articles-by-clinton-shaffer

1. Amazon's New Smartphone Boasts High-End RF And Imaging Components 7/29/2014

   On July 25, Amazon released its first smartphone, and it didn’t take long for the internal components of the device to get leaked.

2. 4 Electronic Design Requirements Of The System-Integrated Soldier 7/24/2014

   Perhaps most famously portrayed in Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers (1959), the idea of the “future soldier” has been around for decades. As rehashed in countless science fiction films and video games, the stereotypical future soldier is equipped with a protective exoskeleton, enhanced sensory equipment, seamless communication systems, and advanced weaponry. While the concept once seemed implausible, there are many real-world projects under way focused on realizing those seemingly fictitious warfighter capabilities — by integrating a plethora of diverse electronic subsystems into a cohesively operational suit.

3. 7 Noteworthy Technologies From IMS2014 6/17/2014

   At the 2014 IEEE MTT International Microwave Symposium earlier this month, I had the opportunity to speak with the event’s general chair, Dr. Larry Dunleavy, about the state of the RF and microwave design industry. While he acknowledged that it is a time of relative uncertainty — due in large part to constrained military budgets and conservative fiscal forecasts for 2014 — he also pointed out that there are plenty of emerging markets where RF and microwave technology is making a significant impact. With the Internet of Things (IoT) driving innovation in burgeoning markets like automotive and healthcare  and the development of 5G pushing wireless technology to further heights, there was good reason for nearly 600 companies to flock to the IMS2014 exhibition in Tampa, Fla.

4. Why Is Apple Stockpiling RF Engineers? 4/14/2014

   Paul Chang, former principal engineer, project manager, and RF chip lead at Broadcom, recently migrated to Apple, further substantiating rumors that Apple plans on designing and building baseband processors in-house. Chang worked at Broadcom for over 11 years, helping develop a “series of cellular mobile communications CMOS semiconductor products,” including a number of 65 nm quadband single -chip transceivers. 

5. Millimeter Waves For 5G: Intel Among Those Making Strides 1/23/2014

   Recent updates from organizations including Intel, indicate that the development of 5G mobile device technology is well underway, and that 5G networks will utilize millimeter waves.