============================== Wireless Systems Design UPDATE WSD ==> www.wsdmag.com December 6, 2005 ==============================

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Today's Table of Contents: 1. Viewpoint: EMI From Hell 2. Single Chip Adds GPS Services To 3G Phones 3. Signal Boosters Deliver Gain From 45 To 80 dB 4. Bluetooth Headset Sets Skype Users Free 5. Reference Platform Quickens UMTS Phone Design Cycles 6. Quad-Band CMOS Transceiver Extends Talk Time 7. 802.11g Networking Products Leverage MIMO Technology 8. Happenings - Conferences 9. Book Review

************* 1. Viewpoint *************

EMI From Hell

By Louis E. Frenzel, W5LEF, Communications/Networking Editor

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a problem for all wireless engineers. If you aren't generating it and having to control it, then you're trying to overcome the EMI from other sources. As a wireless engineer, your eyes have probably gone bad reading the fine print in your dog-eared copy of Part 15 of the Federal Communications Commission rules and regs, and you have sweated out the certification of your wireless designs by outside testing houses. You also have grudgingly learned that while software is the more challenging part of a wireless design, the testing and EMI reduction eat up the majority of the design time and effort...

Read the entire article at http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B1F6:4787DE

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Free Web Seminar: RoHS/WEEE -- The Manager's Role, Part 2

Wednesday, December 21, 2005 2:00 pm EST

Is the industry ready to comply with the European Union's Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives? Several surveys suggest it is not. While there's still a great deal of work to be done on the technical side, corporate-level and engineering managers are still wrestling with cost, communications, and supply-chain issues that come with meeting the RoHS requirements. Join us for our second Web seminar that looks at the manager's role in the transition to RoHS compliance. We will identify and explore the decisions that must be made by industry managers. Register today!

http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B1F4:4787DE

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********* 2. News ********* Single Chip Adds GPS Services To 3G Phones

GPS services, which are poised to become an essential application for 3G cell phones, can be added with the GPS5300 NaviLink 4.0 assisted global positioning system (A-GPS) chip. A-GPS enables users to connect to a satellite from their mobile phone to access directions, maps, and other location-based functions. The GPS5300 is fabricated in a 90-nm process technology using the company's DRP (digital RF processor) architecture, which simplifies RF processing and cuts both cost and power consumption. The low-power device, which fills less than 50 mm square of board space, integrates power-management functions and can be connected directly to the battery for easy incorporation into mobile phones. By achieving a rapid time to first fix (TTFF) from weak satellite signals, the GPS5300 exceeds the A-GPS performance requirements for 3GPP and 3GPP2 operation. The GPS5300 NaviLink 4.0 chip is sampling now and is expected to be in production in the second quarter of 2006.

Texas Instruments ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B201:4787DE

********** 3. News ********** Signal Boosters Deliver Gain From 45 To 80 dB

A series of signal boosters for the 700-MHz band sports gain levels from 45 to 80 dB while spanning the full 12-MHz bandwidth (764-776/794-806 MHz). The SBII boosters are simple to install and integrate, offering features such as card-cage modularity and output level-control datalogging. Other standard system elements include hot-swap amplifier cards, dual ac and dc power supplies, and a digital control panel. Options include a remote communications card, a fiber-optic interface, a 48-V dc supply, and a redundant power-amplifier configuration. The remote communications card provides complete remote accessibility to the unit, its critical component status, and its datalog. It also allows remote configuration of critical operating parameters. The fiber-optic interface delivers gain and output levels tailored to the requirements of fiber-optic systems. The SBII boosters are housed in a NEMA or 19-in. rack-mounted enclosure.

Bird Technologies Group ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B1F9:4787DE

********** 4. News ********** Bluetooth Headset Sets Skype Users Free

Skype users already enjoy calling each other for free over the Internet. Now, a Bluetooth headset and PC adapter enable them to go wireless as they do so. The Wireless Internet Calling Kit comprises an H500 Bluetooth headset and PC850 PC adapter. To go wireless, Skype users just plug in the adapter to give their PC or laptop Bluetooth functionality. After loading the required software, they follow a simple step-by-step procedure to establish the wireless connection between the PC and the headset. The headset provides about eight hours of talk time and enables users to range up to 30 ft away from their Bluetooth-enabled PC. Users can also have Skype calls automatically forwarded to their Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and use the H500 headset for wireless conversations. The Skype Motorola Kit is available at RadioShack stores and at the online Skype store for $99.99.

