Antenna technology takes flight
A public/private consortium in June attached a painted-on antenna capable of receiving a satellite signal to a high-altitude experimental aircraft and then conducted a test flight over the Nevada desert to demonstrate the antenna’s viability for global voice communications.
The consortium was developed through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Innovative Partnership Program (IPP), which funds NASA scientists to assist public companies’ research efforts. It included RTI, Applied EM, International Communications Group, Unitech, Sierra Nevada and NASA’s Langley Research Center. Each participated in the antenna’s development and deployment on Techsphere Systems International’s SA-60 Airship, said Thomas G. Campbell, program manager at Applied EM.
Campbell’s company was provided with small business innovation research (SBIR) Phase II funding by the Air Force Research Lab at Hanscom, Mass., to develop polymer-based materials for applying paint-on antennas to multiple surfaces. They teamed with Unitech, which develops polymer coatings, to build an electromagnetic antenna design.
“We had to, from square one, develop a series of polymer-based dielectrics and highly conductive paint for the antenna to work,” Campbell said.
Houston-based Techsphere was approached because its manned, spherical SA-60 experimental aircraft was ideal to test the antenna, Campbell said.
The Airship reaches altitudes ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 feet, said Billy Robinson, CEO of Techsphere’s parent company, Proximity. It can house multiple technologies, stay airborne for days over a geographic area and be armed with high-resolution cameras, infrared sensors and over-the-horizon radar. The paint-on antenna is an unobtrusive way to transmit the gathered data.
“There is a point it becomes what I would deem a surrogate satellite, where it performs all the same features as a satellite in outer space but it can be immediately positioned over an area,” he said.
The Airship’s spectra-fiber outer shell, the same material used for Kevlar bulletproof vests, was able to accommodate the painted-on antenna, Campbell said. But because the aircraft already was built and ready for flight-testing, the antenna — which is about “the size of the palm of your hand,” according to Campbell — instead was painted on the substrate of International Communications Group’s Iridium satellite transceiver. The transceiver was placed on a 3-foot platform painted with conductive paint to form a ground-plane, and then an Iridium antenna was placed side-by-side with the painted-on antenna and attached to the top of the SA-60.
A similar package was placed mid-deck to compare antenna performance and show it worked as well as a commercial Iridium satellite antenna, Campbell said. Bit error rate data transmission, reception, voice communication — via the Iridium satellite links to the East Coast and back to the Airship in Nevada — and teleconferencing all were successfully tested, he added.
The team chose the Iridium version because it operates in the L-band at 1.62 GHz.
“We wanted to make sure the antenna could perform at the lower-frequency before we jumped into the Ku band,” he said.
Chi Nguyen, program manager at RTI, said his company’s aerospace engineers analyzed the system to ensure it reduced drag and weight and maintained performance levels. This analysis showed the paint-on antenna had many applications, he said. For example, it can be an inconspicuous tool for police officers and others involved in homeland security surveillance. Instead of multiple antennas protruding from a vehicle, they would be out of sight.
Another application involves a current NASA hurricane-imaging project where the SA-60 armed with the antenna flies above a hurricane, monitors it for 24 hours and transmits data to a command center.
Wes Lawrence, assistant branch head for Langley’s Electromagnetic and Sensor Research Branch, said his team’s role through the IPP was to advise on materials and characterization of the paint-on antenna prototype and show it could meet NASA’s needs to monitor earth science concerns, such as global warming, and support hurricane-imagery technologies. Coupled with the SA-60, the paint-on antenna could be an invaluable tool, he said.
“If you could predict 48 hours into the future the path of a hurricane, its intensity and point of landfall, it could save a lot of lives,” he said. “Plus, it can transmit invaluable data to those on the ground.”
Campbell believes not only could lives be saved and communications improved during emergency incidents, but also the painted-on antenna could improve companies’ bottom lines if integrated into a product during manufacturing stages — ultimately passing savings on to customers.
“If it is integrated into the assembly manufacturing stage, the cost savings would be significant,” Campbell said.
