2022 Sessions

Signal Integrity/Power Integrity Sessions

5G/W-Fi/IoT Sessions

PCB/Interconnect Sessions

Radar/Automotive/SATCOM Sessions

Signal Integrity/Power Integrity

Cascaded or End-to-End Interconnect Models: What Do We Give Up?

Reduced channel simulation times can be achieved by simulating PCBs and connectors separately then via cascading. However, this approach introduces impedance and crosstalk inaccuracies.

This presentation demonstrates the differences through correlated simulation and measurement models. It then uses fields plots to devise mitigation strategies to maintain the increased simulation time while avoiding simulation inaccuracy.

An Analysis on the Effectiveness of 2 and 3 Terminal Capacitors in PDN Design

While 3-terminal capacitors have been widely used in PDN design (attributed to their low ESL), the effectiveness of 3-terminal capacitors has not been fully verified. As they are more expensive than regular 2-terminal capacitors, it is important to understand their effectiveness. This presentation will explain an accurate characterization method to extract ESL of decoupling capacitors and why the ESL values listed in the data sheet are meaningless.  Based on the characterization results, the possibility/effectiveness of replacing 3-terminal capacitors with 2-terminal capacitors (which can greatly reduce cost) is discussed and experimentally validated.

Signal Integrity Cheat Sheet – Data-rate Driven Design Decisions

How can we ensure good Signal Integrity in our designs?  The answer lies in matching design practice to data rate.  In this talk, Donald Telian presents a data-rate-dependent “cheat sheet” of SI techniques to quickly apply to your design – at any speed.   Serial links fail because of discontinuities.  But which ones matter?  …and why is it the techniques used on the last design failed on the new design?  What’s necessary for success and what isn’t?  Let’s cut through the noise and answer these questions and more as we learn to make data-rate driven design decisions. This time-tested condensation of techniques gleaned from designing and implementing thousands of serial links will help you match decisions to the system at hand.

Introduction to MIPI-C PHY Interface Design and Analysis – A Whole New World

Transmitting data from point A to point B became infinitely more interesting when the Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) Alliance published the specification for the C-PHY interface.  It is faster, lower power, and uses fewer signaling lines than other MIPI interfaces, making it easy to understand why designers of many displays and cameras in mobile applications are turning to this novel interface.  This presentation will introduce the design and analysis challenges that have surfaced from using a three-wire interface and will detail the differences from traditional serial interfaces that transmit from a differential pair transmitter to differential pair receiver.

Get to Your ‘AHA’ Moment Quicker With Advanced Eye Analysis

Many high-speed digital standards utilise eye analysis on their data stream for verifying signal integrity. This allows engineers to quickly check noise margins and the overall health of their transmitted or received bits. However, most often this implies capturing lots of UIs of the signal and folding each bit to display an eye, which involves a fair amount of post-processing to realise. R&S have developed a novel way of capturing and measuring eye diagrams in hardware. Making it much faster to capture, lock on and display all the bits required for finding anomalies or statistical analysis. The investigative mask test features allow to spot failures very quickly. Join us to learn more on how to set this up and gain insights to your designs quicker.

What Is Needed for 224 Gbps per Lane?

To meet the next-generation system bandwidth requirement, recently industry and standard bodies are aiming at 800GE and 1.6TE. The next generation switch is targeting 100T capacity as well. The next speed node of 200+ Gbps per lane becomes critical to scale the switch capacity and efficiency of networking bandwidth. In this talk Cathy will discuss and share the insights on what is needed for the next speed note 224 Gbps, focusing on design challenges and solutions for next generation high-speed networking technologies. She will provide the audience an opportunity to hear and discuss new technologies such as optical/electrical interconnect in data centers, co-packaging optics (CPO), advanced modulation, signal processing, and coding.

Faster PCB Sign-off by Detecting SI/PI Issues Early in the Design Process

With the ongoing push to higher-speed and higher-density PCBs designers must improve their understanding of the flow of signals and power throughout the entire board to inform their core responsibilities of developing routing, placement, and layer stack-up strategies.

Although your organization may have a dedicated SI/PI team to validate signal integrity and power integrity, SI/PI experts talk in the language of mV, Ω, and Amps, whereas design engineers think in of mils, length, spacing. This presents a communication problem and a process inefficiency. Many iterations could be avoided if only the ECAD engineers had the ability to identify and resolve basic issues for themselves.

