide high-quality coverage, further lowering
acquisition and support costs."
Motorola's latest 802.11n adaptive AP is a virtual network-in-
a-box, allowing it to offer full wireless and wired networking,
mesh and security services in a dependent or independent mode.
Expertise is one click away:
It can also be used as a stand-alone AP within small to medium www.ets-lindgren.com/chambers
businesses. In adaptive mode, the AP 7131 combines the benefits
of central management and site-survivability to help reduce the
complexity of deployments in remote offices. In a campus WLAN
switch environment, it can be centrally managed for large-scale
deployments. This unique multi-mode operation is supported by

www.AntennasOnline.com April/May 2010 Antenna Systems & Technology 17

white paper
Tactical Tuned
A major concern voiced by many users
in recent years has been the fairly poor state
of broadband antennas for communications
VHF Antenna
and jamming applications, particularly
for manpack and vehicular deployments
where compactness and mobility are essen-
tial. Modern tactical requirements demand
By Chris Vale • Poynting Antennas higher efficiencies and more compact form
factors as well as the ability for multiple
radio systems to co-exist on one platform.
The classical broadband whip-type HF/
VHF/UHF antennas suffer from poor per-
formance mainly as a result of physical
constraints that the designers must manage.
Wideband Whip Antennas for HF/VHF/UHF
The requirement is for a compact omni-
directional antenna with a low VSWR over
a wide bandwidth, about 100 percent (from
30 to 88 MHz) for VHF for example, and as
high gain as possible. This requirement cre-
ates a problem for a design point of view as
it is hard to achieve. The favorite solution to
the problem is known, euphemistically, as
passive matching. What actually happens is
that resistive loading is employed to help
match the antenna as close as possible to
50Ω. In essence, at frequencies where the
antenna works poorly, the load takes over
and presents a more acceptable impedance
to the radio. More advanced designs may
also make use of distributed loading (in-
ductive and resistive) on the whip radiator
itself, which can offer a better performance
at the higher frequencies, but can come
with the price of reduced power handling
and more bulky and heavier whips.
The method of lossy matching is a major
approach in all wideband (instantaneous
bandwidth) whip and dipole-like anten-
nas. The impact, from a performance point
of view is primarily low antenna efficien-
Figure 1. Gain lost as a result of passive match-
ing in a typical VHF/UHF whip antenna
18 Antenna Systems & Technology April/May 2010
cy, which is experienced as much lower
gain than could be achieved with a loss-
less antenna (e.g. a narrower band whip
or dipole). The plot in Figure 1 shows the
typical gain loss in dB as a result of using
passive matching (no distributed loading)
in a typical wideband antenna.
A value of 4 dB is not insignificant. It
means that about 60 percent of the power
delivered by the radio is lost to the match-
ing network alone. In a tactical scenario
where both vehicles use the same antenna
system, a gain drop of even as low as 3
dB in the antennas results in a drastic re-
duction of operational range. These losses
mean a lot. In addition to the loss in gain,
there is often the question of where to put
the lost energy that is converted via the re-
sistance in the matching network into heat.
Often, such wideband matched antennas
need to be bulky and heavy to accommo-
date schemes for heat dissipation.
Generally, however, the advantages of
the wideband matching achieved in this
way outweigh the drawbacks of the lower
gain. First, the bandwidth offered is instan-
taneous, the antenna is perpetually matched
across the band. Second, the antenna is
cost effective, as it only uses passive com-
ponents and the whip structure itself. As a
result, the use of wideband matched anten-
nas has become quite popular.
Active Matching with the Tactical Tuned
VHF Antenna
There is clearly a tactical advantage with
a more efficient alternative to the wideband
matched approach. A well-known alterna-
tive is to use a device known as an Auto-
matic Antenna Tuning Unit (ATU), which
attaches to the antenna and switches in
and out reactive components (capacitors
Figure 2.
www.AntennasOnline.com

