Source : Mouser Electronics
New Tech Tuesdays
Join Rudy Ramos for a weekly look at all things interesting, new, and noteworthy for design engineers.
It is hard to imagine life in this first quarter of the 21st century without the internet. One could subjectively argue that the internet ranks with the wheel, the printing press, and the transistor on the short list of greatest inventions or technologies of all time.
The internet has become synonymous with terms like Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi®), broadband, wireless, and 5G. The internet, in turn, has given life to the Internet of Things (IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and smart homes, buildings, and cities.
The Wi-Fi Preference
A new level of speed, efficiency, and connectivity has been added to wireless internet connections with the introduction of Wi-Fi 6E. Wi-Fi 6E is a variation of the Wi-Fi 6 standard and extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6’s 2.5GHz and 5GHz bands by adding support for the 6GHz frequency band. This new frequency band provides more bandwidth, faster speeds, and less congestion compared to previous Wi-Fi versions, making it a game-changer for both personal and business use.
In this week’s New Tech Tuesday, we feature two of the newest products from Qorvo and Linx Technologies and review the benefits each can deliver to your next Wi-Fi 6E embedded design.
The Qorvo QPF4658EVB Evaluation Board is a demonstration and development platform for the QPF4658 Wi-Fi® 6E Front End Module (FEM). The QPF4658EVB features a pre-mounted QPF4658 FEM in a compact 24-pad 5.0mm x 3.0mm laminate package and provides an example application circuit, allowing rapid prototyping when incorporated into existing Wi-Fi designs. The QPF4658 FEM is designed for Wi-Fi 6 and 6E (802.11ax) systems, and its compact form factor and integrated matching minimize layout area in the application. Performance is focused on optimizing the power amplifier (PA) for a 5V supply voltage that conserves power consumption while maintaining the highest linear output power and leading-edge throughput across a wide bandwidth, enabling operation in all channels from UNII5-8 (5.9 to 7.1GHz). Design applications include access points, wireless routers, gateways, and IoT.
Linx Technologies ANT-W63WSx Blade-Style Wi-Fi® 6/6E/7 Antennas deliver superior performance in the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands supporting 802.11b/g, Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 6E, and future Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) as well as BLUETOOTH® and ZigBee®. These compact 50Ω impedance, 1/2-wave wavelength antennas are ideal for applications like IoT devices, smart home networking, sensing, and remote monitoring that require a reliable, robust, ground plane-independent dipole antenna solution. Their hinged blade design allows the antennas to be positioned for optimum performance and reduced potential for damage from impact compared to a fixed whip design. The antennas are available with an SMA plug (male pin) or an RP-SMA plug (female socket) connector and have a 5W to 30W maximum power range.
New Tech Tuesdays’ Takeaway
Wi-Fi has become the preferred way most users connect to the internet. Wi-Fi offers the unparalleled convenience of no wires and the simplicity of just having to type in your login credentials, and the gateway to the internet is wide open for you to explore, learn, conduct business, or simply enjoy. But wirelessly connecting to the internet only represents the first part of your internet journey; the next step is the speed with which you can navigate and interact with the various elements of the internet. Websites, graphics, video, downloads, gaming, etc., all depend on the generation of Wi-Fi you are wirelessly connected to. This is where Wi-Fi 6E differentiates itself from the rest of the wireless protocols.
Wi-Fi 6E is a major step forward in wireless networking technology. With more bandwidth, faster speeds, and reduced congestion, Wi-Fi 6E offers users a more efficient and reliable experience. Whether for personal or business use, the improved technology of Wi-Fi 6E is a game-changer and will have a significant impact on how we connect to the internet. If you are looking for an upgrade from your current Wi-Fi setup, it is definitely worth considering Wi-Fi 6E
To learn more, visit www.mouser.com
