Integral Systems Raptor Receivers to be used in the U.S. Army‘s World Wide SATCOM system. See story below.

Integral Raptor Receives SATCOM Certification

Integral Systems, Inc. of Chantilly, Virginia reports that its Raptor X-band Ultra Small Aperture Terminal (USAT) deployable communications system has been certified for use on the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) system by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT). According to Air Force Space Command, WGS is a joint service satellite communications system providing flexible, high-capacity communications for our nation’s warfighters.

Raptor X, offered through Integral Systems’ SATCOM Solutions division, is a highly advanced, interoperable deployable communications system. It comes in an airline carry-on size case, weighs less than 33lbs, has been tested to MIL-STD-810F specifications for ruggedization and runs for approximately three hours on two BB2590 batteries. Moving from its backpack configuration to being on the air requires less than 10 minutes. Using the Raptor X on the WGS system gives warfighters the ability to securely and reliably send and receive voice and data intensive communications in X-band.

CEA-Leti Opens Chamber to Business and Research

CEA-Leti of Grenoble, France is making its new anechoic chamber available to businesses and researchers from private and academic research labs.

The controlled environment allows precise measurement of the electromagnetic fields of wireless communication systems. The electromagnetic shielding in the 20-meter-long, 12-meter-high, 12-meter-wide metallic structure provides upwards of 90dB of electromagnetic interference attenuation. The size and placement of the insulation materials lining its interior maximize its ability to absorb even small levels of electromagnetic waves (starting at just a few dozen MHz).

This makes it possible to simulate free-space propagation and avoid parasitic reflections, which result in dramatically improved precision when measuring the electromagnetic spectrum below 1GHz. This capacity for measurement at such low levels puts this tool in a class of its own. Test objects are placed six meters above the ground on a rotating platform measuring four meters in diameter that can support up to two tons.

Agilent Equipment Approved for SATA Testing

Agilent Technologies Inc. of Santa Clara, California says that the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) has approved Agilent’s 90000 X-Series oscilloscope and E5071C network analyzer with Option TDR (time-domain reflectometry) to provide SATA Gen 3 Interoperability Program Revision 1.4 product testing and certification. The instruments cover the transmitter, return loss and cable test sections of the SATA Interoperability Program.

Serial ATA is the primary storage I/O interface used in computing systems today. The SATA Interoperability Program aims to ensure compatibility between product implementations. Companies who participate in the program can have their products included on the SATA-IO Integrators List when their products pass the testing. Companies may have their products certified at SATA-IO workshops or approved by independent test labs.

The Infiniium 90000 X-Series oscilloscope delivers industry-leading, real-time bandwidth of up to 32GHz.

The new E5071C ENA network analyzer Option TDR offers TDR, S-parameter and simulated eye measurement capabilities in one instrument.

Lockheed & Penn State Develop New Technology

Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Maryland, and The Pennsylvania State University have developed a breakthrough material that could provide an improvement in the performance of spacecraft antennas.

The electromagnetic metamaterial is one of the first that is able to improve a real-world device. A metamaterial contains properties not found in nature, while an electromagnetic metamaterial is designed to interact with and control the way electromagnetic waves travel, enabling new devices with radically different and improved performance.

The work was funded by Lockheed Martin’s University Research Initiative Program. The product was conceived by Lockheed’s Dr. Erik Lier.

"Many experts within government, industry and academia have had doubts about electromagnetic metamaterials because they were perceived to have narrow bandwidth and high loss,"

Lier said. "The results we achieved in this collaborative effort challenged this paradigm, and I think we’ll see customers benefitting from this technology in the near-term."

ADTI Developing Communications Technology

Advanced Defense Technologies Inc. (ADTI) of Anaheim, California, reports that its microwave transceiver has instantaneous operating bandwidth of over 500MHz and can support the data transmission and receiving speeds of 1 billion bits per second. The applications for this technology have been focused on military defense systems; specifically in the areas of advanced radar and communications dedicated to concealing military communications from enemy forces. ADTI’s technology has been refined and enhanced by Phase I projects and two Phase II projects with the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army.

BCC Research forecasts that the defense and surveillance applications sector will grow the fastest, resulting in an almost 5% rise in market share. This sector was worth $1.2 billion in 2009 and is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 13% to reach $2.1 billion by 2014.