Figure 3. Gain comparisons of Tactical Tuned
Antenna vs. wideband matched alternatives
and inductors) in L, T or π matching net-
work topologies to match the antenna at the
frequency it is currently being used. Such
ATUs have been popular in the HF space.
The catch has been the sheer size and
weight of the ATUs as well as their inability
to hop quickly, which have rendered them
fairly useless for modern frequency agile
communications and jamming platforms.
Using advanced PIN diode-based tech-
nologies, some new matching strategies and
compact electronic engineering, Poynting
has developed a new antenna tuning sys-
tem that integrates directly into the mount-
ing base of a whip antenna, and is able to
tune in sub- 100 μs speeds, providing the
advantages of lossless matching in a tacti-
cally useful product that can accomplish
fast hopping. As with all such systems, the
technology must be deployed with a radio
that can command the antenna by providing
the desired operating frequency and switch-
ing strobe. Currently the design is married
to a 1.8 m VHF whip and is designed for
vehicular applications, but the technology
can be adapted for other platforms, such as
manpack and extended frequency ranges.
Figures 3 and 4 provide measured per-
formance comparisons of the Tactical
Tuned VHF Antenna versus a passively
matched whip of same length. Also in-
cluded is data from a typical commercially
available passively matched antenna from
another company.
Apart from the higher gain and improved
VSWR, which provides an increase in op-
erational range of communications plat-
forms and a much easier time for radio out-
put power amplifiers, a second advantage
stemming from the use of the tactical tuned
antenna is higher rejection of unwanted
in-band interference signals than would be
www.AntennasOnline.com
Figure 4. VSWR Comparisons of Tactical
Tuned Antenna (when tuned) vs. wideband
matched alternatives
obtained when using a wideband antenna
system, as a result of the higher Q of the
tuned antenna system. The benefit of this
is that co-existing VHF radio systems will
tend to operate much better with each other
than previously possible.
Field Testing of Prototype Tactical Tuned
VHF Antenna
In field trials with a pair of prototype
Tactical Tuned VHF Antennas, the capa-
bilities of the prototype system were tested
using practical frequency hopping military
radios. The tests aimed to establish what
tangible improvements in transmission effi-
ciency and reverse intermodulation product
rejection could be observed over a typical
competing wideband passively matched
whip antenna, such as shown in Figure 3
and Figure 4.
Transmission Efficiency Tests
To establish what effect the tactical
tuned VHF antenna has in terms
of improving the transmission
efficiency, the received signal
strength is compared when using
the tactical tuned VHF antenna
and a standard wideband pas-
sively matched whip antenna at
the transmitting side as shown in
Figure 5. The antennas are driven
via a frequency hopping capable
military VHF radio through a
Figure 5.
Wideband Passively Matched Antenna
Forward power Reflected power Received power
46.7 dBm 27.7 dBm -94.0 dBm
Table 1. Results of transmission efficiency field trials at 44 MHz
April/May 2010 Antenna Systems & Technology
white paper
power meter that measures through and
reflected power. The tactical tuned VHF
antenna is tuned on command by the radio
via an RS485 interface.
On the receiver side, a standard wideband
passively matched whip antenna serves as
a sense antenna for a spectrum analyser
which measures incoming power levels.
This setup allows the effect of improved
matching and improved antenna efficiency
to be evaluated. Table 1 shows some re-
sults obtained showing the expected 3 dB
advantage obtained, which ties up with the
predictions from the gain data in Figure 3.
One big advantage that was observed in the
transmission efficiency tests related to the
reduction of radio output amplifier cutback
due to the improved matching of the tuned
antenna. The excellent match obtained by
the tuned antenna compared to the fairly
poor matching obtained in a wideband
matched antenna (typically 3:1 VSWR or
worse) implies that the in some cases as
much as 3 dB more power is available from
the radio.
Intermodulation Product Tests
The use of PIN diode–based active
matching in an antenna raises the issue
of the possibility of exacerbated inter-
modulation products over the more simple
passively matched wideband antenna sys-
tems. On the other hand, we also know
that the increased frequency discrimina-
tion of a high-Q matched antenna provides
some advantages in rejecting intermodula-
tion products arising from the radio output
stage. As such, it is instructive to study
Tactical Tuned VHF Antenna
Forward power Reflected power Received power
46.4 dBm 40.0 dBm -97.0 dBm
19
white paper
the reverse intermodulation product lev-
els arising from co-located radio systems
when using the tuned antennas versus the
wideband passively matched antennas.
Figure 6 shows the setup used to compare
the reverse intermodulation performance of
co-located radio systems utilising the tacti-
Figure 6.
Tactical Tuned VHF Antenna
Power level Forward power IM3 power detected
cal tuned VHF antennas and the same co-
located radio systems utilising wideband
passively matched antennas. The co-locat-
ed radio system has antennas located 2 m
apart. The sense antenna is located nearby
and is connected to a spectrum analyser,
which picks up the (2f1 – f2) intermodu-
lation product at 41.125 MHz, where f1 =
58.125 MHz and f2 = 75.125 MHz.
The results shown in Table 2 illustrate
the beneficial effects of the tuned antenna
in terms of rejecting radiated intermodula-
tion products. The results suggest that the
reverse intermodulation products are heav-
ily dominated by contributions from the
radio output stage, rather than the antenna
tuning network, and that the out of band re-
Wideband passively matched Antenna
Forward power IM3 power detected
jection obtained ‘for free’ from the tuned an-
tenna system is helpful in suppressing these
products, a feature not offered by wideband
matched antenna systems. The 10 dB reduc-
tion in IM3 seen here means that the range
of the jamming caused by intermodulation
products will be reduced by a factor of three
when using the tactical tuned VHF antenna
as compared to a standard wideband pas-
sively matched antenna.
Poynting Antennas has developed ad-
vanced, practically useful automatically
tuned antennas for tactical deployment that
provide significant advantages over the wide-
band matched alternatives. Future develop-
ment of this technology would be applicable
to manpack platforms and in different fre-
quency ranges. Practical field tests reveal real
benefits from the point of view of transmis-
sion efficiency and intermodulation product
rejection for co-located radio systems.

