What To Expect At IMS24 – Thursday, June 20

By John Oncea, Editor

Thursday is getaway day for the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS) featuring technical sessions, panel sessions, the end of the exhibition, and the IMS closing session! IMS is the premier annual international meeting for technologists involved in all aspects of microwave theory and practice and it brings together thousands of professionals from various sectors to discuss the latest theories, strategies, and technologies in microwave technology.

The Exhibition Ends

Dive into innovative technology at the IMS2024 Exhibition, where you can immerse yourself in the latest advancements in RF and microwave technology thanks to over 500 global exhibitors showcasing their groundbreaking products and services. Your pass includes the exhibition, where you can explore innovative solutions, network with industry leaders, and gain valuable insights.

Today’s exhibit begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. and features several networking highlights, including (9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., unless otherwise noted):

• Professional Headshots in the Societies Pavilion (Booth 1605)
• IMS Game Zone (Booth 1366)
• Start Up Pavilion (Booth 2343)
• Build a “Foxhole” Radio Receiver (Booth 2431)
• STEM Robotics Demonstration (Booth 2706)
• MicroApps Seminars (Booth 2159)
• AM Coffee Break (9:40 – 10:10 a.m.)
• StartUp Panel Session: Voice of the Customer (Booth 2159, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.)

IMS Technical Sessions

There are two technical sessions today with the first scheduled from 8 – 9:40 a.m. The eight concurrent sessions are:

• Advances in CAD Techniques for RF and Microwave Circuits and Systems
• Advanced mm-Wave Power Amplifiers for Ka- to E-Band Applications
• Low-Noise Cryogenic Integrated Circuits for Quantum Computing
• Material Sensing at Microwave and mm-Wave Frequencies
• Insights on Vital-Sign Radars
• Who Needs Contact? Developments in OTA Measurements- Joint Session with ARFTG
• Advances in Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces, Antennas, and Beamformers
• Device and Integration Technology for RF through mm-Wave

The next group of sessions runs from 10:10 – 11:50 a.m. and covers:

• HF Through UHF Techniques and Applications
• Sub-Thz Power Amplifiers for D-Band and Beyond
• Advances in Quantum Technologies
• Near-Field Wave-Matter Interaction
• Advances in Microwave Biomedical Applications
• Advancing Characterization at mm-Wave Frequencies- Joint Session with ARFTG
• Advanced Circuits and Techniques for Next-Generation Wireless Systems
• GaN Devices and Technology for Wireless Applications

Other Key Events

Thursday’s panel session, Weather vs Wireless: How do we balance the use of critical microwave bands?, runs from Noon – 1:30 p.m. and is organized by Renee Leduc, Paolo de Matthaeis, and Beau Backus. Panelists include Andrew Clegg, Umair Javed, David Kunkee, and Renee Leduc with Jennifer Warren serving as moderator.

The abstract notes a recent high-profile spectrum conflict between weather forecasters and the wireless industry on the use of passive microwave spectrum. While both sides are addressing critical economic and societal needs, there are many questions about the possibility for and impacts of coexistence, especially related to 50-58 GHz.

The wireless industry, as it deploys 5G technologies and plans for 6G, has a critical need to expand its access to the spectrum to support the deployment of numerous wireless technologies that fuel economies and international competition. But the world is also facing increasing weather and climate-related disasters that rely on improvements in environmental prediction to keep people and communities safe. Eighteen disasters in the U.S. in 2022 (the third highest) had damage values above $1 billion (and an overall cost of $177.3 billion with 474 deaths).

This panel discussion will feature high-level panelists from across the public, private, and NGO sectors to discuss the increasing demand for passive microwave spectrum for both wireless tech and meteorology. The discussion will seek to foster more productive science and engineering discussions on these topics and highlight possible solutions for coexistence.

Today’s industry workshops feature three sessions:

• Machine Learning (ML) and Analysis Advancements Embedded in a Complete High-Frequency Design Flow (8 – 9:40 a.m.)
• Design Flow for the Assembly and Analysis of 3D Heterogenous Integrated Technologies (10:10 – 11:50 a.m.)
• FPGA-Accelerated Deep Learning for 5G FR2 Channel Estimation (1:30 – 3:10 p.m.)

There are also more than 18 MicroApp seminars scheduled, starting at 9:30 a.m. and wrapping up at 5 p.m.

The event comes to a close with the IMS Closing Session being held in the ballroom from 3:30 – 5 p.m. Monisha Ghosh, Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of Notre Dame and Former Chief Technology Officer at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be presenting her talk, Real-world Performance Measurements of Cellular Networks Using Smartphones.

The abstract of Ghosh’s presentation notes, “As 5G deployments increase in the newly allocated mid-band and mmWave spectrum, and discussions on 6G begin, it is important to characterize the real-world performance of the enhancements made to 5G to determine how best to design the next generation of cellular networks. For example, how well does massive MIMO work in the real world? How is sharing in CBRS performing?”