Steven J. Crowley, P.E.
Consulting Engineer
Recently
Experimental Radio Applications at the FCC
This summarizes a selection of applications for the Experimental Radio Service received by the FCC during February 8-12: mobile satellite terminals, white space, smart grid, satellite infrastructure, submarine communications.
- Xtreme Hi-Tech files an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test a new type of mobile satellite antenna while it is mounted on an SUV. Operation it to be on 14.0-14.5 GHz in suburban Washington DC. Photos accompanying the filing show a Commtact mobile satellite terminal, which Xtreme Hi-Tech sells.
Experimental Radio Applications at the FCC
This describes a selection of applications for the Experimental Radio Service received by the FCC during January 30 through February 7: surveillance radar, airborne telemetry, mobile services, satellite, and amateur radio.
- Lockheed Martin filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for an experimental license to operate three models of ICx Radar System’s perimeter surveillance radar on 35.5 GHz for R&D and customer demonstrations. This will occur at various locations in the US, but primarily in Syracuse, New York.
- Honeywell filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate in the 1625-1725 MHz range while integrating a new AeroVironment radio with an unmanned aerial vehicle used by the military. A key feature of the radio is that both command and control, as well as video downlink, can be accomplished using the same unit. Operation will be in New Mexico . There is concern about protecting the 1660.5-1668.4 MHz radio astronomy band, and discussions are ongoing.
Cisco projects mobile data traffic will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 108 percent. http://bit.ly/anfppJ
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to review VoIP-related patent http://bit.ly/b9qkrc
3G Americas publishes status report on 3GPP specification development: HSPA+, LTE/SAE, and LTE-Advanced
3G Americas, a group promoting the deployment of the GSM family of technologies, yesterday released its annual report on 3GPP specifications and the 3G/4G wireless market. The report reviews the history of 3GPP specification development since 1995, and places current work in context.
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Progress toward an LTE/SAE patent pool
Sisvel announces it is working with 20 companies to try to form a patent pool for 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) and System Architecture Evolution (SAE). It invites other companies to participate. Urgent Communications has a take on this from a public safety perspective, and notes MPEG LA and Via Licensing are also trying to form patent pools. VIA Licensing may soon announce the status of its progress.
Electronic news gathering and the iPhone
The equipment for electronic news gathering started as transportable, transitioned to portable, and is going personal. Frank Beacham looks at the irony of video technology breakthroughs coming at a time of struggle in traditional television news. He questions the role of skilled reporting and analysis in the forthcoming glut of on-location video.
Google patent application: Estimating wireless device location using measured data rates
Location-based services are reaching beyond navigation and E911. Social networking, advertising, and other emerging applications are driving research and development into better technologies in support of these services, starting with the location estimation process itself.
Today, there are several ways to determine the location of a wireless device in a network. As a rough estimate, the device knows the identification of the base station or access point with which it is associated. That’s a start, but a base station can cover a wide area. To refine that, devices can use GPS. Networks of cellular base stations can measure differences in the timing or signal strength of an uplink signal, and use the results to estimate location. MAC addresses of Wi-Fi access points can be sniffed and mapped by roving monitors. Sometimes, two or more of these techniques are used in concert.
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Progress in wireless light communications at Penn State
Penn State issues a press release on its latest research in wireless light communications. One thing new seems to be the ability to get high bit rates (>1 Gbps) without a line-of-sight path, using multiple elements on the transmitters and receivers. For best results, avoid dark decorating schemes.
3DTV standards development in SMTPE, ITU, and the U.K.’s Digital TV Group
Television Broadcast reports on the status of 3DTV standards development around the world.
Experimental Radio Applications at the FCC
This summarizes a selection of applications for Experimental Radio license, and for Special Temporary Authority, received by the FCC during January 21-25: radar, spacecraft telemetry, cognitive radio, modulation/demodulation techniques.
Raytheon Missile Systems files an application and supporting exhibit requesting Special Temporary Authority to use Freewave radios on an aircraft in support of a test to verify the accuracy and effectiveness of aircraft radar. The plan is to transmit the position information from the tracked aircraft to the tracking aircraft, and verify that the position information determined by the radar is in sync with the actual position of the tracked aircraft. (1.35-1.39 GHz)
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Siemens announces wireless data transfer at 500 Mbps using visible light
Siemens issued a press release announcing the wireless transmission of data at 500 Mbps at a range of 5 meters using a white LED, breaking the previous record of 200 Mbps. The variation of light intensity used to modulate the data is imperceptible to the human eye. Siemens sees practical applications where such a system could be used to transmit data via ceiling lights when WLAN radio frequencies are congested.
Experimental Radio Applications at the FCC
This summarizes a selection of applications for Experimental Radio license, and for Special Temporary Authority, received by the FCC during January 14-20: VSAT for Haiti, helicopter surveillance in Chicago, WiMAX, wideband at high frequencies, avionics, cell phone jamming, and radar.
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Satellite companies see usage surge in Haiti
Urgent Communications reports on increased satellite traffic from Haiti. Iridium usage is up 18,000%, in part because of it having palettes of satellite products ready to be shipped for its response-agency customers.