Low 37.0 dBm -55.6 dBm 37.0 dBm -31.0 dBm Chris Vale leads the Defense and Specialized
Omni-antenna and RF electronics engineering
High 47.0 dBm -28.5 dBm 45.4 dBm -18.0 dBm unit at Poynting Antennas (Pty) Ltd in Johan-
nesburg, South Africa. He can be reached at
Table 2. Results of reverse intermodulation product field tests chris.vale@poynting.co.za.

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 feature article
AM Towers and Wireless Carriers can Profitably Partner
By Lawrence Behr, Founder and CEO • LBA Group, Inc.

For years, wireless carriers looking for comes were not always guaranteed. Now that the station owners
places to hang their antennas and coaxial have been assured that attached antennas will not disrupt their AM
cables looked everywhere except at AM ra- signal patterns, they are quite willing to add a new stream of rental
dio broadcast towers. While the carriers un- revenue to their bottom lines.
doubtedly were tempted to incorporate the Other hurdles to collocation are mostly in the details of merging
existing towers into their expansion plans two technologies. AM and wireless cultures are different enough
and save tens of thousands of dollars in erection costs, they usu- that experts in one area of engineering often are barely conversant
ally concluded the AM structures were too much trouble. They with their peers in the other. AM broadcasting has evolved into
were intimidated by the seemingly incompatible requirements of a specialized field of lower frequency technology that can seem
AM and wireless technologies. They were further discouraged by quite foreign to wireless system designers and constructors. Con-
stringent Federal Communications Commission regulations that sequently, meshing the engineering and market needs of the two
protect AM towers and broadcast patterns. technologies, and coordinating the whole process with the FCC to
Their caution was totally understandable…then. Technological ensure eventual license compliance, can be a headache. For this
innovation has opened the way for cellular, PCS and SMR carri- reason, and for other reasons I’ll mention later, station owners
ers to collocate on many of the estimated 10,000 AM structures in and carriers who bring in an experienced systems integrator early
the United States. in the process save time and money.
Many AM station owners are increasingly willing to rent space The central engineering difficulty in collocations is the func-
on their structures, perhaps many more owners than generally is tional merging of the AM bandwidth “antenna” – the tower itself,
known. Because the heights of their which is the radiating element – with
towers fall below federal regulatory the self-contained wireless antenna
minimums, some station towers are and coaxial cable systems. This self-
not required to register their structures containment feature is what allows a
with the Federal Aviation Administra- wireless antenna to be affixed wherev-
tion, which keeps an eye on towers as er suitable elevation can be achieved,
flight hazards. Not being listed, the even high on AM towers.
towers for all practical purposes don’t The solution to overcoming the du-
exist to wireless system designers, eling antenna properties is to isolate
which of course precludes the design- them. Two LBA Group, Inc. compa-
ers from making overtures to collo- nies with more than 35 years of expe-
cate. Hint: If tower owners want their rience in AM broadcast and wireless
vertical real estate in the collocation industries collaborated to solve the
market, they are strongly encouraged problem. The companies developed
The hardware of a CoLoPole system at the base of an AM
to voluntarily register them with the station tower in Massachusetts. a proprietary technological approach
FCC and FAA. called CoLoSite. The essential
What sort of problems are hardware for the fix was de-
used to discourage collocating veloped and patented by LBA
on an AM tower? Most wire- Technology, Inc. Lawrence
less carriers feared they would Behr Associates, Inc. imple-
encounter difficulty in attaching mented necessary engineering
their multiple antenna cables, and integration systems. Once
but engineers have figured out installed, the system function-
how to carry the cables across ally isolates the radiating ele-
the “hot” tower base without ments so completely that wire-
interfering with AM broadcasts. less antenna and coaxial cable
Station owners, meanwhile, installations have virtually no
needed assurance that the col- effect on the host AM tower
location method proposed by a and the AM signal has no effect
wireless operator was reliable, on the wireless antenna.
acceptable to the FCC and no Consequently, the number of
threat to the station’s signal A “hot side” view of a modular CoLoCoils unit in place at an AM radio sta- wireless users on an AM tower
coverage pattern. Such out- tion in Vermont. is limited only by the tower’s

