News Briefs – Thursday, April 13, 2006
Alvarion turns to Texas Instruments for mobile WiMAX platform
Alvarion chose Texas Instruments’ portfolio of WiMAX infrastructure technologies as part of its mobile WiMAX solution, 4Motion. The new solution is based on Alvarion’s BreezeMAX system and uses OFDM technology for advanced non-line-of-sight functionality. The company said in a statement that it is the first to provide WiMAX equipment incorporating TI’s analog and DSP-based infrastructure technology, compliant with the IEEE 802.16 standards for fixed, portable and mobile wireless-broadband applications.
U.K. aviation company deploys RFID to track airplane parts
Symbol Technologies will supply RFID technology to Virgin Atlantic Airways as part of a pilot project to track critical, high-value aviation assets moving through the logistics supply chain at Heathrow International Airport. The project, called Tracked by Radio Identification Method (TRIM), uses RFID tagging to track aircraft parts and tools. The aviation company deployed Symbol’s MC9000-G RFID hand-held mobile computer with RFID readers and a wireless LAN infrastructure, including a WS2000 wireless switch and AP300 access ports.
Software-defined radio challenge open to students
The SDR Forum announced the first Smart Radio Challenge, a worldwide competition for engineering teams to design, develop and test a software-defined radio (SDR). The challenge is open to student teams from all academic institutions interested in SDR and cognitive radio. Each student team must build and demonstrate an SDR that addresses a forum-defined problem and supports a target waveform. Teams must submit their proposals by Sept. 30, 2006. Qualifiers will have 10 months to complete their projects and submit them for the Smart Radio Challenge ’07 competition. Registration ends May 30, 2006. For additional information, visit the SDR Forum’s Web site at www.radiochallenge.org.
RELM launches upgraded line of mobile radios
RELM Wireless Corp. announced upgrades to the RMV800 and RMU800, part of the RELM/BK series. The mobiles have 512 channels with 256 programmable zones. The RMV800 operates in the 136 MHz to 174 MHz (VHF) frequency range, while the RELM/BK RMU800 operates in the 450 MHz to 512 MHz (UHF) frequencies.
APCO receives kudos for Hurricane Katrina effort
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials has been named to the 2006 Associations Advance America Honor Roll, a national awards competition sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives in Washington, D.C. The organization received the award for its Members Helping Members-Hurricane Katrina Relief program. The program assisted public-safety communications professionals in the affected areas by setting up communication centers and providing sustenance, such as food, water and clothes.