eNewsletter

January 2009

Antenna Executives Make Predictions for 2009, Recap 2008
Insight from Jeff Miller, PCTEL and David Wither, Sarantel

By Jeff Miller, Vice President & General Manager, Antenna Products Group, PCTEL
2008 was a year filled with many exciting activities for PCTEL. There were three major areas of activity throughout the year: new product releases, expansion of our engineering and antenna design capabilities, and continued progress in our operational and customer service levels.

Traditionally, PCTEL developed products and solutions driven by technology or frequency. In 2008, we transitioned to a strategy of addressing specific vertical markets and their unique needs, rather than having a broad focus across the entire antenna market. In line with this strategy, in March, PCTEL acquired the Bluewave antenna product line from Bluewave Antenna Systems. The Bluewave line augments PCTEL’s existing antenna offerings and makes PCTEL a well suited antenna supplier for the growing SCADA segment. Industry data suggests that the SCADA market (all equipment) would grow from roughly $2.5 billion in 2007 to $4 billion in 2012. Extracting the American antenna portion of this market, we estimate growth from $16 million in 2007 to $26 million in 2012.
 
PCTEL also launched a family of products serving the WiMAX market in 2008. With WiMAX being an evolving technology, there were no established dominant suppliers in the marketplace. While the total addressable market was initially small, we knew we could deliver the right products and grow with the market. PCTEL remains optimistic about WiMAX as a last mile broadband technology despite business in this product area being less than anticipated in 2008. With 2008 ultimately being characterized by trials and limited deployments, we now see 2009 as the year of full-scale roll outs, particularly in emerging markets.
PCTEL’s GPS antenna product line also continues to evolve. Our carrier-grade line of timing antennas has been augmented to allow customers to simplify configurations in complex base station environments. We predict GPS timing will become more important to wireless networks as these networks become less hierarchical and more flat; WiMAX using IP backhaul is a prime example. PCTEL also provides a variety of GPS-based products to government and military customers, consistent with our vertical market strategy. However, we are just scratching the surface of this large market.

On the engineering front, we augmented our already strong team in Bloomingdale, Ill. with a design team based in Beijing, China. We formally opened the Beijing facility in October and are already seeing benefits. In addition to tapping into the strong engineering talent available in this growing region, this presence allows us to provide support to the PCTEL manufacturing facility located in nearby Tianjin.

The engineering capability at PCTEL is one of our most important assets and one particularly valued by our OEM customers. In 2008, the PCTEL engineering team moved to a model of simulating designs and materials prior to building prototypes. This has cut our design cycle times dramatically, and several OEM customers are so comfortable with our simulation expertise that they have approved product designs based on simulation alone!

PCTEL’s operations team has been active in improving its performance as well. We have moved nearly our entire catalog product SKUs to a two-week lead time with a goal of delivering 96 percent of order line items within that two-week period. With more than 3,000 active SKUs, this has been challenging, however, we are on track to meet this goal. The operations team also implemented technologies including bar-code scanning and automated bagging as initiatives to ensure high quality and eliminate human error. And PCTEL will be going “green” in late 2008 as we eliminate paper cut charts for mobile antennas and replace them with charts printed on the bags.
 
2008 was a truly exciting year for the PCTEL antenna business. So what do we see for 2009? Certainly, it will be a challenging economic environment; the companies that will excel will be those with exceptional execution in R&D and operations. We expect WiMAX to mature, more likely as a fixed wireless broadband solution than a full mobile challenge to traditional 3G networks. LTE will emerge as a challenger to WiMAX in 2009, but very little business related to this technology will result. One thing is certain about 2009 – PCTEL will continue to be a leading global antenna supplier offering a broad set of capabilities to satisfy ever-evolving customer needs.