www.AntennasOnline.com April/May 2010 Antenna Systems & Technology 21

feature article
structural capacity. Furthermore, if a tower owner subsequently
decides to lease additional space to other wireless carriers, addi-
tional isolation devices are readily added without re-engineering
the system because expansion accommodations are permanently
incorporated into the AM system.
Non-directional and directional AM towers have somewhat
different isolation needs, so LBA Technology developed different
systems to accommodate the two types of towers.
The FCC stipulates radiation patterns for each directional AM
station to ensure that one station doesn’t interfere with another
station’s broadcasts. To form a pattern, directional stations em-
ploy multiple towers and the resulting pattern cannot be dis-
rupted. While there is more than one way to collocate wireless
antenna on a tower without disrupting the pattern, LBA’s cost-
effective approach inserts an isolation system between the base
station equipment and a tower.
The system, called CoLoCoil, prevents wireless transmission lines
from interfering with the directional AM tower’s radiating signals.
Because CoLoCoils are modular units, adding additional wireless
antennas to a tower later is a simple mechanical process that hardly
disturbs a station’s operation or a wireless carrier’s transmission.
On non-directional towers, an LBA system called CoLoPole
typically is used. CoLoPole directly grounds an AM tower; wire-
less antennas and transmission lines are bonded directly to the
structure. A unique wire cage impedance transformer is employed
CoLoPole in Action:
Sotirios Angelatos’ AM radio station tower in New Port Richey,
Fla., used to perform a single function: broadcast his Greek-language
radio programs on WPSO-AM. That changed in 2000 when repre-
sentatives of a wireless communications company, Sprint, suggested
hanging an antenna from the structure.
“They came to me,” Angelatos said in February during a break from
his “Good Morning, Florida” program. “Usually whenever a carrier
knows you have a tower, they approach you.”
Sprint’s antenna enjoyed splendid isolation on the tower high above
Pasco County for nine years until a second carrier, T-Mobile, hooked on
in 2009. A third carrier, Clearwire, is preparing to join the other two by
summer. This is a hastening trend, a profitable one for the radio station
owner, and one made possible by engineers who figured out how to wed
AM structures and self-contained wireless antennas without impairing
the performance of either.
Sprint collocated on Angelatos’ tower after contracting with a
North Carolina telecommunications firm, Lawrence Behr Associates.
To integrate the AM and wireless functions on the tower, Lawrence
Behr Associates utilized a patented signal isolation device developed
by LBA Technology engineers called CoLoPole.
The primary component of the isolation system is situated between
the base station and the tower and effectively cancels the threat to
the AM transmissions from wireless carrier activity. With the system
already in place, the later addition to the tower of T-Mobile was virtu-
ally an invisible process to the radio station and Sprint. The same will
be true when Clearwire connects up.
Sotirios and his brother, Angelos, were born in Greece and have
been broadcasting to Greek communities in Canada and the United
22 Antenna Systems & Technology April/May 2010
to match resistances and maximize the power transfer. The insu-
lated cage is situated away from the tower for operational access.
Besides empowering collocation, the system actually makes the
AM station more efficient and further protects a tower against
lightning. In other words, the fix gives station owners additional
incentive to allow collocation on their towers.
In short, the actual conversion of an AM broadcast tower to
multiple-use not only is technically feasible, it is a proven win-
win situation for station owners and wireless carriers. On the oth-
er hand, successful transformations can’t be churned out like cut
cookies. This is because numerous variables make each success-
ful conversion a singular experience. Having a systems integrator
on hand at the start of the process helps both parties negotiate
complexities peculiar to a situation.
Consider the varying factors to be weighed in considering the
addition of wireless antenna to an AM structure:
• Is the station facility suitable for collocation? While each station
theoretically is a candidate for conversion, some stations are not
technically or economically practical to convert.
• Which of a station’s multiple towers (where more than one tow-
er exists) would be the most effective host for wireless antenna?
The choice is not always clear and choosing wrong is an expen-
sive mistake.
• Will an AM station’s transmission schedule accommodate a car-
rier’s installation and maintenance needs? AM stations sometimes
States for 40 years. The brothers moved to the Clearwater, Fla., area in
1979 and now preside over a Greek-language broadcast enterprise that
includes WPSO, a second AM station WXYB, and television station
WZRA.
They purchased the 300-foot-tall tower that’s paired now with
Sprint and T-Mobile systems, thus avoiding the difficulties often as-
sociated with erecting a new tower. The same community resistance
drives wireless carriers to AM tower owners.
“They need towers and they are very hard to put up,” Sotirios Angela-
tos observed. The situation obviously leverages existing tower owners
and has worked out well for Angelatos. He said collocating antenna on
his station’s tower has been a 100 percent positive experience.
“I’ve never had any problem. I had a very good outcome with the
first antenna and after T-Mobile went up everything still is working
fine. It’s been a very good thing.”
Disruption during initial installation of the CoLoPole apparatus is
minimal. “After they install it, they have to tune it properly, but I’ve
had no problems with the system.”
Any aggravation experienced on the front end during installation
is more than offset once the system is in place. The whole point of
a station owner conceding space on a tower, after all, is to generate
additional revenue from an otherwise static structure. While colloca-
tion rates vary somewhat across the country, Angelatos is receiving
between $1,800 to $2,000 a month for each antenna. The higher the
placement of an antenna on a tower, the higher the rate charged.
Whenever the subject of collocation comes up in conversation with
other broadcasters, the gregarious Angelatos said he recommends it.
“If you have a tower, use it,” he said.
www.AntennasOnline.com

