Researchers in Singapore Develop New Antenna for Millimeter Bands

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Rick Hodgin, in the article New 60 GHz Antenna May Revolutionize High-Speed Mobile Connectivity With Instantaneous Wireless USB, describes a new low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) antenna for use in the 57-64 GHz band. The antenna was developed by researchers at Nanyang Technology University (NTU) and Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech). IEEE is currently developing standards for applications using these frequencies.

Hodgin notes that SIMTech's BGA surface-mount design makes it practical for designers to use the 60 GHz band. The BGA (ball-grid-array) combines the antenna and a radio module.

One potential application of this active antenna is short-range wireless USB connections. The extremely high frequency allows transmission of high data-rate signals such as HDTV.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung
Contributor

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack. A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.