For more information visit www.pctel.com

By David Wither, Chief Executive Officer, Sarantel
2008 marked a turning point in Sarantel’s history in that we shifted the emphasis from research and development on our highly patented PowerHelix filtering antenna technology to product development, sales and marketing. Thanks to the growing popularity of GPS functionality in mobile phones and our strong foothold in the specialized GPS device market, we are confident of a bright future in 2009 and beyond. 
The proliferation of basic GPS in mobile phones combined with social media is whetting consumers’ appetites for a variety of practical and lifestyle enhancing applications from turn-by-turn pedestrian navigation to people and service locators. Furthermore, as companies like NAVTEQ and Tele Atlas roll out sidewalk level maps, consumers will begin to demand products that can reliably report which side of the street they are standing on.

We believe that the evolution of GPS in the handset will follow a similar path to that of the camera. So as GPS matures from being a novelty to a serious application with high expectations, handset manufacturers will necessarily start looking at embedding higher-quality components found today in pure-play GPS devices, like the TomTom. Today most handset manufacturers use Assisted GPS, whose limits are already becoming apparent as consumers become more demanding about performance and usability. 
We predict that demand for turn-by-turn pedestrian navigation will be among the first killer applications that will challenge manufacturers to consider embedding high performance GPS antennas like ours into handsets.  Sarantel’s technology directly overcomes the three main obstacles standing in the way of pedestrian navigation; positional accuracy (today’s phones are only capable of +/- 20 m), power consumption and usage model.

Anyone with a basic understanding of GPS knows that positional accuracy depends on a good circularly polarized (CP) gain pattern. Sarantel has conducted hundreds of hours of field testing on multiple handsets and proven that an antenna’s gain pattern is the key to achieving high positional accuracy on a handset. The challenge is making an electrically small antenna which has a CP gain pattern while in use.
Free space gain pattern measurements are irrelevant to pedestrian navigation because users will carry their phones either in their hand or pocket. The human body distorts conventional antenna technologies’ (PIFA, Patch and chip) gain patterns because they store their near field energy in the free space surrounding it. Since human tissues absorb this energy there is no way for these antennas to prevent the human body from distorting the gain pattern.  Sarantel has perfected the manufacture of electrically small CP antennas. Because our antennas store their near field energy in the dielectric core, we can ensure that an antenna’s gain pattern is not significantly distorted, even when it’s inside a pocket.
 
Our new Sarantel LBS Pro antenna is small enough to fit into today’s smallest, thinnest smart phones. We recently retrofitted this antenna into a Nokia N82 and field-tested it extensively against the phone’s original antenna. The Sarantel LBS Pro dramatically improved positional accuracy and enabled the GPS to work reliably while in the user’s pocket in an urban environment.
 
By making GPS work reliably in the pocket, we have also overcome the power consumption and usage model obstacles. The handset’s color screen consumes most of its power. Navigation requires nearly constant screen updates, increasing this burden. On top of this, current-hungry GPS chipsets drain even more battery power. If users could turn the screen off and navigate using audio commands, then power consumption in pedestrian mode would plummet. This also happens to be the ideal usage model as it is neither practical nor safe to walk down the street looking at a two inch display screen. In any case, Apple has already trained a generation of consumers to walk down the street with ear buds.

Our technology also applies more broadly to the wireless industry. We recently announced a design win on Iridium’s newly launched 9555 handset designed for rugged and remote environments from oil rigs to the Arctic tundra. We also plan to roll out a number of new products in the military GPS market and continue to have discussions with multiple companies in the mobile satellite services sector (MSS).

We are looking forward to strong business growth in 2009. The global economic turmoil caused us to fall short of 2008 sales goals during a year of transition, but we are gaining momentum with a number of new product launches so we anticipate gains to come in 2009 from new sectors. We remain optimistic that the best days for our technology are yet to come.   

For more information visit www.sarantel.com

2009 Antenna Systems Conference – Now Accepting Abstracts!
The 7th annual Antenna Systems Conference will take place September 1-2 at the Hyatt Regency Penn’s Landing in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This two-day international conference is focused on the latest and most important advancements in antenna systems and technology for a variety of industries and applications. The conference will also feature a track dedicated to short-range wireless standards, applications and technology.

