Microwave Engineering April 1999 Cover story Linear amplifiers offer the possibility of far simpler cellular basestations and in this issue we see how they contribute to the application of adaptive antennas with a report on the TSUNAMI(II) project. I see IP Intellectual Property is a term that has suddenly become familiar. It's arguments over IP that have been holding up the decisions of the International Telecommunications Union on which standards to adopt for third generation cellular systems, and there are now companies that sell "circuits" as pieces of IP for integration into a circuit by their customer rather than shipping any hardware. Where does all this leave the RF and microwave world? It is clear that our industry is affected by the need to use, and pay for, other people's intellectual property through patent agreements, licensing agreements and so on, but it is still relatively rare to see circuits offered as IP. It's rare, but not unknown. Last year we reported on the efforts of a US company, Parkervision, to offer a direct conversion receiver to cell-phone manufacturers as an IP element, but the company later drew back from promoting the work. This year, VLSI Technology has raised it's head above the parapet with the promise of a single chip transceiver for the 2.5GHz Bluetooth wireless data standard, described in this issue's In Focus section. That promise goes further, since VLSI has very clearly stated an aim to offer the Bluetooth technology as IP rather than relying on all sales being component parts. Is it possible to sell a silicon RF transceiver as IP without knowledge of how the customer intends to package, load and use the part? Probably not. The company has been very open, when questioned by us, about the inherent problems of taking this approach for high frequency parts. They expect to work "closely" with customers on the packaging issues. When pressed further, they also make it clear that the ability to offer a single chip transceiver doesn't guarantee that the customers will want to use it rather than some other form of chip scale integration. That said, the possibility of acquiring large functional blocks such as an entire Bluetooth transceiver could radically change the RF design process of the future and we will be watching carefully. Integration was one of the usual themes in our ISSCC report last month and we featured work by Level One Communications on a highly integrated 900MHz cordless phone chip, built in a pure CMOS process and using direct conversion techniques in the receiver. The author was asked why anyone would want this relatively large, and hence expensive, single chip phone when a less integrated version could be bought for about $5. We have no more information to report on that particular question but Intel must have liked something about what Level One was doing because they announced a merger with the company on the 4th of March for $2.2bn. Intel gets to enhance it's capabilities in networking and communications and the acquisition looks interesting too as a possible route into wireless communications for the semiconductor giant. Will we see a single chip CMOS 2.5GHz Bluetooth chip from Intel? A spokesperson couldn't say. In next month's issue of Microwave Engineering Online we'll be celebrating the journal's 10th birthday with a look back over ten years of dramatic change for the industry. There was no mention of Intel or VLSI Technology in that first issue – things have certainly changed! Paul Jackson

Contents In focus Big CeBit shows off tiny technology; Third Generation and Bluetooth to feature at Workshops. Focus on MMICs and RFICs Silicon chases GaAs for cellular PA slots; Chips move up millimetre spectrum; PAs bring negative generator on chip. Application of the 60GHz band to wireless networks Taking advantage of the CEPT recommendation to open up the 57-59GHz spectrum, Kimmo Kaitala, Product Program Manager for Radio Access Systems at Nokia Telecommunications, describes how this band can be used for links to cellular base stations. Linear amplifiers for adaptive antenna basestation This paper by Paul Howard and Wyc Slingsby discusses the benefits achieved through combining the technology of adaptive antennas and linear amplifiers. The advantages associated with these systems have a positive effect on each other, making a combination of the two in one system a natural choice. Results from the TSUNAMI(II) field trial are presented which show that the theoretical gains of adaptive antennas can be achieved in practice and in a real mobile system. In this issue we are pleased to present the final paper in a series of five selected by the GAAS Association steering committee from the GAAS '98 conference, part of the first European Microwave Week. A backgating model including self-heating for III-V FETs In the final of our series of five specially selected papers from GAAS'98, F. Filicori , A. Santarelli, G. Vannini, and V. A. Monaco describe a new approach to modelling pulsed characteristics of FETs and report on using the method with commercial harmonic balance simulators. Sommaire d' articles Zusammenfassung der Artikel New Products and Data Calendar Classified Catalogue Update & Appointments