Becker/Jani Inc.
A log periodic dipole antenna, the Celwave Maximizer model APL 926513, was introduced for Global System for Mobile communications and Total Access Communications systems. The antenna offers a 45 dB minimum front-to-back ratio. The Maximizer operates at 870 to 960 MHz, has a 65 degree horizontal beamwidth and 13 dB gain. (800) 235-9283.
Orbcomm Global
Orbcomm Global L.P. introduced six new satellite communications products that are designed to work with Orbcomm’s subscriber communicators at its 1998 Global Solutions Conference. The QuickStart Kit is an end-to-end product that provides immediate Orbcomm capability. QuickStart includes QuickApp, which enables users to receive, unpack, store, access, graphically display and view Orbcomm messages and to remotely configure QuickSensor to suit specific application needs.
QuickSensor manages the interface between sensors and subscriber communicators, or SCs, which reduces the time to develop custom applications, Orbcomm said. The product includes a controller and core module, and it provides a variety of inputs, outputs and interfaces for initial prototype development of monitoring and tracking applications. QuickSensor can be remotely programmed with over-the-air configuration messages, said Orbcomm.
RoadWarrior is an integrated communications package featuring the Panasonic KX-G7001 SC with Global Positioning System capabilities. It is designed to demonstrate the Orbcomm System, applications development and applications testing. The RoadWarrior package includes a power supply, antennae, carrying case, cables and connectors.
ORBMail+ is a wireless personal messaging application for Windows 95 that allows customers to send and receive e-mail by way of the Internet using the Orbcomm system.
Office Server provides demonstrations and beta trials of the company’s satellite system without setting up servers, firewalls and dedicated Internet access via a web page created expressly for the customer. Office Server can support up to 30,000 simultaneous Orbcomm SCs, said the company.
Interrogator is a configuration and debugging tool designed to diagnose installation and setup problems associated with the Orbcomm SCs. Windows 95 and Windows CE compatible, the Interrogator allows technicians to troubleshoot an SC, make changes to the configuration parameters of the SC and send two-way messages between the field and the home office. (800) 672-2666.
Cushcraft Corp.
Cushcraft introduced the FR450, a UHF fiberglass omnidirectional antenna, as well as the S9029HVP, an industrial, scientific and medical band linearly polarized single patch antenna. The UHF antenna has a 3 dBi gain with an E-plane of 40 degrees. The FR450 has a VSWR of less than 1.5: 1 maximum on 50 ohms impedance. The UHF antenna is 33.5 inches high and weighs just over one pound. The IBM band antenna provides for simultaneous reception and transmission of both vertically and linearly polarized signals in the 902-928 MHz frequency band. Etched copper circuitry is designed to improve electrical performance and data transmission. The antenna consists of a single broadband microstrip patch which provides 9 dBi gain with a nominal 55 x 60 degree half power beamwidth. The S9029HVP has a VSWR of 2.0: 1 and an impedance of 50 ohms. The antenna can be used for indoor or outdoor applications and measures 10 inches by 11 inches by 1 inch. (603) 627-7877.
BSquare Corp.
Ericsson Mobile Communications AB plans to include BSquare’s bFax Pro software on its new Windows CE Version 2.0 MC16 mobile companion, which combines a palmtop PC with an Ericsson cellular phone. Users of the MC16 will be able to use bFAX Pro to send a fax directly from the palmtop PC wirelessly via the Ericsson phone. The product also allows user to re-send received faxes, send faxes to recipients in the contacts database by tapping the screen, customize the automatic cover page with a bitmap image, preview faxes before sending and adjust the fonts and margins of documents. (888) 820-4500.
LSI Logic Corp.
LSI Logic Corp. introduced a programmable single-chip Code Division Multiple Access baseband processor architecture that performs the necessary functions to communicate with advanced CDMA networks. Designed using the company’s G11 CMOS process technology and CoreWare design program, the baseband architecture enables manufacturers to build next-generation wireless telephone and data handsets that use nearly 40 percent less power and offer increased functionality. It provides both digital and analog cores on the same chip, including an ARM 7 Thumb microprocessor, dual OakDSPCore digital signal processors, DSP ROM and RAM, voice codec, transmit and receive filters, ADCs, DACs, PLLs, memories and peripheral interfaces. The processor reduces the number of components and amount of board space required within a CDMA handset by combining the functions into a single-chip architecture, reducing the baseband printed circuit board by as much as 75 percent. (408) 433-8000.
Siemens
Siemens Business Communication Systems introduced an enhanced version of its PhoneMail voice messaging product. PhoneMail Plus combines PhoneMail with Office PhoneMail and Siemens’ planned multimedia messaging product, for those who wish to migrate to the technology in the future. PhoneMail Plus features new call processing voice forms applications that allow for voice-prompted interfacing. It also includes users to share a mailbox, message expiration enhancements and interruptible extended absence alternate greeting features.
The PhoneMail Plus systems costs $1,850 to $4,000, depending on location. (561) 955-5000.
Nokia
Nokia Corp. unveiled the 9000il Communicator, featuring a new, more rounded look and backlighting within the personal digital assistant display, said Nokia. In addition to voice calls, the Communicator has the ability to send and receive faxes, e-mail and short messages, as well as access Internet services and corporate and public databases. The PDA also functions as an electronic calendar, address book, notepad and calculator. The Communicator provides up to 3.5 hours of talk, fax or data time, or up to 33 hours of standby time. If the phone is switched off, the Communicator is able to standby for a week without being recharged, and stored data will not be lost even if the battery is drained completely. “The focus in wireless is shifting from voice-only to a combination of voice, data and messaging,” said Haroon Alvi, director of business development for Nokia Mobile Phones, Americas. “There will be a wide variety of value-added services for both consumers and business users.” The new product is scheduled to begin shipping at the end of the month with a suggested retail price under $1,000, said Nokia. (800) 665-4228.
