Times of Challenge Also Present Opportunities

In contrast with the general slow-down in the economy, the demand for wireless connectivity has created a surge in the demand for experts in RF and wireless technologies. The trend for wireless interconnect has permeated every aspect of our daily lives, from mobile telephones, WiFi on computers, gaming console remotes, access and security systems. In addition, wireless sensor networks are becoming increasingly common in commercial and industrial applications. New developments in RF technology have made it economically attractive to move from traditional hard wired systems to wireless.

Following are a few showcases demonstrating the point.

Test engineering: Test engineers face new challenges as RF and wireless applications expand. RF and wireless traditionally have been very specialized fields, but the industry is experiencing a trend where wireless capability is being integrated into more products. Soon, RF instrumentation could become as ubiquitous as general-purpose instruments such as digital multimeters. This growth requires test engineers to learn wireless protocols and keep pace with the rapid introduction of new standards. A critical part of keeping up with these new technologies is a test platform that engineers can rapidly reconfigure to test any wireless standard.

RFID: The challenge to create new, increasingly complex systems-in-a-package (SiP) at lower cost and in shorter lead times is pressuring companies to develop new methodologies to meet market demands. Miniaturization has been the hot trend over the past decade, and RF components are the critical parts for wireless communications and system-in-package .