TechBlog

Antennas serve as transducers between electromagnetic waves traveling in free space and guided electromagnetic signals in circuits. As such, they play a critical role in the performance of wireless communication systems. With the proliferation of mobile wireless services that deliver voice and/or data in smaller and smaller devices, the task to design an antenna for a portable unit that meets not only operational requirements but also aesthetic and packaging restrictions is becoming more and more challenging. As result, engineers rely on a combination of theory, simulation, and experimental investigation to arrive at a design that meets all the demands of a particular application.

Basic Antenna Parameters

The basic parameters of antenna are impedence, mismatch and ohmic efficiency, radiation pattern and polarization, directivity, gain and equivalent isotropically radiated power, and effective height and aperture. In addition, celebrated Friis equation is and equations for the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of an antenna and source-field relationships are also important.For a more detailed treatment of the material pointed out here, the reader is referred to “A HANDBOOK OF ANTENNA IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION” OF CRC Press by Lal Chand Godara.

Continue reading ‘Future Antennas Will be Flat’ »

Whenever I hit the road for any length of time I always think about how great it would be to get a 3G card for my laptop. It’s always such a pain to go looking for an open wireless connection, and it would be so much simpler to be able to connect almost anywhere. While I haven’t made the plunge just yet and signed up for service, this would be a 3G HSDPA modem that might be worth looking into when I do.

Some of you might recognize this USB Pebble modem, however, it is different than its predecessor. Most notably is the inclusion of a digital TV tuner. While I can’t recall a time that I really desired to watch TV on my laptop, it might be nice to have the option.

Continue reading ‘Huawei USB Pebble brings 3G data and mobile TV to your notebook’ »

I’m in two minds about this story - impressed, because nanotechnology is cool and tiny robots are even cooler, but more than a little disturbed at the idea of killer robots flying around and zapping people in the neck.  Reuters is reporting that Israel are developing a bionic hornet that could chase, photograph and eventually kill enemy combatants or terrorists.  Able to navigate tightly confined areas and so small as to be difficult to target by traditional weaponry, the concept is expected to reach prototype stage within three years.

It’s uncertain as yet whether the robots would be remotely controlled or have some sort of AI, though a combination of both is perhaps most likely; general targeting by remote, while short-range sensors automatically manage obstacle avoidance, tracking and flight.

Forty years ago, mathematician Mark Kac asked the theoretical question, “Can one hear the shape of a drum?”

If drums of different shapes always produce their own unique sound spectrum, then it should be possible to identify the shape of a specific drum merely by studying its spectrum, thus “hearing” the drum’s shape (a procedure analogous to spectroscopy, the way scientists detect the composition of a faraway star by studying its light spectrum).

But what if two drums of different shapes could emit exactly the same sound? If so, it would be impossible to work backward from the spectrum and uniquely surmise the physical structure of the drum, because there would be more than one correct answer to the question.

Continue reading ‘Beating new path to quantum secrets with tiny drums’ »

DETROIT–Drivers have never had so many distractions tempting them to take their eyes off the road and their hands off the wheel.

Talking on cell phones and typing text messages while driving has already led to bans in many states. But now auto companies, likening their latest models to living rooms on the road, are turning cars into cocoons of communication systems and high-tech entertainment.

Some drivers are packing their car interiors with GPS navigation screens, portable DVD players and even computer keyboards and printers.

Continue reading ‘More high-tech invitations to take your mind off road’ »

New technology could enable new cancer treatment techniques and antibacterial coatings

Troy, NY — Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new way to seek out specific proteins, including dangerous proteins such as anthrax toxin, and render them harmless using nothing but light. The technique lends itself to the creation of new antibacterial and antimicrobial films to help curb the spread of germs, and also holds promise for new methods of seeking out and killing tumors in the human body.

Scientists have long been interested in wrapping proteins around carbon nanotubes, and the process is used for various applications in imaging, biosensing, and cellular delivery. But this new study at Rensselaer is the first to remotely control the activity of these conjugated nanotubes. Details of the project are outlined in the article “Nanotube-Assisted Protein Deactivation” in the December issue of Nature Nanotechnology.

