SkyCross has developed a way to reduce Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) levels in small wireless devices without sacrificing signal strength. Prior to this latest SkyCross innovation, reducing transmitted power was a means to reduce SAR for regulatory compliance, but the signal strength could drop to a level that network operators would not accept. Incorporating iMAT technology from SkyCross in small wireless devices enables them to operate using half the power without any change in signal strength while reducing SAR levels and increasing battery life.

SAR measures the rate that the body absorbs radio-frequency (RF) energy when exposed to an electromagnetic field. Various governments around the world regulate SAR levels for wireless devices including handsets, USB dongles, and laptops as a safety precaution. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compares the strength of a desired signal to the level of background noise. Engineers widely understand that reducing power nominally by 50 percent also reduces the SAR by 50 percent, but this would also mean that SNR was cut in half.

iMAT (Isolated Mode Antenna Technology) is a design technique that enables a single antenna element to behave like multiple antennas. By using iMAT in a small device such as a USB dongle, where it is particularly challenging to support multiple antennas, iMAT enables transmit beam forming so SNR is not affected when the output power is reduced.

This SAR breakthrough is the latest in a series of iMAT developments. Since iMAT was launched last year, it has been incorporated in many small wireless devices, successfully replacing many antennas traditionally required for diversity or MIMO. The technology simplifies integration, saves space, and reduces bill of material (BOM) costs. iMAT has also consolidated the number of antennas required in smartphones and enabled a game-changing handset architecture that lowers the cost of ownership by eliminating the switchplexer.