The Antenna Systems Conference committee is currently accepting abstracts for the opportunity to speak at this leading technical conference. For more information, please visit
http://www.antennasonline.com/AST-Conf09/ast09_call.php  or contact Jeremy Martin at Jeremym@infowebcom.com.

Were you unable to attend the 2008 Antenna Systems Conference? Purchase the Conference CD for Only $290! http://www.infowebcom.com/conf_cdorder2008.php

For information on Sponsoring or Exhibiting at the 2009 Antenna Systems Conference please email or call Karen Poulson at karen@infowebcom.com or 800-803-9488 ext 106.

DataPath to Deploy Dual-Antenna DKET Satellite Hubs for US CENTCOM and US Marine Corps
DataPath, Inc., a provider of satellite and wireless communications networks around the world, has been awarded $3.3 million in two delivery orders to manufacture and install dual-antenna DataPath DKET satellite communications (SATCOM) hubs in support of US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the US Marine Corps in Southwest Asia. The US military uses an extensive network of DataPath DKETs as communications hubs that deliver high-bandwidth voice, video and data connectivity on the battlefield. Under the delivery orders, DataPath will provide two dual-antenna DKETs, one of which will be configured for operation in Ka band to utilize the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) system when operational needs require it.

"DataPath DKETs are a critical element of the Department of Defense's SATCOM backbone in Southwest Asia," said Steve Lindeman, vice president of Business Operations at DataPath. "We are working closely with the military to ensure that the next generation of earth terminals is configured for use with the WGS constellation, which provides critical space segment availability and increased bandwidth throughput in support of operational requirements."

DataPath has worked with the US military since 1998 to build the DKET network, which features more than 75 terminals. The DataPath DKET is a highly transportable, self-contained earth terminal that establishes headquarters-level network connectivity anywhere the mission demands. DKET systems feature MaxView network management software and are supported by DataPath's experienced field services personnel that work side by side with deployed warfighters.

For more information visit www.datapath.com 

Orbit/FR Reports Significant New Order
ORBIT/FR, Inc, a Microwave Vision Company, and a producer of automated microwave test and measurement systems for the aerospace, defense, communications, automotive and satellite industries, has recently been awarded a large chamber contract from a major aerospace/defense company, as well as several other new orders, totaling approximately $5.3 million.

The chamber contract includes the design, development, installation and verification testing of a large antenna measurement facility for low frequency operation from less than 100 MHz to greater than 2 GHz. The chamber is designed to test large bodies with embedded antennas. The system features a unique illumination system, a flexible low reflectivity test body support and positioning system, a complete RF/fiber optic instrumentation set, and fully automated testing capability using ORBIT/FR's 959Spectrum antenna measurement software.

"This award confirms ORBIT/FR’s strong capabilities in providing turn-key antenna measurement solutions to our customers." said Per Iversen, CEO of ORBIT/FR."

For more information visit www.orbitfr.com

2008 Antenna Systems Conference CD ROMs Now Available for $290
The Next Best Thing to Being There!

The 2008 Antenna Systems Conference took place September 25-26 in Austin, Texas and featured more than 35 presentations from today’s leaders in wireless communications technology.

For those of you who were unable to attend the event, but would still like to stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in antenna systems & technology, the Conference CD ROM is now available for $290!

The CD ROM includes:
• Attendee List (Name / Title / Company)
• Exhibitor Materials
• PDF files of the Conference Presentations
• Audio of Select Presentations – NEW!
• Video of Select Presentations – NEW!
• Immediate access to presentations via a web link!

Contact Jeremy Martin (jeremym@infowebcom.com) today to place your order.
View the Conference Program Online.