use different towers for day or night transmission, with power
amped up or cut back at different periods. This schedule could
affect a carrier’s efforts to install antennas and maintain them.
• Is a tower readily accessible to construction / installation crews?
• Is a tower’s load-bearing capacity sufficient for the addition of
new antennas and other hardware?
• How will hardware installation and tower reinforcement work
be carried out to prevent damage to the AM station’s radial ground
network of copper wire? Compliance with the FCC comes sharp-
ly into play here.
• Are an AM tower’s high RF voltages fully understood in plan-
ning a conversion project? While AM stations need not always
be shut down to install or maintain wireless antenna equipment,
safety precautions approved by the FCC and OSHA are strictly
followed. Collocation experts with AM know-how and RF cre-
dentials can spare companies lots of grief.
• Where should the wireless equipment building be located and
how much shielding and filtering is required? Electromagnetic
field modeling lets experienced designers pinpoint the best loca-
tions for equipment packages.
• What is a satisfactory lease or acquisition agreement? Negotia-
tions can be as complex as the engineering behind it.
AM station owners and wireless carriers have plenty of reasons
to come together now that technology allows it. In a tower, a sta-
tion owner owns an asset he can leverage by inviting carriers to
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feature article
hang their hardware from it. As for a carrier, finding a suitable AM
tower to share spares him expenditure of tens of thousands of dol-
lars for construction of a separate tower; and that’s only if he can
win approval of a tower from increasingly resistant zoning boards.
Tower collocation is working across the country for such wire-
less carriers as Sprint, ClearWire and AT&T. In all likelihood,
the frequency of these tower mergers will increase once the word
spreads that technological barriers to collocation have fallen.
Lawrence Behr is the founder of Lawrence Behr Associates, Inc.,
and subsequently, the LBA Group. Mr. Behr’s 35 years of experience
span the areas of broadcast, military and commercial telecommunica-
tions technology. He has frequently served as an expert witness be-
fore the Federal Communications Commission, the courts and zoning
authorities in communications regulatory matters. He presently is a
director of the National Association of Radio and Telecommunications
Engineers. He is a frequent lecturer and author and holds patents on
several inventions in antenna technology. Lawrence can be reached at
lbwireless@lbagroup.com.
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feature article
RFID Chips De Brazil
Nick Depperschmidt, Associate Editor • Antenna Systems and Technology
Ceitec S.A. headquaters in Porto Alegre, Brazil Ceitec’s first product, the Chip Do Boi, uses pas-
sive RFID to track and monitor cattle in Brazil
While most of the developed world continues to weather what
it hopes is the financial downturn’s last stand, it may be surpris-
ing to hear about a country with a growing economy. During the
same time prominent American companies and banks needed
federal bail out money to stay afloat, Brazil has emerged as a
lucrative market alternative for business owners and investors.
Not so long ago investing in Brazil was no easy task. Hyper-
inflation, a lack of viable credit and ultra protectionism made
the country less than desirable for foreign or domestic technol-
ogy investment. However, with the lowest interest rate in his-
tory, 190 million potential new consumers and governmental
policies such as The Action Plan for Science, Technology and
Innovation (PACTI 2007-2010) and The Program for Support
of the Development of the Semiconductor Industry (PADIES),
Brazil has forced itself onto the global technology marketplace.
All of this potential would certainly be wasted, and Brazil’s
economic feel good story would certainly fall flat if its people
couldn’t first have the means to be consumers in the first place.
Recognizing that advanced technology, training, and engineer-
ing would be the path to Brazilian citizen’s financial prosperity,
the Brazilian government created the national program for mi-
croelectronics in 2003.
The program has several components. First, to train design
engineers. Secondly, to provide financial incentives to uni-
versities and research centers to form small design centers so
advanced technology prototypes could be produced in Brazil.
From this was born Ceitec S.A., a government funded company
with an integrated circuit fab equipped to manufacture ICs for
RF, analog/digital and mixed signal applications.
At first, Ceitec was envisioned as a smaller facility. However,
with the donation of a semiconductor fab from Motorola, con-
tinued government support, and the construction of a new facil-
ity in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Ceitec is now the largest engineering
design house in Brazil with some 60 engineers.
24 Antenna Systems & Technology April/May 2010
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Sil-
va tours Ceitec’s semiconductor fab in Porti
Alegre, Brazil
The facility, which uses a 0.6 micron process technology that
was licensed from X-Fab Semiconductor Foundries AG, was
recently christened with a visit from Brazilian President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva and Minister of Science and Technology,
Sergio Rezende.
“We hope this is the first step, and with this step we should
be able to attract industries to come here and use the facilities,”
said Rezende. “Eventually, as the Brazilian and South American
markets grows, this will create attractions for other companies
to come here.”
Ceitec’s first product is the CTC11001 monolithic integrated
circuit, or the Chip Do Boi. The unit is a read only low fre-
quency RFID unit designed to be used in passive transponders.
The circuit is powered by means of inductive coupling using the
RF signal transmitted from the reader to wake-up digital logic
and send it back in a 128 bit identification telegram. An external
coil inductor (typically 6.3 mH), a supply capacitor, (typically
6.5 nF), a resonance capacitor, (typically 390 pF) and a resistor
(1M omega) are necessary to make the IC operate.
The chip is complaint to ISO 11784/11785, features FDX-B
transmission and had an operating frequency of 134.2 KHz with
differential Bi-phase encoding. Additional features include on-
chip voltage limiter and clock extraction, 128-bitsOTP memory,
a reading range of up to 30 cm and a temperature range of -40ºC
to 85ºC.
The modulator is composed by a variable load connected be-
tween antenna pads. The load is controlled by the encoded block,
which changes the impedance according to the data to be sent.
The reader senses the magnetic field reflected by the IC within the
resonance range.
After powered up, once the CT11001 has detected the incom-
ing RF field, the IC continually transmits the 128 bits per frame
as long as the RF signal is applied. Data is transmitted by back
scattering, by means of modulating the chips output impedance,
www.AntennasOnline.com