Sensor monitors tumors, radiation doses
Sicel Technologies received Food & Drug Administration clearance to mass market its dose verification system that includes a wireless, implantable radiation sensor used to monitor patients currently undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. Using a hand-held reader, physicians can determine tumor localization and the dose of radiation being delivered to a tumor after each treatment, according to the company. The sensor also was recently approved for use in breast cancer patients.
www.siceltech.com
Hand-held offers group P2T
Motorola released the i670, its newest multi-function mobile communications device. The clamshell-type device features an all-black design and touts a large internal 130×130 color display. Features include push-to-talk communication, an integrated assisted GPS navigation system with fleet-tracking, and Direct Talk — an off-network digital walkie-talkie capable of creating temporary short-range virtual networks. The group walkie-talkie aspect lets users conference with up to 20 people, according to Motorola. In addition, the device uses JAVA to download interactive applications and has multimedia messaging services for the transmission of text, sound and video.
In other news, Sprint Nextel and Motorola jointly launched the Motorola i580, a rugged iDEN handset featuring an embedded camera, clam form factor and Bluetooth wireless technology. It is designed to meet military specification 810 F for resistance to rain, dust, shock and vibration. It also provides walkie-talkie capability for one-on-one, group and off-network communications, according to the Motorola.
Also, NICE Systems collaborated with Motorola to develop a public-safety, IP trunked radio recording solution for enhanced interagency interoperability. The recording system was designed to work with the MCC 7500 dispatch console and Motorola’s ASTRO 25 mission-critical IP dispatch solution. It is exclusively sold by Motorola, according to NICE.
www.motorola.com
www.sprint.com
www.nice.com
Medical software for hand-helds
Health-care software developer Global Care Quest released the PocketPACS, a viewing application able to wirelessly send images to a physician’s hand-held device or mobile smartphone. The images are obtained from a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) — comprised of hardware and software for the digital communication, archiving, processing and viewing of images and image-related information — or from a digital imaging communications in medicine (DICOM) system, which allows interoperability and interconnection between medical imaging devices. PocketPACS displays chest X-rays, bone X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans and other medical images, according to the company.
www.globalcarequest.com
Mobile computer for forklift operators
Symbol Technologies introduced the VC5090 vehicle-fixed-mount, rugged mobile computer built for wireless data access and collection on forklifts operating in harsh environments. The computer lets users connect to 802.11a/b/g networks, offers Bluetooth-driven wireless scanning and printing, and provides VoIP support via a push-to-talk handset. It also is RFID ready and meets industrial and military grade specifications for vibration, shock and temperature. In other news, Symbol said its mobile computers now will be outfitted with SoftRISC’s CPU-based voice over Wi-Fi capabilities. The upgrades will improve voice quality while eliminating the need for separate digital-signal-processing (DSP) and acoustic-echo-cancellation (AEC) chips, according to the company.
www.symbol.com
Transistors for IMS band
Freescale Semiconductor announced its expansion into the industrial, scientific and medical sector through its new transistors designed for the HF and VHF frequencies, as well as for the 2.45 GHz band.
www.freescale.com
Wrist-worn PC
Parvus developed the ZYPAD WL 1000 wrist-wearable wireless computer with built-in GPS. The product uses Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to send data wirelessly. According to the company, the computer was built for professionals in search and rescue, health care, homeland security and law enforcement who respond to emergency incidents or work in multi-tasking environments.
www.parvus.com
Environmental antennas
Radio Waves announced that all of its telecom antenna products are now compliant with the reduction of hazardous substance standard. According to the company, the standard was put into place to ensure products do not contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and any other harmful chemicals.
www.radiowavesinc.com
WLAN radio
Zebra unveiled its 802.11g WLAN radio option for the company’s QL Plus series, which also will be available on the RW series of mobile printers later this summer, according to the company. The radio supports 802.11i, VPN and WPA/WPA2-enterprise standards for data security, and meets the IEEE’s advanced encryption standards.