Breakthrough Internal Antenna Technology Dramatically Reduces Handset Size
Murata Electronics Iridium Satellite LLC and Sarantel recently announced that the Sarantel PowerHelix antenna technology was selected for, and is being built into, the just-released Iridium 9555 handset.

Sarantel develops and manufactures advanced miniature filtering antennas for mobile, wireless and handheld devices. Iridium is a pioneer in the satellite communications industry and is the only mobile satellite services (MSS) company offering truly global, pole-to-pole coverage.

The Iridium 9555 represents a step forward in innovation and usability for handsets in the MSS sector. Users will benefit from a host of features, such as a brighter screen, a speaker phone, short messaging service (SMS) and email capabilities, an upgraded mini-USB data port, an internal antenna and significantly reduced form factor. It is also programmable in 14 languages.

“The ability of Iridium to reduce the antenna size, without sacrificing performance, was a critical design element for this revolutionary new handset,” said David Schoen, chief technology officer, Iridium. “Sarantel responded to our challenge by providing Iridium with a highly innovative, technically advanced design for the 9555 antenna. They proved to be a superb technology partner, producing a creative, cost-effective and performance-driven solution.”

David Wither, chief executive of Sarantel, said, “We are honored that Iridium selected us to supply the antenna for the 9555. Up until now, the most significant challenge for satellite phone makers has been finding an antenna small enough to make their product attractive while obtaining high enough performance to meet stringent link margin requirements. The pioneering work Sarantel is doing with antenna technology now means that, for the first time, users can benefit from high performance in a small handheld satellite phone package.”

For more information visit www.sarantel.com

New Range of GSM-R Antennas for Train, Bus and Light Rail Applications
Panorama Antennas, an antenna RF solutions company, has introduced a new range of heavy duty GSM-R antennas. The 'TRN' series is designed specifically for rail, bus applications and other similarly demanding transit and stationary applications. The antenna fulfils the requirements for GSM-R communications set out in the European Rail Traffic Management System standard which enables greater interoperability between rail networks resulting in higher train speeds and traffic density with a high level of safety.

The antenna has an omni-directional peak gain of more than 5 dBi and operates in all cellular bands from 800 to 960 MHz and 1710 to 2170 MHz. The TRN series also covers the 800 MHz TETRA and trunking bands along with 2.4 GHz and GPS all in one housing. The 'TRN' range has the option of an additional active high gain GPS antenna for applications requiring location based systems. Housed in a UV stabilized, low flame, smoke and toxicity (FST) housing, the 'TRN' series is fully waterproof with an IP65 rating ensuring the antennas' performance is not compromised even when subjected to industrial carriage wash systems. The 'TRN' antenna range has also been tested to meet Europen Industry Traction Standards; NF-F-16-101/102 (materials standard), EN50155 (vibration standard), EN50124-1 (electrical isolation standard) and Deutsch Bahn high voltage / current standards.

For more information visit www.panorama.co.uk

Pulse Expands its 2.4 GHz ISM Antenna Product Line
Pulse has introduced two new ceramic antennas, which expands its range of products suitable for ISM Bands of 315 MHz, 433 MHz, 868 MHz, 915 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and GPRS. The antennas are used for machine-to-machine (M2M) applications in devices such as data loggers, remote controls, tracking devices, tags, monitoring devices, automated meter readers (AMRs), tire pressure monitoring devices, remote keyless entry systems and many others that depend on reliable wireless connectivity.
 
“In the M2M sector, Pulse is designing for many new and diverse applications which require higher performance from the antenna,” said Elaine Baxter, marketing manager, Pulse Antenna Division. “The new Pulse 2.4 GHz ceramic antennas have been optimized for multiple applications to provide flexibility in layout and tuning.”

