Wireless InSite 4.0 from Remcom lets you simulate wireless channel conditions and analyze them based on antenna movement. Remcom announced a new version of Wireless InSite 3D Wireless Prediction Software with advanced capabilities including time-based mobility, lunar propagation modeling, and wideband ray-tracing with S-parameter outputs. Release 4.0 expands support for simulating dynamic and complex RF…
5G
What is precoding? What does it do?
Precoding is a signal processing technique that modifies the phases and amplitudes of wireless signals to combat channel distortion and optimize the quality and reliability of data transmissions. It can support beamforming in multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) and massive MIMO antenna arrays. This article reviews some of the benefits of precoding, looks at how it’s implemented,…
FAQ on the bias tee
A conceptually simple passive component is used to combine or split DC and RF signals; however, its implementation has many subtleties. The RF world, operating at hundreds of megahertz and into the gigahertz range, is known for having many unusual components. Some are unique to that higher-frequency world, while others appear at lower frequencies but…
High-directivity couplers optimized for 225 – 750 MHz applications
A new integrated thin-film directional coupler is now available in a 2816 (7×4 mm) surface-mount package. This component is compatible with systems operating in the very-high-frequency (VHF) and ultra-high-frequency (UHF) bands. It is designed to support RF and microwave applications that require compact form factors, high reliability, and consistent electrical performance. The device supports operation…
Spirent adds Wi-Fi 6/7 automated tests to Octobox
The STA Automation Package automates testing that provides repeatability while minimizing manual intervention. The latest flavors of Wi-Fi bring a significant jump to performance over previous iterations. Testing, however, proves difficult because every Wi-Fi installation is different. Spirent Communications has introduced the Octobox STA Automation Package, which automates Wi-Fi 6/6E and 7 over-the-air (OTA) testing.…
OFC 2025: AI, power, and 1.6T
San Francisco — At last year’s OFC 2024, the next speed of optical connections (1.6T) was all talk with one exception. In a back room, Keysight demonstrated a 1.6T optical link between an arbitrary waveform generator and a bit-error-rate tester. The demonstration was a transmission of raw, unstructured bits. One thing was clear, AI was…
How 5G network slicing works: part 2
Network slicing, which makes private networks possible, provides enterprises with dedicated network resources. It works by interacting with a set of network functions. Part 1 of this series covered how 5G network slicing enables operators to deploy, modify, and scale customized virtual networks, along with key slicing techniques and connectivity models. Part two discusses the…
Cable assembly brings signal close to high-speed digital devices
The Si-Fly cable assembly from Samtec lets you mount connectors to a board while going under cooling components. High-speed digital ICs such as microprocessors, GPUs, ASICs, and electrical-to-optical converters need clean signals, and they generate lots of heat. To minimize the PCB traces where signals travel, engineers need to mount cables as close to the…
How 5G network slicing works: part 1
Network slicing, which makes private networks possible, provides enterprises with dedicated network resources. It works by interacting with a set of network functions. The 3GPP defines network slicing as a core 5G feature. It partitions a single physical network into multiple virtual network slices. Each slice operates as an independent end-to-end network optimized for specific applications and services. This…
Overcome Open RAN test and certification challenges
LaaS Testing can streamline deployment and enhance efficiency for reliable Open RAN The race to build 5G networks has gone on for several years, extending coverage and providing access to advanced services. Initiatives such as Open RAN make for high-performing, robust, and agile mobile infrastructures that are in the interest of consumers and businesses, as…