www.zebra.com
Ethernet radios
Phoenix Contact released its industrial wireless Ethernet radios. The 802.11 a/b/g industrial radios feature 802.11i/WPA2 security with AES-CCMP and 802.1x, according to the company. The radios support three different modes — access point, client and bridge/repeater — in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
www.phoenixcon.com
SDR-based base stations, mobile terminals
Adaptix launched the software defined radio architecture-based BX-3000 base-station line and SX series of mobile terminals, part of the company’s newest line of end-to-end networking products. The architecture lets users upgrade to MIMO and services based on OFDMA beyond Mobile WiMAX, according to the company. The SX series of mobile terminals are designed for fixed, portable or vehicular use, feature a dual-antenna array and support peak throughput of more than 10 Mb/s.
www.adaptix.com
WiMAX system-on-chip
Fujitsu Microelectronics released its Mobile WiMAX System-on-Chip solution that is compliant with the IEEE 802.16 e-2005 mobile WiMAX standards. The system is designed to support frequencies ranging from 2 to 11 GHz in licensed and unlicensed bands. Features include an interface for MIMO RF modules, adaptive modulation schemes, 90nm with low-leakage process technology and a small-footprint FBGA package, according to the company.
www.fujitsu.com
Replacement battery for Kenwood radio
Wireless Accessories Unlimited introduced the 1700 mAh NiCD replacement battery for the Kenwood TK2180/3180 radio. The battery is manufactured with Grade A Japanese cells and offers gold-plated contacts, nickel-welded internal tabs, an ABS plastic case and an 18-month warranty, according to the company.
Intermodulation tester
JFW Industries launched its 50T-453 RF load, designed for intermodulation testing and measurements at 165 dBc at 1950 MHz (with two 20-watt tones). It has a 50-watt input power rating and a VSWR of 1.20:1 maximum at 3000 MHz, according to the company. It is available with 7/16 or N connectors.
www.jfwindustries.com
Smartphone software supports Wi-Fi
Symbian unveiled version 9.3 of its operating system for smartphones with native support for USB 2.0 connections and next-generation HSDPA wireless technology. The new version adds support for Wi-Fi radio and lets users switch the phone between cellular and Wi-Fi networks using VoIP technology. According to the company, the software also was developed to meet the demands of operators and manufacturer wanting to remove features on lower-priced models or add features to high-end models.
www.symbian.com
Hand-held offers Windows Mobile 5.0
Tripod Data Systems released the next-generation of its TDS Recon, a rugged hand-held computer with integrated Bluetooth and 802.11g wireless capabilities offering Windows Mobile 5.0, the latest version of the operating system for hand-held devices. The computer meets the MIL-STD-801F standard for drops, vibration and temperature extremes, and has an IP67 rating for dust and water protection, according to the company. With standard Compact-Flash slots, users can add to the unit GPS, GPRS, digital scanners, code scanners and other devices.
www.tdsway.com
Base station and access point
Airspan Networks announced the availability of its AS.MAX base station and ProST Wi-Fi access point for the public-safety and municipal wireless markets. The system operates in the 4.9 GHz band for public safety and in the unlicensed 5.8 GHz band for municipal wireless. The combination of 802.11 Wi-Fi for access and 802.16 WiMAX for backhaul lets users have the transmission range of WiMAX and the flexibility of Wi-Fi in one system, according to the company.
www.airspan.com
Mesh software optimizes Wi-Fi connections
Tropos Networks’ new Adaptive Mesh Connectivity Engine is a mesh software solution that runs on the company’s MetroMesh routers to compensate for the variations in Wi-Fi devices that use metro-scale mesh networks. The engine uses per-packet transmission power and timing control to compensate for low-power client devices so users can choose the router that offers the best connection to the Wi-Fi network and the data rate that should be used for the connection, according to the company.
www.tropos.com
Enhanced mobility software
Aruba Networks announced a new version of its ArubaOS Mobility Software, the operating system and application engine for all of the company’s mobility controllers. The enhancements include the AA FastConnect and VLAN Pooling features that support the product’s ability to deliver 1000 simultaneous 802.1X authentication transactions per second, according to the company.