Learn how Altair PollEx can import any native ECAD format and provide designers with easy-to-use SI/PI screening tools that reduce design loops, increase collaboration, and improve board quality.

Stability and Performance Improvement with Feedback in VRM Transconductance Error Amplifiers – A Case Study using the Sandler State Space Average VRM Model  

The voltage regulator module (VRM) is the foundation of power integrity. Due to their wide bandwidth and low cost, most newer VRM controllers employ transconductance feedback amplifiers, with the VRM manufacturers recommending a shunt compensation for the error amplifier design. However, most VRM designers and power integrity engineers may not be aware that they have another choice to improve the sensitivity and performance of their VRM design. The better performance of a current mode VRM with series compensation for the error amplifier is clearly demonstrated with simulations using the Sandler state-space average VRM model.

Additional analysis and discussion will be provided to show how the VRM’s performance has improved stability, reduced gain sensitivity, and overall improved performance with a series compensation network. A VRM case study will be presented in this technical session to show these performance improvements using the Sandler State Space Average model in Keysight PathWave ADS.

Assessment of Thick & Thin Film Passive Monolithic SMT Resistor Elements in Handling Low Duty Cycle (LDC) Signal Conditions

A study of risks and factors designers must consider when selecting a resistor component which will be exposed to low duty cycle pulse (LDC) power. Mechanisms and techniques to compare or predict durability of a given selection of thick and thin film components against a projected LDC form is also discussed.

In the past 10 years, requests for passive resistor elements have revealed a growing trend in application specific signal requirements. These requirements include: moderate to high power, LDC pulses with fast rise/fall times, pulse widths under 1uS, low average power, and pulse repetition frequencies (PRF) ranging from 1 Khz to 40 Khz. Applications generally associated with these types of signals include Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) drivers used for 3D imaging and object recognition, Low Duty Cycle (LDC) algorithms used for interference mitigation in the presence of Wideband Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (ODFM) systems, general “search and sense” applications, and more.

LDC signals and applications represent a departure from the more traditional usage of the word “pulse” which was generally accredited to signal transitions related to system power up, capacitor discharges, or the hybrid mode operation of a periodic CW signal burst that would remain on for seconds or minutes. This paper will offer insight regarding the effect LDC signals found in emerging technology have on the selection of passive monolithic SMT resistor elements.

5G/Wi-Fi/IoT

Applications of Transparent Metal Mesh Nanostructures

Transparent conductors are integral components in a wide range of electronic devices including touchscreens, OLEDs and photovoltaics. However, existing transparent conductive materials have at least one or more drawbacks, such as poor mechanical stability, low optical transmissivity and low electrical conductivity.

In this talk, we will review the benefits of using nanostructured metal wire meshes, impossible to resolve by the naked eye, which can be fabricated for large area products and flexible devices in roll-to-roll fashion. META’s Nanoweb® film is one prime example of such a material. For example, transparent antennas can be seamlessly placed on windows, opening more installation space for various applications, and can be effectively decoupled from each other operating at close frequency bands. Application areas include: 5G antennas for smartphones, vehicles, RFID tags, Bluetooth antennas for wearables and IoT devices, and single-aperture lidar–radar fusion for autonomous vehicle navigation. Metal meshes can also be patterned to redirect radio waves in the millimeter wave range. Nanoweb® can be applied in most surfaces and without spoiling the surface’s appearance, to improve the communication environment. The talk will also focus on how metasurfaces made from Nanoweb® are manufactured and present some promising designs for improved 5G communications.

High Speed Electronics and Protection of Systems

Electronics are everywhere. From home to work place and when we travel, we rely on electronics for information, communication, productivity, entertainment and computing requirements. Less visibly, electronics is increasingly running vehicles, factories, managing our data and even connecting our home appliances. A common thread for all of these systems is the need to be always connected – often at high data rates. Data channels and electronics systems must be able to handle this high speed data, without signal or power degradation, or generation of interference. Systems must also pass regulatory requirements in order to be sold in certain geos and they must be protected against external threats.

