David Vye, MWJ Editor

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With talk of data rates of 100 Gb/s, thelines are blurred between high speed digital and microwave technology, never more true than at shows like DesignCon in Santa Clara and EDI CON in Beijing

The third annual installment of the EuMW Defence, Security and Space forum, organized by Microwave Journal and EuMW, was held this past Wednesday, 31 October 31st at the Auditorium of the Amsterdam RAI Conference and Exhibition Centre. The full-day forum focused on space and defence issues and featured an opening panel discussion on Radar enabling technologies from an industrial perspective, followed by the EuRAD Opening Session , a “Lunch and Learn” market analysis session hosted by Strategy Analytics entitled Military Satellite Trends and Outlook, an afternoon Session presented by industry and agency experts on the latest developments in RF Space systems targeting security interests and concluded with the EuMW Defence and Security Executive Forum and networking reception. The whole day event was sponsored by Peregrine Semiconductor, RFMD, TriQuint Semiconductor, National Instruments and Rohde & Schwarz.

The excitement over GaN devices for wireless applications continues in 2012 as leading integrated device manufacturers prepare to unveil their latest GaN products at European Microwave Week. Expect product announcements from Cree, M/A-Com Technology Solutions, NXP, OMMIC, RFHIC, TriQuint Semiconductor, UMS and WIN Semiconductors, which just introduced GaN processes to its pure-play foundry services this past February.

Most successful new companies are based on an innovative idea. Fast growing companies can credit market demand and great timing for their rapid success. Companies that sustain high growth over decades have demonstrated that their original innovation has a quality to address or at least morph to long-term market needs. This is a trait that technology followers most often associate with corporate vision and happens to be a defining characteristic of National Instruments, which held its annual user group last week at the Austin convention center.  One can go to NI Week, the company’s Worldwide Graphical System Design Conference and Exhibition, and witness firsthand how this company’s impressive level of innovation exists side by side with continuity. NI’s ability to up the ante year after year is based on their leveraging of Moore’s law on the hardware side, coupled with the unbounded capabilities of powerful software put into the hands of a user community eager to exploit its potential. In other words - VISION.

It will be a busy second week of August as the IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Society host their annual EMC Symposium in Pittsburgh from August  5-10 and National Instruments kicks off their annual NI WEEK, which runs from Monday, August 6th through the 9th. Both events will highlight the importance of simulation software and test instruments in the design of high frequency electronics.

With a large part of show season finally behind us (MWC, CTIA, IMS), our editorial thoughts turn to August, September and October. With the military microwave supplement in August, Microwave Journal’s Security and Defense forum at European Microwave Week (previewed in the September issue) and the Government Electronics issue in October, late summer/fall has become our season for focusing on aerospace and defense markets and technology.