A team of Rensselaer researchers led by Ravi S. Kane, professor of chemical and biological engineering, has worked for nearly a year to develop a means to remotely deactivate protein-wrapped carbon nanotubes by exposing them to invisible and near-infrared light. The group demonstrated this method by successfully deactivating anthrax toxin and other proteins.

Continue reading ‘Using Carbon Nanotubes To Seek And Destroy Anthrax Toxin And Other Harmful Proteins’ »

Sunnyvale, CA — Novalux, Inc., developer of Necsel™ laser technology, will demonstrate a proof-of-concept JVC home theater laser projector during the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), January 7-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The demo will illustrate the enhanced image quality Necsel lasers provide when combined with JVC’s proprietary D-ILA® (Digital Direct Drive Image Light Amplifier) high-definition (HD) projection technology.

“We’ve taken JVC’s latest home theater projector, removed the lamp from inside and replaced it with Necsel lasers,” said Greg Niven, Novalux executive vice president of marketing. “What viewers will see is how our lasers are an ideal complement to JVC’s advanced LCOS technology. In the past we’ve shown significant advances in laser TV technology; with this concept demonstration we’ll premiere what we believe will be the next big thing in home theater.”

The demo projector is based on a JVC D-ILA front projector known for its high native contrast ratio. The projector uses a 0.7-inch full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) D-ILA device combined with a high-performance optical engine. For the demo, Novalux replaced the lamp within the optical engine with red, green and blue Necsel lasers. The marriage of D-ILA technology and Necsel lasers further enhanced the projector’s contrast ratio. Necsel technology also provides true laser color and a longer lifetime than the conventional lamp it replaced.

Continue reading ‘Novalux To Show Concept Home Theater Laser Projector During CES 2008’ »

1/7/2008 West Lafayette, IN — Researchers have developed a new modeling technique to study and design miniature “biosensors,” a tool that could help industry perfect lab-on-a-chip technology for uses ranging from medical diagnostics to environmental monitoring.The experimental devices represent a new class of portable sensors designed to capture and detect specific “target molecules,” which will allow the sensors to identify pathogens, DNA or other substances.Now researchers at Purdue University are the first to create “a new conceptual framework” and corresponding computational model to relate the shape of a sensor to its performance and explain why certain designs perform better than others, said Ashraf Alam, a professor of electrical and computer engineering.Findings also refute long-held assumptions about how to improve sensor performance.The researchers tested and validated their model with experimental data from various other laboratories.

“Many universities and companies are conducting experiments in biosensors,” Alam said. “The problem is that until now there has been no way to consistently interpret the wealth of data available to the research community. Our work provides a completely different perspective on how to analyze their data and how to interpret them.”

Research findings are detailed in a paper that appeared in the Dec. 21 issue of the journal Physical Review Letters. The paper was written by electrical and computer engineering doctoral student Pradeep Nair and Alam.

Continue reading ‘Model Is First To Compare Performance Of ‘Biosensors’’ »

Freescale has launched the ColdFire V1 core, which it claims blends 32bit performance with the ease of use of an 8bit microcontroller. The move is a response to increasing performance and memory requirements in such applications as medical, industrial and motor control.
The 68K/ColdFire V1 core will provide the engine for 32bit devices that are not only compatible with 8bit microcontrollers – allowing easy migration between architectures – but which also use the same peripheral modules and development tools as products based on the S08 architecture.
“The 68K/ColdFire V1 core is Freescale’s next step in delivering the Controller Continuum, our roadmap for 8 and 32bit product compatibility that will give designers the ability to move effortlessly between 8 and 32bit microcontrollers,” said Mike McCourt, vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Microcontroller Division.
Early supporters of the 68K/ColdFire V1 core include Opto 22, a developer of hardware and software products for applications in industrial automation and remote monitoring.
Matt Chang, Opto 22’s engineering manager, said: “The introduction of the V1 core will allow us to use both 8 and 32bit technology in a formerly 8bit only space, without the development discontinuities imposed by multiple architectures.”
The 68K/ColdFire V1 core has the lowest power consumption of any 68K/ColdFire product to date, while offering more performance than 8bit microcontrollers.
The V1 core uses the S08 bus structure, which enables the use of similar peripheral and memory modules. For package pin compatibility, the V1 uses the S08’s single pin background debug mode to create simple interface configuration.
Freescale intends to introduce multiple products based on the 68K/ColdFire V1 core throughout 2007