In this presentation, we’ll look at the challenges created by high speed electronics and the mitigating solutions that are available and that can be explored and tested through virtual twins. We’ll also look at protecting electronics against transient effects such as electrostatic discharge or EMP.

Frequency Domain and Time Domain Solvers Comparison in 3D Electromagnetic Simulation of Antenna Arrays

Review of Frequency Domain Solver, including Direct Solver and Domain Decomposition Solver (CST Studio Suite), their advantages and difficulties. Comparison of results with Time Domain Solver. Showcasing the simulation of mm-wave antenna array. Evaluation of radiation patterns, realized gain and efficiency.

Potential RF Interference on IoT Devices

The proliferation of IoT “smart” devices used in the homes, commercial buildings, and city infrastructure, emphasizes the need to test for Electromatic Compatibility (EMC). IoT devices such as appliances, sensors, and cameras to name just a few are strictly mandated to comply with EMC standards. However, the real-world application may give rise to untested opportunities for RF interference. This presentation will discuss these real-world scenarios and provide guidance on testing techniques to mitigate potential for interference.

Understanding the Latest Trends in 5G

Where we are with 5G

• Current and Forecast Connections
• Deployments
• Economic Impact and Use Cases

Reaching the Promise of 5G

• Network density
• Spectrum
• Standards

Beyond 5G Toward the Next Generation

• Standards and Commercial Timeline
• Key enablers

Advancing 5G Energy Efficiency Through Integration

A GaN-based amplifier on its own is not enough to provide the level of performance and integration needed to support practical massive MIMO installations. Integration with driver and controller components provides the means to maximize key parameters such as linearity and bandwidth while also satisfying the need for density in a mMIMO systems.

Multichip module (MCM) integration provides the best way forward because it makes it possible to employ the advantage of specific process technologies instead of having to make tradeoffs with a single technology, such as GaN. The NXP RapidRF family of 5G modules couples the GaN-based Doherty combiner elements with LDMOS driver ICs. The design of the driver circuitry is critical as it provides the means to operate GaN devices at peak performance. LDMOS provides the best combination of characteristics to handle this function; integration on a multichip provides further improvements by helping to minimize inductance and other parasitic.

Responsiveness in the power-amplifier controller is also vital as this ensures the Doherty stages operate at performance. In the talk we will be explain how this over integration of MCM integration makes the overall 5G mMIMO system energy efficient.

5G and 6G: Capacity and Coverage Requirements Will Drive Unique Network Products and New Spectrum Usage

This presentation examines the future profile of mobile data demand and will illustrate the network topology and spectrum options that best fit. Repeaters, IAB, Cognitive Radio, Sub-THz, and other radio solutions are considered. In particular, the future requirements for coverage will drive a need for repeaters and IAB solutions, while future requirements for capacity will push the market in the opposite direction, toward higher order massive MIMO, sub-THz (~140 GHz) spectrum, and other high-density solutions.

Difficulties with high-frequency penetration into
buildings will limit the impact of sub-THz and mm-wave, so indoor deployment, Cognitive Radio, and new bands below 12 GHz will play a role in future network deployment.

Innovations in High-Performance RF Filtering for 5G Wireless Infrastructure for Both FR1 and FR2 Applications

Discussion of various RF filter technologies utilized in different 5G Wireless infrastructure for both FR1 and FR2.  Describe how system-level requirements and PA characteristics affect the filters specifications needed. Share the newest advances in filter technologies and the advantages these offer.

Addressing the Edge Computing / Data Center Infrastructure Market with Coherent Optical SoCs

Coherent pluggables with an optical System-on-Chip (SoC) can become vital in addressing the datacom and telecom sector needs for a new generation of distributed data center architectures. Combining the optical SoCs with reconfigurable DSPs and modern network orchestration and automation software will be a key to deploying edge data centers.  For instance, technology trends such as 5G / IoT, CDNs, AR/VR and SDN / NFV are causing the global market for edge data centers to explode, with PWC predicting that it will nearly triple from $4 billion in 2017 to $13.5 billion in 2024.

My Data Rate Is Slow. Is It My LO (Local Oscillator)?