RF Micro Devices Celebrates 20-Year Anniversary

RF Micro Devices, Inc. of Greensboro, North Carolina, a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance RF components and compound semiconductor technologies, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with commemorative events planned at company locations throughout the year.

RFMD was a pioneer in the commercialization of RF components using gallium arsenide (GaAs) compound semiconductor technology and is the world’s leading manufacturer of GaAs technology. In the 1990’s RFMD was a primary contributor to the rapid growth in the cellular handset market, and in 2000 RFMD was identified by Fortune magazine as the second-fastest growing company in America. In 2004, RFMD became the first semiconductor company to ship one billion cellular power amplifiers, and today RFMD routinely ships greater than three million RF components per day.

Bob Bruggeworth, president and CEO, said, "The RFMD team is comprised of outstanding individuals with a commitment to product and technology leadership, and we are optimistic about our opportunities for revenue growth and strong operating results.”

Tektronix to Expand Bay Area Presence in 2011

Tektronix, Inc. of Beaverton, Oregon, a worldwide provider of test, measurement and monitoring instrumentation, plans to expand its presence in the San Francisco Bay Area by opening an RF Design Center in Santa Rosa, California. This announcement comes on the heels of the opening in February of a new technology and service center in Santa Clara, California.

The new RF Design Center is intended to expand Tektronix’s efforts to develop next-generation RF and microwave test capabilities to better serve customers. By adding this in a desirable and highly livable community, the center will have more options for attracting world-class technical talent to accelerate time to market.

The company confirmed intentions to hire approximately 15 local RF design engineers and researchers during the initial ramp-up phase.

"Tektronix continues to build a premier test and measurement company to support some of the most dynamic and fast-moving segments of the electronics industry," said Tektronix President Aghdaei.

EMGS Wins $8.5 Million Mozambique Contract

Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS) of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, has been awarded a contract worth $8.5 million by a repeat customer to acquire 3D EM data offshore Mozambique.

The vessel BOA Galatea was mobilized in early February, following completion of her current work in New Zealand. The Mozambique survey will continue into the early part of the second quarter.

Roar Bekker, EMGS CEO, commented, "This customer regularly uses 3D EM data to help de-risk hydrocarbon prospects and influence those all-important drilling decisions. The fact that the company keeps coming back is, I believe, a compelling demonstration of the value that we add to customers’ operations."

EMGS, the marine EM market leader, uses its proprietary electromagnetic technology to support oil and gas companies in their search for offshore hydrocarbons. The company’s services enable integration of EM data with seismic and other geophysical and geological information to give explorers a clearer and more complete understanding of the subsurface.

Pepro LLC Hires Veteran Structural Engineer

Pepro LLC of Oil City, Pennsylvania, the leading manufacturer of shielded enclosure systems for stationary and mobile applications, has hired Shawn Ausel as the company’s director of operations. Ausel brings two decades of experience providing structural engineering and project management expertise to local municipalities, state departments and the U.S. military.

Previous to Pepro, Ausel was a base management official for the Louis Berger Group, serving the U.S. Marine Corp in Afghanistan, where he conducted base surveys and initial base camp master plans for most of the Battalion forward operation bases in the Marines area of operation. Ausel was a consultant to Pepro from 2004 to 2009 experience that will provide a strong foundation for his current post.

Ausel holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The Pennsylvania State University and is a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving as a radio operator from 1992 to 1996. He lives in Venus, Pennsylvania.

Spectrum’s Antennas Meet Iridium Requirements

Spectrum Advanced Specialty Products of Fairview, Pennyslvania, reports that its patch antenna elements have successfully fulfilled Iridium Satellite Communications’ Iridium Compatible Equipment (ICE) Certification requirements. This certification offers Spectrum’s customers the ability to save time when using Iridium-certified antennas in their applications by eliminating the need for re-certifying equipment when using the patch antennas according to Iridium’s guidelines.

This new partnership with Iridium Satellite of McLean, Virginia, demonstrates Spectrum’s continuing dedication to manufacturing high quality, high performance products. Several patch antennas have achieved ICE Certification, and several more antennas and assemblies are in the approval process and certification is expected in 2011.

Spectrum offers the unique ability to design and manufacture custom antennas and assemblies completely in-house, from concept through delivery.

TOP NEXT >