and this variation is sensed by the reader.
“Company engineers working in Ceitec’s Porto Alegre design
center developed all of the intellectual property for this RFID
chip design,” said Eduard R. Weichselbaumer, CEO of Ceitec
S.A. “Once full production of these designs begins at our manu-
facturing facility, these chips will reduce the county’s dependence
on semiconductor imports and establish opportunities for the
country’s top engineers.”
Cetiec’s first application for the Chip Do Boi is rather tradi-
tional, cattle identification. In its first field tests, the RFID devices
were applied to 500 cows in the Santa Rita Experimental Farm. In
all Ceitec will test 10,000 RFID devices all over Brazil. The prod-
uct enables electronic tracking and collection of data on the herd,
thus eliminating human error. The chip monitors cattle from birth
through slaughter, including vaccinations and health records.
Prior to Ceitec’s Chip Do Boi, Brazilian ranchers had two
options for traceability, an optical earring with numbers, or bar
codes. Both alternatives offered varying degrees of difficultly and
reliability in obtaining information from the cattle.
“Our chip can be read with the cattle moving, and the informa-
tion goes directly to the farm computer using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or
cable,” said Weichselbaumer. “There are also readers that store
data from chips that can be downloaded to a computer, and por-
www.AntennasOnline.com
feature article
tals can be installed in places such as corrals.”
Due to the high degree of reliability, meat traced electronically
with the Do Boi chip has a higher value in the market and is better
able to meet strict health regulations such as those in the Euro-
pean Union. Thus making Ceitec’s new IC production important
to the country’s industrial development plans.
“The completion of Ceitec’s first chip design offers proof
of Brazil’s ability to produce microelectronics within our
borders,”said Rezende. “After chip production starts to ramp up
in the company’s state-of-the-art semiconductor fab, it will help
to fulfill our goal of making technology a more prominent part of
our country’s economy.”
Interested in writing a contributed article?
Send abstract to Heather Krier at heatherk@infowebcom.com
April/May 2010 Antenna Systems & Technology 25
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Research and Markets Releases RFIC Report
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the The
Worldwide Industry & Market Opportunities and forecasts to
2014 for Commercial Silicon (Si) RFICs report to their offering.
This report provides detailed information on the current sta-
tus and (most importantly) forecasted markets and shipments of
various classes of RFICs. In this context by using the acronym
RFICs specifically means RF chips (die) manufactured in silicon
and generally covering frequencies from a few hundred MHz to
around 5 GHz. Important applications include active RFID, blue-
tooth, cell phones, SATCOM and WiMAX.
The report includes descriptions of some typical RFICs, a sum-
mary of the end-user applications considered, a detailed coverage
of the industry structure (including identification of the players
and their international sales outlets), a study of speculated indus-
try trends and extensive profiles of a selection of players. The
major parts of the report comprise market forecasts (TAMs in
millions) together with selected average selling prices and ship-
ments forecasts. An industry directory and a glossary of abbrevia-
tions are also provided.
The authors are responsible for generating their own market
data, including forecasts, by a series of careful and robust pro-
cesses. First and foremost amongst these processes is the detailed
contacting we operate with key executives within the industry
manufacturers internationally as well as distributor companies.
We also apply a rigorous appraisal of the market dynamics in
terms of the influences of likely future events and trends. Under
this production we include the probable emergence of disruptive
technologies and changes affecting end-user sectors that would
impact sales of the various types of products. All aspects, includ-
ing market drivers, are critiqued in some depth of detail.
industry news
Comsys Mobile Completes Clearwire WiMAX iIOT at
AT4 wireless Labs
AT4 wireless, a wireless certification and testing laboratory and
Comsys Mobile, a producer in communication processors for 4G
mobile devices, have completed Clearwire WiMAX iIOT (inter-
im Inter-Operability Testing) of the ComMAX CM1125 handset
reference platform at AT4 wireless WiMAX labs in Herndon, VA.
The ComMAX CM1125 is Comsys Mobile’s single-chip mul-
timode mobile WiMAX/GSM-EDGE communication processor.
Optimized for handsets and other hand-held devices, the CM1125
features low power operation, a highly embedded PHY/MAC,
and high vehicular speed support while providing co-existence
support for WiMAX, GSM-EDGE, WLAN and Bluetooth. The
commercially available processor is supported by a complete
handset reference design platform integrating solutions from
multiple ComMAX ecosystem partners for accelerated time to
market and reduced development costs.
“Completion of Clearwire WiMAX iIOT is an important mile-
stone for us. It is the most challenging IOT, but we passed it
with flying colors in excellent time, which attests to the integrity
of our solution,” said Ehud Reshef, director for WiMAX Prod-
uct Marketing at Comsys Mobile. “We have always believed
that the ComMAX CM1125 is a unique addition to the mobile
WiMAX ecosystem and we are pleased that passing these tests
will enable us to increase its implementation in the mobile
WiMAX handset market.”