5G and Wi-Fi 6 communication systems offer the promise of fast data rates. Core to achieving this performance is the fidelity of the up and down-conversion signal chains. When symbol errors exist, one potential source is poor phase noise of system local oscillators (LOs). To troubleshoot, engineers can utilize low phase noise synthesizers as an LO substitute or measure the LO’s phase noise. This workshop will explain phase noise, the importance of low phase noise, and the tools to determine the phase noise of the LO’s you are using and the availability of low phase noise LO substitutes.

The Next Generation Smart Home: How Wi-Fi 7 and Matter Will Change the User Experience

Wi-Fi has been the ubiquitous connectivity technology in the home for many years, but it has advanced significantly. Learn how its next generation, Wi-Fi 7, will improve the home user experience and how the upcoming Matter standard will bridge interoperability challenges to create a seamless home network.

Meeting the 5G Density Challenge With Innovative Passive RF Components

With the 5G challenge of Massive MIMO and ever-increasing levels of density, this paper addresses the design and performance challenges of tightly packed RF components in 5G RRU’s and focuses on passive component placement and performance optimization in small form factors.

PCB/Interconnect

PCB Technologies Enabling High Speed Systems

The evolution of high speed signaling technologies along with greater degrees of system integration together apply pressure to the PCB industry to respond with solutions to enable higher performing systems.  Standards for chip to chip communication continue to challenge PCB signaling to achieve desired channel reaches.

A PCB is a system solution that must satisfy a broad range of technical requirements including mechanical, thermal, logical/functional, and electrical (signaling and power).  Many industry consortia collaborate toward the advancement of PCB technologies and process capabilities.

This talk will provide an overview of these high speed PCB system challenges and illustrate current and emerging PCB materials, manufacturing process, and technology advancements that enable PCB system solutions.  Our session will include a projection of signaling media and technologies that will gain traction as high speed needs eventually outstrip PCB bandwidth and reach capabilities.

Materials and Fixtures for Measurements at 224Gbps

Quantum links have been demonstrated using satellite and fiber. Here, we propose a new type of quantum link using drones, for mobile connections with high flexibility. We demonstrate the first drone-based entanglement distribution, to work in multi-weather conditions including daytime and rainy nights. Moreover, we show that the drones node can be interconnected in air, to form an optical relay against the diffraction loss, and extend the link distances. Such mobile quantum links can be built in different scales for broad and extensive quantum coverage.

Residual Phase Noise Measurement of Components for Advanced Radar Systems

At 224Gbps data rates, test fixtures and PCB materials must improve. Using a target of 67GHz for high-quality s-parameter measurements, various PCB materials and test fixtures are evaluated.  The evaluations include low-loss dielectrics, smooth PCB copper, and 1.85mm co-ax fixtures.  These are combined to make PCB trace measurements, plus co-ax and twinax cable measurements. De-embedding techniques are used to extract loss per length values for simple trace and twinax structures.  Results are analyzed for measurement quality and suitability for 224Gbps component verification.

Interconnect Design for Advanced Phased Array Systems

Many systems are integrating capabilities that require mmWave beamforming. Example application areas include suites of sensors, 5G/6G systems, radar, and SATCOM. In this presentation, a review of best design practices surrounding interconnect design required to route signals into phased array structures required in these application areas will be presented. The core of this presentation will examine the process and theory required to design transmission lines and antenna arrays for these systems. In addition to transmission lines for these systems, the placement and arrangement of antennas in the array, as well as oscillator and transceiver elements, will determine the beamforming capabilities of these systems. Examples from industry and research literature will be presented to illustrate practical usage of these concepts and the diversity of systems to which they apply.

A Comprehensive Method for the Design of BGA, Connector and Via Breakouts for Layout?

In designing via breakouts for BGAs, connectors and freestanding via transitions, engineers may box themselves into a corner where layout is exceedingly difficult. Designers may also fall into the “mole hole” of endless optimization simulations that seem more like a game of “Whack-a-Mole” than a design methodology. This presentation will provide a simplified process that is guaranteed to converge application-specific solutions to make the design “work”. Knowledge of general PCB design rules, 3D EM solvers, and full signal channel analysis is assumed.

Tale of Two Data Sheets and Other Things to Know About PCB Dielectric Constants

When doing stackup and impedance modeling, we need to get the dielectric material properties from the right sources. One important parameter for accurate impedance modeling is the dielectric constant or simply Dk. In this presentation the difference between simple laminate suppliers’ marketing data sheets and engineering data sheets are discussed as well as how anisotropic properties of inhomogeneous dielectrics and foil roughness affects the effective Dk.