For more information visit www.pulseeng.com   

Skyworks Introduces Industry’s First Multi-band, Multi-mode FDD/TDD Power Amplifier for 4G
LTE Applications
Skyworks Solutions, Inc., a provider of high performance analog and mixed signal semiconductors enabling mobile connectivity, has introduced the industry’s first multi-mode and multi-band frequency division duplex (FDD)/time division duplex (TDD) power amplifier module (PAM) for fourth generation (4G) long term evolution (LTE) applications.

Skyworks’ PAM is also the first product available specifically targeting LTE-TDD bands 38 and 40. LTE TDD is expected to become the dominant 4G standard mobile operators utilize in China and other parts of the world. According to Strategy Analytics, the global LTE handset market is expected to reach 150 million units by 2013.

“Skyworks’ new multi-mode, multi-band LTE power amplifier enables enhanced talk, viewing and broadcast times, while complying with the stringent linearity requirements across wide frequency ranges,” said Dr. Gene A. Tkachenko, senior director of engineering responsible for LTE development at Skyworks. “With this latest product offering, we continue to demonstrate our leadership position in 4G and our commitment to providing innovative, cost-effective wireless solutions to our customers.”

The SKY77441 is a fully matched 16-pin surface mount module developed for LTE FDD (Band 7) and TDD (Bands 38 and 40) applications and covering the 2.3 to 2.7 GHz range. It delivers more than 26 dBm of linear power output with full LTE resource block allocation under either quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), or 16 quadrature amplitude modulations (QAM), and more than 28 dBm of linear output power under wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) modulation. Small and efficient, the LTE FEM integrates the input and output matching networks, the power amplification stages and the power detection in a single 4 by 4 by 0.85 mm package.

Integration of the PAM simplifies the design of the 4G-compatible handset radios and data cards, as all the active radio frequency circuitry is optimized within the single module component. Using Skyworks’ indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) bipolar field effect transistor (BiFET) design and Skyworks’ Green packaging solutions, the SKY77441 also supports low-operating voltage down to 3 volts with high power added efficiency, high reliability and quality.

For more information visit www.skyworksinc.com

Antenna Systems & Technology partners with Hannover Fairs USA for WIRELESSWorld@CeBIT 2009

WIRELESSWorld@CeBIT is a uniques platform for manufacturers, vendors, and service providers driving mobility through 3G, 4G, WiFi, WiMAX, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, ZigBee, and RFID. Centrally positioned in Hall 13 WIRELESSWorld has established itself as the one stop meeting point for all things wireless at CeBIT. Leading vendors as well as new-to-market businesses exhibit and lecture in this special display and forum area. The adjacent stage for live presentations attracts an international audience of CIOs and purchasing managers eager to learn about the latest applications, trends, standards and strategies from vendors, practitioners, and renowned experts in the field.

As official media partner of WIRELESSWorld@CeBIT 2009 Antenna Systems & Technology is pleased to invite its readers to exhibit and attend. Through the partnership with Hannover Fairs USA Inc., U.S. subsidiary of show organizer Deutsche Messe AG, Antenna Systems & Technology was able to secure preferred exhibit and admission conditions for its subscribers.

For more information visit http://www.hfusa.com/cebit_wirelessworld or contact:

Ms. Ulrike (Ulli) Hammer, Project Manager
Phone: (609) 987-1202 ext. 205
E-mail: uhammer@hfusa.com

Be sure to mention that you are an AST e-Report reader!

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About CeBIT

CeBIT is the largest international Information and Communications Technology (ICT) event – the 2008 show featured 5 845 exhibitors from 77 countries, 495 000 attendees from 96 countries, and 7 000 press from 72 countries. CeBIT 2009 will be held from March 3-8, 2009 in Hannover, Germany. The State of California has been named the official partner of CeBIT 2009, offering unparalleled exposure for US exhibitors and many special programs for California-based companies. 

January 2009
20-22 - Radio Wireless Week, San Diego, Calif.

February 2009
23-26 - NATE, Nashville, Tenn.

25-28 - Software Radio Summit, Vienna, Virgina

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