Hypres Successfully Transitions SQUID Array Technology For

Antenna Applications to SBIR Phase 3 Contract
Hypres, Inc., developer of the Digital-RF product line, achieved
a significant milestone by successfully transitioning its SQUID
(Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) array antenna
application to the SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research)
Phase III level with a new contract value of nearly $3 million. In
this phase, the company will collaborate with the US Navy Space
and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) to pro-
duce a high dynamic range Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) anten-
na with improved performance, and significant size, weight and
power improvements over conventional antennas. Transitioning
technologies to Phase III is the goal of every SBIR program and
represents successful R&D and prototyping in the earlier phases.
“We are very excited about our success in SQUID array tech-
nology and look forward to working with our partners to transi-
tion it to mainstream weapon systems,” said Richard Hitt, Hypres
CEO. “This important milestone was made possible by the dedi-
cation and expertise of Dr. Oleg Mukhanov and his team and the
excellent working relationship with the Navy.”

www.AntennasOnline.com April/May 2010 Antenna Systems & Technology 27

industry news
“AT4 wireless is a globally recognized test facility for carrying lite Communications market to take advantage of a revolutionary
out tests with the utmost efficiency according to the highest in- methodology to help prevent RFI, quickly identify the source of
dustry standards. We are delighted to have been selected by Com- RFI, and resolve transponder conflicts. In addition to benefiting
sys Mobile to perform these testing services in our laboratory,” the Satellite Communications Industry, the methodology can be
said Tim Caesar, technical director Laboratories Division in AT4 applied to prevent or identify RFI in a wide range of fixed-fre-
wireless in Herndon, VA.” quency wireless RF communication networks where only a single
In addition to WiMAX iIOT certification, the ComMAX transmitter is allowed within a given frequency range, physical
CM1125 is currently completing GSM-EDGE testing at AT4 destination, direction, or time including Terrestrial Microwave,
wireless laboratories in Malaga, Spain, with GSM-EDGE certi- WiMax, Cellular or Lighter-Than-Air (LTA) RF Relay Stations.”
fication expected shortly.

Orbit Supplies a Tracking Antenna System to

Crystal RFI Solutions, LLC Announced Lockheed Martin
Organizers have announced the formation of Crystal RFI So- Orbit Technology Group has recently received an order from
lutions, LLC (CRFIS), a new company dedicated to providing Lockheed Martin for an advanced tracking antenna solution.
global solutions for preventing and identifying the source of Ra- With a three month delivery requirement, Orbit successfully pro-
dio Frequency Interference (RFI). vided Lockheed Martin with a portable 1.8 m S-band digital telem-
CRFIS has introduced their first product, the RFI Sentry, which etry tracking antenna for flight tests. This medium weight system has
provides satellite operators and users the ability to prevent costly high-dynamic accuracy, user friendly operation and a reliable control
RFI to satellite transponders and to quickly identify sources of interface. A cost-effective all in one solution, the advanced tracking
transponder RFI from anywhere around the world. antenna system also supports a wide variety of applications.
Crystal RFI Solutions, LLC is founded by Roger Franklin, "The recent order for an advanced tracking antenna solution
chairman, and is managed by Mr. Rob Dowd, president. continues our long standing relationship with Lockheed Martin,”
“Radio Frequency Interference costs the global satellite com- said Avi Cohen, president and CEO of Orbit. “We look forward to
munications industry millions of dollars each year in lost revenue working as partners for the foreseeable future.”
and productivity,” Franklin said. “RFI Sentry enables the Satel-