Addressing the Data Transfer Disconnect Between the RF Design Platform and the PCB Layout Editor

RF/microwave IP, developed in a specialized design environment, must be transferred to a PCB layout editor where manufacturing constraints, design rule checking (DRC), layout vs. schematic (LVS) and corporate-approved components can be applied and integrated with the power and digital electronics.  The transfer of RF design data (schematic and layout) is tyopically re-entered manually by the layout team using information provided by the RF team, wasting considerable time and effort. New workflow interoperability between the Cadence AWR Design Environment and Allegro PCB editor platforms enables RF and layout teams to share data more efficiently to reduce design turnaround times and potential errors. This talk will present the new RF-to-PCB workflow enabled by the Cadence Unified Library and will highlight how design teams can use this capability to greatly improve efficiency and time to market.

Understanding Magnetic Field, Inductance and Ferrite Clamps

Inductance is an intrinsic property of current carrying conductors and is often explained by induction. But this does not work for DC. It is much more straightforward to understand the inductance in terms of the magnetic field.

Ferrite clamps are used to filter common mode currents and they are often explained by losses. But that does not work at low frequencies. It is much more straightforward to understand them as inductances.

In this presentation, we will see how 3D simulation can help you to better understand these basic concepts.

PCB Fabrication Influences on RF Performance at Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Frequency Bands

The normal variation of several processes within circuit fabrication, can have multiple influences on RF performance.  For some situations, the RF influence due to a process having normal variation can be significant at lower frequencies and less influential at higher frequencies.  However, it is more common for the higher frequency applications to be more influenced by the PCB fabrication process.  When considering the RF consistency of a circuit design, understanding the potential PCB fabrication influences in relation to frequency, can be important considerations for the designer.

This presentation will start with a basic overview of insertion loss and phase response.  The material and circuit properties that influence insertion loss and phase will be given, along with frequency dependencies.   Multiple circuit fabrication processes will be discussed, and examples given for their influence on RF performance at different frequency bands.  There will be comparisons of RF performance, due to circuit processing influences, at sub 6 GHz, Ku band (12 to 18 GHz), 24 GHz, Ka band (26.5 to 40 GHz), 60 GHz, 77 GHz and 94 GHz.

Key Features Affecting Circuit Board Stack-ups and Minimum Design Rules

Julie will discuss trade-off analysis performed by the printed circuit board fabricator when creating a complex stack-up. You will learn how design features required by the customer, such as min pitch BGA, material Dk/Df, drill structures, number of layers, layer copper thicknesses, and controlled impedances interplay in the final stack-up calculations to determine whether the stack-up is easy, or extremely difficult, to fabricate within its technology classification. Examples of competing inputs, such as thick boards with small drills resulting in high aspect ratios, and how small-pitch parts on heavy Cu layers have etch issues will be included.

Developing High-Quality Test Fixtures for De-embedding of S-Parameters

Extracting high-quality S-parameters for a DUT from measurements inherently involves de-embedding them from a total structure that includes test fixture lead-ins. These lead-ins typically include probes or connectors, and potentially some ngth of non-coaxial transmission-line, e.g., stripline or microstrip on a PCB, as well as via transitions, in addition to the DUT. A common current de-embedding approach often used for DUTs on printed circuit boards, packages, and cabling for example, utilizes a 2X Thru, or 1X Open together with the total structure to extract the DUT Sparameters. For many current high-speed and high-frequency applications it is necessary to do 3D full-wave electromagnetic simulation in order to develop a high quality test fixture from which successful de-embedding can result. The features that comprise good lead-in test fixturing from which DUT S-parameters can be extracted will be detailed in this presentation. EM simulation for developing test fixtures will be discussed and examples provided. This presentation will also briefly discuss making quality S-parameter measurements with a VNA and provide comparison results. Examples for de-embedding to 50 GHz will be presented.

