IMS2012: Show in review

Another successful IMS2012 played out June 19-21, in Montréal, Canada. The venue was unique, and the food was delicious. Although I did not get to see much of the Montreal area, I did get to walk around “Old Montreal” which was very quaint and enjoyable.

As for the show, the exhibit floor seemed as busy as usual (at time of this posting, the attendance numbers were not yet available). Some vendors reported fewer visits but more qualified visitors (meaning they swiped their card for later contact), and others had the impression that it was about as good as Baltimore (the 2011 venue).

Here’s a quick look at IMS2012 by the numbers:

•  Number of exhibitors: 569
• Number of new exhibitors: 55
• Exhibitors Geographically: USA – 424; Europe – 54; Asia – 56; Canada – 31; Middle East - 3  
• Technical Workshops: 40
• Technical Papers: 612 (out of 1225 submitted)
• Technical Sessions: 83
• Total attendance: 7600+
• Symposium Registrants: 4118 

Here’s a roundup of some of the products that were introduced at the show and/or on display there. Just click on the headline to learn more.

Agilent debuts PA module design for next release of Advanced Design System
Agilent Technologies Inc. announced new capabilities for RF power amplifier design in the next major release of Agilent's Advanced Design System.

Agilent claims world's fastest USB power sensors
Agilent Technologies Inc. released the Agilent U2020 X-series, which it claims incorporates the world's fastest USB power sensors.

Agilent introduces high-performance mid-range vector network analyzers
Agilent Technologies Inc. introduced five PNA-L vector network analyzer models, claiming the highest performance (up to 50 GHz) in a mid-range VNA, along with lower cost and future-proof capabilities.










Analyze 802.11ac WLAN signals with bandwidths to 160 MHz
Meeting the needs of developers designing chipsets and modules in line with IEEE 802.11ac, the Rohde & Schwarz FSW-K91ac signal and spectrum analyzer offers T&M equipment required to generate standard compliant WLAN signals in the lab.


Rohde & Schwarz adds frequency converter measurements to ZNB vector network analyzers
The R&S ZNB-K4 software option for the Rohde & Schwarz R&S ZNB series of vector network analyzers (VNAs) extends the instruments capability by mixer and frequency converter measurements.

Aeroflex adds 802.11ac capability to S-Series line
WLAN research, design, and manufacturing engineers can now use the S-Series of RF signal generators and analyzers from Aeroflex to meet their IEEE 802.11ac test requirements.

E-band emission test solution achieves best-in-class dynamic range
The Anritsu MS2830A signal analyzer features an external mixer design that achieves a best in-class-dynamic range.

VectorStar system extends system frequency coverage to 750 GHz
Anritsu Company’s ME7838A VectorStar 4-port configuration extends the Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) measurement system to 750 GHz and higher.

Handheld cable and antenna analyzer delivers 8-hour battery use
The S33IL Cable and Antenna Analyzer by Anritsu Company provides high-performance cable and antenna analysis.

Option enables VNA to measure noise figure from 70kHz to 125 GHz
Noise figure measurement capability is available for Anritsu Company’s VectorStar MS4640 and ME7838A analyzers.

110 GHz VNA system delivers 4-port measurement
Anritsu Company’s VectorStar ME7838A broadband Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) platform features 4-port measurement.

Phase noise analyzers offer lowest residual phase noise performance
The NXA series of phase noise analyzers from Noise Extended Technologies (NoiseXT) simplifies phase noise testing by incorporating a one-box system design.

Averna Wideband RF recorder captures real-world RF signals
The RP-5300 RF Recorder is a field-ready multi-channel RF Recorder for applications covering 330 MHz to 2.5 GHz.

Teseq magnetic field coil generates fields Up To 1200 A/m
At IMS2012, Teseq Inc. announced a magnetic field coil that generates fields up to 1200 A/m during magnetic field testing.

Peregrine 8 GHz SP4T switch targets test-and-measurement/ATE applications
Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation (Peregrine) has released the SP4T PE42540 RF switch.

TriQuint targets WLAN with RF module
The TriConnect TQP6M9017 high-performance 802.11ac Wi-Fi RF module from TriQuint Semiconductor is adual-band WLAN module that provides a  solution for 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth applications

Peregrine expands digitally tunable capacitor line
Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation announced two new digitally tunable capacitors (DTCs)—the PE64101 and PE64102 (PE64101/2) DTCs

Peregrine unveils SP3T optimized for low insertion loss
At IMS2012, Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation announced the SP3T PE42430 RF switch

Vishay MLCCs feature high Q of 2000
The devices are optimized for filter and matching networks, and amplifier and DC blocking circuits.

Freescale LDMOS power amplifiers perform in extreme conditions
Three RF power amplifiers joining the Airfast family deliver ruggedness, stability, and gain for land mobile applications.

Rugged FETs span 1MHz to 2 GHz
Two wideband RF power LDMOS FETs from Freescale are available to meet these needs for applications from HF through L band, 1 MHz through 2 GHz. Each delivers full CW rated power over the entire operating frequency range.

Freescale Airfast transistors target small-cell and macro-cell base stations
Airfast transistors boost efficiency, peak power and signal bandwidth of next-generation small-cell and large-cell base stations.  

Freescale announces first GaN RF power amplifier for cellular apps
The AFG25HW355S is a 350W, high-performance-in-package (HiP), 2:1 asymmetric RF power amplifier built with gallium nitride (GaN) technology.

SP10T and SP12T switches target 4G LTE
The SP10T PE 426161 switch from Peregrine Semiconductor meets the second-harmonic requirement of -80 dBm for Band XIII. The SP12T PE426171 switch features 12 fully symmetrical transmit ports, it provides the flexibility to freely configure any combination of ports for any mode and band through the bi-directional, two-wire serial-bus control interface.

ADI debuts 13GHz synthesizer
The ADF4159 achieves phase detector operating frequency of 110 MHz and consumes less than 100 mW of power. In addition, the ADF4159 contains a 25-bit fixed modulus as well as on-chip functionality to generate highly linear ramp profiles, making it an well suited for FMCW radar applications, including automotive radar systems, microwave Point-to-Point (PtP) systems, communications instrumentation and test equipment. More information

ADI 12-bit DDS targets frequency-hopping applications
ADI’s programmable DDS ICs, the 3.5 GSPS AD9914 and 2.5 GSPS AD9915, offer up to 64-bit resolution, direct pin-access, and fast frequency tuning for precision communications systems. Coupled with an on-chip, high-speed, 12-bit D/A converter, ADI's AD9914 achieves a speed of 3.5 giga samples per second (GSPS), while the AD9915 runs to 2.5 GSPS. Both device cores support advanced digital programmable technology capable of synthesizing frequency-agile, analog output sinusoidal waveforms at up to 1.4 GHz, such as those used in a wide range of communications applications, such as wireless base stations, defense and commercial radar, and secure communications systems. More information. AD9914 and AD9915