Evaluation Engineering - 19

Malatest, Per Vices: "The biggest challenge faced by vendors of
RF/microwave systems is designing a system with the flexibility
to support many customers while still remaining cost-effective.
Our products leverage our existing IP and economies of scale
to help ensure that the cost remains very competitive and the
underlying designs ensure flexibility."
Ashcroft, Pico Technology: "IoT, 5G, WiFi, V2X-has there ever
been a bigger market explosion than the use of the antenna,
and within very challenging locations? Optenni Lab CAD software simplifies the immense complexity of antenna and array
optimization. The package performs real-time interpretation
of network measurements to present optimized lumped or
line-matching circuits for the measured antenna(s). Already
an AWR Connected partner, Optenni has also integrated the
PicoVNA into this market-leading CAD software suite."
Lörner, Rohde & Schwarz: "It is not an exaggeration to say that
antenna technology for consumer wireless devices is exploding. Firstly, in terms of the number of antennas built into even
handheld devices, MIMO really does mean "multiple" these
days. Secondly...the techniques used with active beam-forming
add performance well beyond the passive multipath propagation initially introduced with multiple antennas.
"While just a few years ago almost all wireless devices included a special interface to connect a cable for test purposes,
this is no longer the case. As well as 5G user equipment, there
are whole markets for very small inexpensive wireless devices
(personal network technologies such as Bluetooth, LoRa, or
Zigbee) and of course, the enormous variety of Internet of
Things devices, that do not include a test interface from a mixture of cost and space reasons. Then there are more complex
devices with multiple miniature antennas where it would be
physically impossible to connect a cable.
"Last but not least, with increasing frequency, the mechanical difficulties of making a reliable physical connection also
increase out of proportion. Over-the-air test, with all RF communication with the device under test via the antennas it uses
for normal operation has introduced whole new complexities
to test and measurement, requiring new fields of expertise
on our part."
Elo, Tabor: "Bandwidths and frequency ranges are getting higher. Twenty years ago, most systems were less than 3 GHz, and
a 1-MHz bandwidth was state-of-the-art. Then 10 years later,
most systems were sub-6-GHz with bandwidths ranging from
20 MHz to 160 MHz. Now, we have extended beyond 6 GHz for
technologies such as Wi-Fi 6, and standards such as 5G and
LTE fiercely contend for spectrum sub-6-GHz and even share
unlicensed or military/government spectrum. Finally, mmWave
bands opened up by 5G access points and automotive radars
have increased the bandwidth demands from MHz to GHz."
Moudgal and Himmler, dSPACE: "Automotive radars are, and
will continue to be, a very valuable sensor in most-if not

all-automotive applications. Radars play a very important
role in both safety applications (ACC, AEB, etc.), as well as
convenience applications (automatic deck-lid actuation). This
technology can operate in a wider environmental range, compared to cameras and lidars, and more and more radar sensors
are being used in ADAS and AD applications.
"The challenge customers are facing today is with testing
production radar ECUs. These ECUs have to be properly calibrated before they can be deployed on vehicles, as well as during end-of-line testing as vehicles come off the production line.
These needs are still being investigated and evaluated. A bigger
challenge to be faced is with garages and body shops that are
expected to realign and recalibrate radar ECUs that are impaired in accidents. To carry out these activities properly will
require an investment in specialized equipment and training."
Keysight: "Next-generation wireless systems such as 5G cellular
communications, fronthaul and backhaul networks, military
and automotive radar, and IEEE 802.11ad and 802.11ay WiGig
are targeting a range of new capabilities including higher
bandwidth, more connected devices, low latency, and better
coverage. To address the wide bandwidth requirements, researchers are exploring higher frequencies in the centimeter
and mmWave bands where more spectrum is readily available."
"Compared to the traditional bandwidths used at sub-6-GHz
for cellular communications, the use of hundreds or even several gigahertz of spectrum at these higher frequencies create
several challenges. The higher the frequency, the more difficult
the design, and the more visible design imperfections become.
Imperfections that would be inconsequential at a 5-GHz carrier
frequency with 20 MHz of modulation bandwidth could make
a 100-GHz carrier with 3.5-GHz wide [modulation bandwidth]
incomprehensible. If we look at the components, the request
for portable yet multifunction devices or network appliances
is strong.
"The semiconductor industry, defying Moore's law, is pushing
component miniaturization further. Commercial 5-nm-node
production is ongoing. Compared to 7-nm scale, this technology
will enable chip developers to reduce power consumption by
20% or improve performance by 10%, allowing more applications than today's technology. mmWave technology comes in
handy allowing [engineers] to design very small antennas and
circuits able to work very efficiently.
"Of course, there is a price to pay: the design and the characterization of those components present unique challenges.
Higher frequencies amplify error sources, including cable losses, connector repeatability, and phase shifts that are mostly
negligible at radio frequencies. Above 60 GHz, an entire radio
structure including a phased-array antenna can be integrated
in a single chip, leaving space for other elements and functionality. Multifunction components, however, imply complicated
measurement setups to take in account the contribution of the
various elements integrated in the circuit under test making
repeatable measurements very challenging."

JULY 2020 EVALUATIONENGINEERING.COM

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Evaluation Engineering

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