Radar/Automotive/SATCOM

Innovation and Complexity: My Journey Through Digital AESA Radars

Defense market is increasingly coping with complexity to reach enhanced performance, flexible functionalities and new capabilities. System of systems, a set of multiple systems operating cooperatively, is an expression of such a complexity, which aims at overcoming modern mission challenges with performance greater than the sum of the single systems. For sure, one of the must-have of this kind of system suite is the radar and, shifting a bit the perspective, a radar itself can be seen as a collection of systems – usually referenced as subsystems.

During this talk, the speaker will take you along her path in facing modern radar complexity. Main stops in this 30-minute trip will be enabling technologies in RF and high speed digital, architectures, high performance signal processing and leading approaches in design and development. In fact, to reach cutting edge results in terms of performance, multifunctionality and modularity, defense market is shifting towards massive digital Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars, better known as Digital Array Radar (DAR). Needless to say, the quality and effectiveness of this enhanced system, require to deal with added complexity not only during operation, but also during early design stages. New design challenges deal with RF spectrum congestion, highly distributed architectures and big data processing.  To effectively address the new challenges of such systems, design and development based on digital modelling, as in Model Based Engineering (MBE), is a keystone.

Accelerate Antenna Design Optimization Using Machine Learning

Antennas are critical part of any wireless system for maximizing efficiency and data rates. Machine learning is a method of data analysis that automates analytical model building. Antennas are becoming more and more complex each day with increase in demand for their use in variety of devices (smart phones, autonomous driving to mention a couple); antenna designers can take advantage of machine learning to generate trained models for their physical antenna designs and perform fast and intelligent optimization on these trained models. Using the trained models, different optimization algorithms and goals can be run quickly, in seconds, for comparison of different designs. This talk presents the process of fast and intelligent optimization by Design Exploration and machine learning. Examples to showcase the advantages of using machine learning for antenna design and optimization will be presented.

Latest Trends in the LEO (Megaconstellation) / MEO Satellite Market

Since OneWeb filed to launch and operate its non-geostationary (NGSO) satellite constellation in 2016, initiating the first of now four FCC Processing Rounds for U.S. Market Access, more than twenty distinct entities have filed applications in the United States to launch more than 70,000 satellites to serve the US Market. This presentation provides an introduction to components and sub-systems of these networks along with an overview of their regulatory requirements. Additionally included is a market update on today’s low earth orbit (LEO) and medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite constellations including their progress towards regulatory milestones and the technical challenges they face as a whole. One of the main technical challenges that will discussed in the low-cost broadband user terminal solution.

RF System Design Accelerators: Hardware Development Tools and Ecosystem To Speed Time-to-Market and Reduce Risk

Today’s RF and radio system architecture can be divided into three separate blocks: the up/down converter, the baseband processor, and the RF front end. Presently, there are three highly integrated radio solutions to consider depending on your operating frequency and bandwidth requirements: integrated transceiver ICs, which operate from 30-6000 MHz and offer bandwidth of 12 kHz to 200 MHz; up/down converter ICs that operate from 2-44 GHz and can offer bandwidth up to 1.4 GHz; and high speed converters or mixed signal front ends (MxFEs), that can operate up to 6 GHz transmit and 3.2 GHz receive and offer bandwidth up to 1 GHz. To complete the radio system, one of these approaches will be combined with a suitable system on chip / baseband processor and possibly a high-power RF front end. With standard, off-the-shelf modules of these system blocks, you can now start software and algorithm development in hours instead of months. These hardware modules can also be tailored to your requirements, either under license or as customized hardware. Technical support is available throughout the process.

Making History in the 2020s, the Decade of Microwave Softwarization and Multi-Band Systems

Most RF systems we have today been designed for one type of service operating in one frequency band. Now in the early 2020s the path to a promising future is being opened by the combination of following opens:

A. The new microwave capable data conversion technology supporting direct conversion in multiple frequency bands up to Ka.
With

B. The latest FPGAs fabricated in deep sub-micron technology with their underlying significant processing power.

The emergence of single hardware platforms capable of operating in multiple frequency bands, processing a variety of waveforms and providing multiple services now becomes possible.

From an investor perspective, one investment to develop one multi-purpose platforms capable of providing a broad range of services in different frequencies can be very attractive compared to investing in the development of single purpose systems operating in a single frequency band.

This historical evolution of digital RF systems also opens promising perspectives with systems operating simultaneously in different frequency. Such as the coherent Multi- Band SAR Radars promising significant imaging performance improvements.