www.arubanetworks.com
Enhanced wireless network solution
Cisco Systems released version 4.0 of its Unified Wireless Network Solution, which features enhanced security, voice over Wi-Fi and location-based services, according to the company.
www.cisco.com
Test system supports WLAN, WiMAX, Zigbee
Credence Systems announced its Modulated Vector Network Analysis RF measurement option for the Sapphire D-40 test system. The option adds wireless test capabilities for WLAN, WiMAX and Zigbee devices operating on the Sapphire system, according to Credence. The option is available in 16- and 32-port versions and offers frequency coverage through 6 GHz.
www.credence.com
WiMAX system
Maxtel, a subsidiary of French-based consortium Altitude Telecom, released Anymax, a solution for wireless broadband coverage in large towns. The device affixes to street lamps and includes a WiMAX base station and an accumulator that powers the system by recharging from the street lamp’s power supply, according to the company. The starting cost of each installed based station will be about $6500.
www.altitudetelecom.fr
Software suite supports data collection
Hertzler Systems’ GainSeeker software suite — used to connect devices and information systems — now supports wireless data collection, monitoring and analysis via a PDA, palmtop computer and other hand-held devices, according to the company. The software lets users track real-time alerts and troubleshoot enterprise issues. The data is immediately available to the rest of the enterprise, eliminating the need for synchronizing devices, the company said.
www.hertzler.com
Emergency response GIS system
GeoComm released a new version of LynxComm, a Web-based, real-time geographic information services (GIS) system designed for emergency operations. It features an integrated map based on emergency mass telephone notification, real-time GPS tracking, wireless and wireless E911 location information, and weather telemetry sensor status, as well as live Web and network camera stills and video. According to the company, the product combines the data to create a single, common operational view for users across different emergency-response disciplines.
www.geo-comm.com
Disaster management training simulator
The latest Advanced Disaster Management Simulator from Environmental Tectonics is a laptop-based training simulator that trains responders in the four Cs of disaster management: command, control, coordination and communication.
www.etcusa.com
Mobility software platform
Sybase unveiled its Sybase Information Anywhere Suite, a scalable mobile software platform offering wireless access to e-mail, device management and enterprise-to-edge security that lets workers access data and enterprise systems and applications. Companies can centrally manage and support devices, applications, data and communications using the suite, according to the company.
www.sybase.com
Single-chip solution integrates multiple functions
Atheros Communications released the AR6101 wireless IP platform designed for use in voice over Wi-Fi handsets.
There are two versions of the product: The AR6101G for the 802.11g standard operates at 2.4 GHz, and the AR6101X is a dual-band chip operating at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz for the 802.11a/g standard. Both are single-chip solutions that integrate multiple functions, including computing, digital signal processing, memory, power management, keypad, audio and display interfaces, as well as mixed signal and RF, according to Todd Antes, Atheros’ vice president of marketing.
In addition, it features a low-power, RISC CPU core — -a computer architecture with reduced chip complexity touted as faster than its more complex counterparts. It also offers 802.11a/b/g functionality and supports a data rate of 54 megabytes.
“What we’ve come up with is a highly optimized platform for next-generation wireless IP telephones,” Antes said. “However, the core application of the single-chip technology is that it is a cost-effective solution to drive Wi-Fi phones into the mainstream.”
Antes said Atheros’ new products offer a complete solution in an energy- and memory-efficient package. This integration of separate component sub-systems onto one chip also results in a 50% reduction in component count.
“We see the opportunity to bring price points that make sense to consumer and enterprise users by integrating WLAN functionality into one chip,” Antes said.
The platform supports session initiation protocol — an open-source, XML-based protocol used for instant messaging — and extensible messaging and presence protocol for Internet conferencing and telephony.
“We believe there is a tremendous future for wireless IP with Wi-Fi becoming commonplace in home, office and public spaces,” Antes said.
— Mary Rose Roberts
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