This is the first European Wireless Technology (EuWiT) Conference. It was formerly known as the European Conference on Wireless Technology (ECWT). Co-sponsored by EuMA and the IEEE MTT Society, EuWiT is an integral part of European Microwave Week and is a forum for the presentation and discussion of new developments in the field of wireless communication technologies. With research and development on beyond 3G in full swing, wireless technology is a rapidly expanding field with many new challenges, products and services, particularly for systems such as WLAN, Cognitive Radio, UWB, Wireless Ad-hoc Networks, 4G, RFID, Wireless Positioning, Digital Audio and Video Broadcasting, etc.
The conference brings together researchers and product developers from all over the world to update and share their knowledge. Keynote speakers will address the present trends of wireless communications. In addition to the invited, regular and poster paper contributions, three focused sessions on Cognitive Radio and Networks, Adaptive Spectrum Access in Cognitive Radio and Intelligent Wireless Transceivers, as well as three interesting workshops on Mobile Communications and Intelligent Transportation Systems, How Will SDR Change the Future of Radio Communication? and Emerging Technologies for Hybrid Terrestrial Wireless and Mobile Satellite Communications, have been scheduled in the programme.
Besides accommodating new wireless concepts and technologies within the framework of the EuWiT technical programme, joint sessions with the European Microwave Conference and the European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference have also been scheduled, which will give delegates an intensive update on all of the new developments in the wireless industry.
For the first time an on-line version of the conference programme is being kept up to date until the conference. All known programme changes are reflected in this pdf file, which can be downloaded from: www.eumweek.com. Check regularly for a new version.
TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVE
Homayoun Nikookar’s overview of the European wireless technologies sector
The mobile Internet and its related applications and services have progressed greatly in the past few years and now we see many mobile devices on the market with integrated multi-function chips capable of mobile video and mobile TV. Also, paper submissions to the EuWiT technical programme committee closely reflect the industrial and academic research and development efforts in the wireless technology arena, including emerging mobile radio techniques and technologies such as HSPA, 3GPP LTE, MIMO LTE, WiMAX, Cognitive Radio and Ultra-wideband (UWB).
For these advancements, at the technology level, new RF and analogue circuit architectures fabricated from 65 nm and 45 nm CMOS technologies and RF capable CMOS and Si-based integrated technologies are required for the terminal side. With regards to base stations, RF power and its transmission is the main topic. Here, the research trends are towards new power amplifier semiconductor technologies such as GaN for Class S PAs and new smart passive technologies based on functional materials such as metamaterials, ferroelectrics and piezoelectrics.
Furthermore, with the increasing demand for additional bandwidth, due to both existing and new services as well as spectrum scarcity, the dynamic spectrum access methodology and the use of cognitive radio technology is being considered because of its ability to provide additional flexibility and access to the spectrum. Distinct features of cognitive radio are sensing, awareness of, learning about and adapting to its environment. In all of these aspects, the reconfigurability of architectures and circuit blocks, as well as higher modulation formats have to be implemented on the system level. At the signal level, the growing trade-off between selectivity and sensitivity (linearity) has to be addressed. Furthermore, the high dynamic range RF signal processing incorporating mixed-signal systems and calibration loops are becoming indispensable.
Moreover, ultra-wideband is expected to play a revolutionary role in the future of wireless communications systems. The major characteristics of UWB systems (i.e., large bandwidth, short range high data rate, low power) offer many interesting opportunities for new applications in consumer electronics, PCs, peripherals, WLAN, WPAN, WBAN, etc. Due to very large bandwidth, this technology provides many advantages over conventional wideband systems, including: high performance at low cost, very low transmit power, and high processing gains that can allow a large number of users to access the system. Fusion of precise positioning and data capability in a single technology is the remarkable feature of UWB technology. Future markets for this technology are envisaged to be (among others) in wireless ad hoc and sensor networks, smart phones, RFID and the automotive industry.
The whole range of wireless communication is in EuWiT’s focus, from the antenna and reconfigurable front-end devices and components, to signal processing techniques for wireless applications, and from wireless transceiver architectures and power amplifier technologies to UWB and wireless networks and applications. Cognitive radio, adaptive spectrum access and intelligent wireless transceivers are focused topics in EuWiT2008.