The history of RF innovations that we will collectively make in the 2020s will be exciting. Manufacturers of RF parts and technical building blocks will have a major role to play. And as this expansion of digitized RF across multiple bands comes with a range of new RF signal chain design challenges, skilled analog and RF engineers will remain in high demand.

Manufacturing Challenges and Innovative Architectures for mmWave Automotive Radars

Addressing the challenges of mmWave radar development with yield, material performances and innovations in architectures in support of mixed material PCB stack ups and thermal management of next generation Radar IC’s.

Beyond the Human Eye: How Utilizing Subsurface Data Can Advance the ADAS/AV Industry

GPR is the first and only company using ground penetrating radar technology for automated vehicle navigation. The company’s Ground Positioning Radar tracks and maps the Earth’s subsurface, creating a map that pinpoints vehicles within centimeter-level accuracy in any condition. GPR’s technology provides critical insights for vehicles beyond what the human eye can see, regardless of weather, clear lane markings, or GPS availability. Tarik will lead a dynamic discussion diving deep into the GPR technology that the world’s leading OEMs are currently piloting, and will explain how the technology not only helps the AV/ADAS industry, but can enhance the mining/construction, warehousing, and agricultural fields.

Audience members will learn about:

• How GPR uses radar technology to scan the earth’s subsurface
• Critical driving scenarios where current sensing technologies and
  humans often fail, and how to overcome them, including during
  times of sun glare, snow, rain, dirt, fog, ice, faded lane markings,
  and in garages and tunnels with low GPS service
• How the industry can collectively increase consumer confidence in
  AV and ADAS systems
• Tarik’s predictions on the future of autonomy

Trade-Off Phase Noise for Switching Speed When Choosing a Signal Generator for Radar Test? Maybe Not!

When testing up and down-conversion systems in agile radars, it is often necessary to isolate the performance of the internal local oscillators (LOs). Using a high quality and fast switching signal generator as a substitute LO allows engineers to isolate the true performance of their convertor chain. It enables them to evaluate signal chains without the performance being masked by the characteristics of the LO or to determine if the LO is the source of issues when the systems are not performing as expected.

Learn the key factors in choosing the right signal generator for your application and why you don’t need to choose between switching speed and phase noise.

The Age of Hypersonic Weapons is Upon Us

Hypersonic (speeds above Mach 5) travel is not new, with V2-powered missiles achieving hypersonic velocities in the late 1940s and Russia’s Sputnik 1 satellite reaching space orbit in 1957. What is new are well-publicized missile launches by China, Russia and the US that have increased levels of interest and concern around the globe. Hypersonic weapons developments have the potential to upset and re-shape the delicate balance of power that helps provide a first strike deterrent.

This presentation will look at how hypersonic weapons technology is ushering in a new era of disruption and de-stabilization. We will address the two main categories of hypersonic weapons and how they differ, along with some evolving technology challenges and opportunities for these vehicles. We will also explore how the architecture of defensive systems is evolving to keep pace with missile developments as a means of restoring that balance of power. The presentation will also explore the regional hypersonic weapons ecosystem, along with spending forecasts.

Reducing Complexity in Calibration with a Measuring Receiver with Integrated Phase Noise Tester

A new microwave measurement receiver calibrates signal generators and attenuators providing tuned RF level measurements, level measurements, analog modulation and spectrum analysis. To measure the phase noise of the generators a powerful hardware for high end phase noise test is incorporated, with cross correlation for increased sensitivity. Due to real-time demodulation amplitude and phase noise can be measured in parallel. It offers also a vector signal analyzer for digital modulation analysis, 80 MHz analysis bandwidth, analysis of pulses and VOR/ILS signals. It is a single box instrument designed to reduce the complexity in calibration.

Advances in RF Filters From 240MHz UHF Up to 40GHz Ka-band for SATCOM and Radar

Discussion of various RF filter technologies, and the progression of recent innovations delivering the newest levels in RF filter performance applicable for Satcom and Radar. Describing solutions spanning 240MHz MUOS UHF through L-band SatCom (Iridum and InMarSat) to Ku-Band and Ka-Band Satcom (Uplink and Downlink) with a fraction of the Size, Weight, and Cost for both Military and high-volume Commercial applications.