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 marketplace

index of advertisers
Ace Technology, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 IEEE MTT-S.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
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AH Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Interop Las Vegas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
www.ahsystems.com www.interop.com/lasvegas
Anatech Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Kenbotong Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
www.anatechelectronics.com www.kenbotong.com
Antenna Factor / Linx Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Nanotech 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
www.linxtechnologies.com www.nanotech2010.com
Antenna Research Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 RF Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
www.ara-inc.com www.rfindustries.com
Applied EM, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Sensor Expo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
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Applied Radar, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Spectrum Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
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Clasma Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 UTC Telecom 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
www.ConnectivityWeek.com www.utctelecom2010.utc.org
ETS Lindgren.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
www.ets-lindgren.com

www.AntennasOnline.com April/May 2010 Antenna Systems & Technology 29

research & development
Measuring Rainfall with Mobile Phone Antennas
As rain interferes with radio signals,
Eawag researchers have been able to measure
rainfall using data supplied by the mobile
telecommunications company Orange. The
new method offers greater spatial resolution
than traditional point measurements provided
by rain gauges. In the future, this could be
combined with intelligent control systems for
sewer networks so as to reduce water pollu-
tion in urban areas.
Especially in built-up areas, sewer systems
are frequently overwhelmed by unexpected
rainfall: stormwater is mixed with sewage
in pipes, the volume of water exceeds the
capacity of retention basins and the murky
mixture overflows into local surface waters.
In this way, diluted but untreated wastewater,
containing chemicals such as pharmaceuti-
cals, cleaning agents and pesticides, is dis-
charged into streams, rivers and lakes. Across
the year as a whole, the inputs are relatively
low, with only about 2 to 5 percent of the
total load (depending on the individual sub-
stance) entering surface waters via combined
sewer overflows. However, short-term peak
pollutant levels can be harmful to algae or
fish. In addition, as project leader Jörg Rieck-
ermann of Eawag’s Urban Water Manage-
ment department points out, the problem will
be exacerbated as a result of the increase in
heavy rainfall events associated with warm-
ing of the climate in Central Europe.
“More accurate detection of rainfall at
the local level would allow sewer systems
to be controlled in such a way as to prevent
overflows of wastewater as far as possible.”
Rieckermann, an environmental engineer, is
therefore developing a computer model that
uses data from a mobile phone network to
reconstruct rainfall events at a higher spatio-
temporal resolution than is possible with con-
ventional methods.
Winning in the Rainfall Lottery
How does the method work? Rieckermann
and his research team are taking advantage
of what is essentially a nuisance for mobile
network operators – the fact that raindrops
interfere with microwave radio links between
base stations, thereby disrupting signal trans-
mission. Data on the attenuation of signal
strength is used to calculate the intensity of
rainfall along the path between two anten-
nas. Thanks to the density of the mobile
phone network, the resolution of the Eawag
rainfall data is superior to that provided by
30 Antenna Systems & Technology April/May 2010
Directional antennas transmit mobile phone
signals over the rooftops of Zurich
rain gauges or weather radar. In contrast to
point measurements, the mobile signal data
is based on a network of overlapping micro-
wave radio links. However intense a small-
scale storm may be, it will not be captured by
a rain gauge located even 100 meters away.
As Rieckermann says, “It’s often a bit of a
lottery.” While weather radar can cover a
wide area, it has the disadvantage that radar
signals are heavily attenuated by intense rain-
fall. In addition, misleading echoes are gen-
erated by the terrain – a major problem in a
mountainous country like Switzerland.
First-Ever Data from Switzerland
Although rainfall has previously been
measured using radio signals, such mea-
surements have not been applied in practice
to date. Using the data made available to
Eawag by the mobile telecommunications
provider Orange, it is now p ossible for the
first time to employ this system for purposes
of water pollution control. In order to apply
the method to an area of around 150 km2,
with an extensive sewer network, in the Zu-
rich region, the researchers analyzed data
from 23 microwave radio links in this part of
Switzerland. For a two-month period, they
compared the data with measurements from
13 rain gauges, two disdrometers and the Al-
bis weather radar station operated by Meteo-
Swiss. The model was thus calibrated, and
precipitation can now be reconstructed from
radio signal data. Rieckermann hopes that
the accuracy of measurements will be further
improved by also including drop size distri-
bution in the calculations: while a few large
drops scatter and attenuate the radio signal
in a similar way to numerous small drops,
they generally mean less rain. Accordingly,
a method taking these patterns into account
is currently being developed by project part-
ners at the Federal Institute of Technology in
Lausanne (EPFL).
Municipal Trials Planned
In the near future, Rieckermann intends
to field-test the model in two municipalities.
Here, control systems for retention basins are
to be linked to local forecasts of precipitation
intensity and movement. In at-risk areas, the
retention basins are then to be regulated be-
fore and during rainfall events so as to free
up capacity to cope with the expected water
volumes – keeping wastewater overflows to
a minimum. Rieckermann said, “Against the
background of climate change, this may be
crucial. It means that existing reserves can
be activated without having to rebuild the
drainage system.” He believes that Swit-
zerland, formerly a pioneer in wastewater
treatment, should lead the way once again,
“not least because this country has a dense
mobile telecommunications network, even
in remote areas, and so accurate rainfall data
is widely available.”
www.AntennasOnline.com
 June 21-25, 2010
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