Star Micronics
Star Micronics America Inc. introduced the most recent addition to its line of surface-mount audio transducers, the MYT-03A. The new side-port transducer features Star’s patented structure and housing that make it a compact unit, weighing 0.6 grams and measuring 10 millimeters wide by 10 mm long by 3 mm high. The minimum sound output is 87 dB at 10 cm, with a mean current consumption of 60 mA. The series also features a rated frequency of 2670 Hz , and rated voltage of 3.6 volts. The transducer costs from $2.50 to $3.50 when purchased in quantities of 1,000 units or more. (800) 782-7636.
Andrew
Andrew Corp. introduced the ArrestorPort II, an improved single-unit cable entry and grounding system for radio frequency wireless systems. While traditional entry/ground systems rely on multiple components, the ArrestorPort II integrates transmission line building entry, grounding and surge suppression into one unified system. A single entry plate replaces cable entry boots and the internal grounding trapeze for surge arrestors. ArrestorPort II fits most common shelter openings and uses standar
d 4-inch cable entry boots for elliptical waveguide entry. (800) 255-1479.
Allen Teleco
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The Antenna Specialists Division of Allen Telecom Inc. unveiled the Medallion series of low-profile antennas for vehicular and fixed wireless applications. Medallion antennas, providing omnidirectional coverage, can accommodate both voice and data transmissions. Fixed applications include vending machine monitoring, tracking of package shipments, meter reading and other data transfer functions. The Medallion series features unity gain and 10-watt power rating. The groundplane-dependent design makes them well-suited for transit buses, police cars, firefighting trucks, airport service vehicles and construction equipment. The antennas cover 806 MHz to 894 MHz (ASPA8891) and 890 MHz to 960 MHz (ASPG8891), and are compatible with the company’s mounting system, series K-166, which allows for a choice of cable and connector, as well as simple replacement of existing whip-style antenna installations with a 3/8 inch or 3/4 inch hole mount.
Three new frequency options for Antenna Specialists’ omnidirectional antenna line also were introduced-the ASPA2972 for 800 MHz trunking applications, the ASPG2972 for 900 MHz trunked networks and the ASPT2976 for 2.4 GHz use. The ASPT2976 antenna offers a power rating of 10 watts and the other two can handle 25 watts. The DC grounded antennas help to dissipate static and reduce the potential of electromagnetically-induced currents into the coaxial feed system from nearby lightning strikes.
Allen Telecom’s Decibel Products division also introduced a new antenna, the Diversity Master, which is designed to enhance receive diversity benefits of dual polarization with the versatility of omnidirectional antenna. Diversity Master offers a maximum input power of 500 watts per connector. The product features a gain of 9 dBd (11.1 dBi) and provides an isolation of greater than 30 dB. (414) 349-8400.
NEC Europe
NEC Europe Ltd. introduced a new case for its APOP alphanumeric pager. The new pager, called the APOP2, is available in nine colors, and now is more stylish to target paging consumers in the 18- to 25-year-old age group, said the company. The APOP2 has three control buttons and a large liquid crystal display screen. The new pager also has a mail-drop facility to allow users to receive information services such as lottery and football results. (214) 751-7335.
Infowave Wireless Messaging
The Infowave Office Enabler is a client/server solution that gives corporate users real-time wireless access to e-mail, with one in-box for all their messaging, regardless of where it originated, announced Infowave. The Office Enabler works seamlessly with Microsoft’s Outlook, Exchange and Windows CE platforms. With Office Enabler, a local area network connection looks the same as a wireless connection, and the user interface is identical, which nearly eliminates training on the system, said the company. The message header preview feature allows users to scan the size and subject of a message and decide which ones to download wirelessly, which reduces data delivery costs. The solution uses authentication and data-encryption technologies to prevent interception of corporate information. (604) 473-3600.
MLJ
Moffet, Larson & Johnson Inc. released QuikSite 4.1, an upgraded version to its rapid preliminary design tool. Engineers can run multiple radial studies at the same time. There is an enhanced Snap-To feature that automatically links new sites to existing buildings or structures. QuikSite 4.1 is a Windows-based program that runs within MapInfo, the company’s mapping and network planning software. With MapInfo’s query features, you can use QuikSite to tabulate cell and radio channel counts for financial modeling, show how designs change over time, compare design scenarios using alternative engineering assumptions, view base maps shaded according to user-developed wireless telephony market demand projections and create professional display maps for use in marketing presentations. Engineers can create an entire preliminary market design taking into consideration variable such as demographics, demand, income, vehicular traffic, shopping centers, airports and towers. (703) 741-3500.
Lucent
Lucent Technologies Inc.’s Microelectronics Group introduced an analog-to-digital converter chip for wireless base station applications that incorporates the dither function. Dither reduces distortion and extraneous signals up to 100 decibels below maximum signal levels, making it easier for the converter chip to process weak incoming signals in the presence of strong interference signals, said the company. Lucent said the technical advance means base station manufacturers can save about $10 per converter chip compared with others on the market. “Other A-to-D converter manufacturers have to use off-chip dither for wireless base station applications,” said Aaron Fisher, general manager of wireless integrated circuits with Lucent’s Microelectronics Group. “We’re charging approximately the same price for an A-to-D converter with dither on chip as others are for the A-to-D converter using off-chip dither.”