Motorola ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B202:4787DE Skype ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B203:4787DE

********** 5. News ********** Reference Platform Quickens UMTS Phone Design Cycles Designers of next-generation UMTS phones will enjoy a 30 percent reduction in their design-cycle time through use of the MP-EU mobile phone reference design platform. The platform supports UMTS, EDGE, and GSM/GPRS cellular standards and enables manufacturers to smoothly evolve from 2G/2.5G phones to 2.75G and 3G phones. It can be the basis for a variety of UMTS models all based on the same core architecture. Today's UMTS phones contain from 300 to 450 electronic components. Using the highly integrated MP-EU platform, that number falls below 200. Based on the company's S-GOLD2 baseband processor, the MP-EU architecture eliminates the need for a companion chip to deal with complex processing needs such as video and audio data processing. The MP-EU platform supports all frequency bands for GSM/GPRS/EDGE and all six frequency bands specified for UMTS. It also provides a number of connectivity technologies, such as Bluetooth, assisted GPS, and WLAN. The MP-EU reference design platform is available now.

Infineon Technologies ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B1FE:4787DE

********** 6. News ********** Quad-Band CMOS Transceiver Extends Talk Time

Thanks to its low receive-mode current of 53 mA at -110-dBm sensitivity, the QS1000 CMOS quad-band RF transceiver chip significantly extends battery life in GSM/GPRS and EDGE handsets. This increases talk time by more than 10 percent in GSM mode and 20 percent in EDGE mode when compared with existing technologies. The QS1000 comes in a 6- by 6-mm, 40-lead QFN package. When the QS1000 is combined with an off-the-shelf EDGE power amplifier, standard RF filters, and a reference crystal, the complete RF front-end design for a quad-band GSM handset fits into a footprint of 255 mm square. At the heart of the QS1000 is the company's multi-mode radio technology, which enables high-performance radio transceivers for multiple standards to be manufactured in a standard CMOS process. The single-chip QS1000, manufactured in 0.18-micron standard CMOS technology, is available for sampling now. It is scheduled to be in full-volume production this month.

Quorum Systems ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B200:4787DE

********** 7. News ********** 802.11g Networking Products Leverage MIMO Technology

Faster data transmission, improved reliability, and greater networking range are all benefits of a line of 802.11g wireless networking products that incorporate multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) technology. The first three in the series are the Barricade g 802.11g MIMO wireless cable/DSL broadband router (SMCWBR14-GM), the EZ Connect g 802.11g MIMO wireless Cardbus adapter (SMCWCB-GM), and the EZ Connect g 802.11g MIMO wireless PCI adapter (SMCWPCI-GM). All three are based on the Ralink chip set, which enables data transfer up to 20 times faster than older 802.11b wireless networking devices in MIMO-to-MIMO communication (a MIMO adapter used in its MIMO mode with a compatible MIMO router or access point). The products are 100 percent backward-compatible with standard 802.11g and 802.11b devices and can even increase performance in mixed-mode (802.11g MIMO and 802.11g or b) networks. The MIMO-capable products will begin shipping this month. The broadband router costs $139.99. The Cardbus and PCI adapters each cost $59.99.

SMC Networks ==> http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B204:4787DE

******************************* 8. Happenings - Conferences *******************************

Interop December 12-16, 2005 Javits Convention Center, New York, NY http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B1FD:4787DE

IEEE Radio and Wireless Symposium January 17-19, 2006 San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B1FF:4787DE

RFID World February 27-March 1, 2006 Gaylord Texan Resort, Dallas, TX http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B1FA:4787DE

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**************** 9. Book Review ****************

"Wireless Sensor Networks: An Information Processing Approach" By Feng Zhao and Leonidas Guibas

If you want to see what ZigBee and low-cost, low-power micros can do, then check out "Wireless Sensor Networks: An Information Processing Approach" by Feng Zhao and Leonidas Guibas. This very general book addresses topics such as infrastructure, tracking multiple objects, and network databases...

Read the entire book review at http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B1F5:4787DE

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Read past issues of Wireless Systems Design UPDATE e-Newsletter: http://news.electronicdesign.com/t?ctl=1B1F7:4787DE

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WIRELESS SYSTEMS DESIGN UPDATE e-NEWSLETTER CONTACTS ==================================================== Editor: Louis E. Frenzel Mail to: mailto:lfrenzel@sbcglobal.net

Advertising/Sponsorship Opportunities: Bill Baumann Send e-mail to: mailto:bbaumann@penton.com ====================================================

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