December 2012
VIEW FROM THE TOP

Donn Mulder
VP/General Manager, Microwave Measurement Division, Anritsu Company

Q: The importance of sustaining and developing technology has reached a point where states and cities are more actively building relationships with universities and recruiting high-tech companies. Good examples are New York State’s “East Coast Silicon Valley” and several cities in Ohio. However, there continues to be a shortage of engineering graduates, especially those focusing on RF and microwave technology. What would your company do (or is doing) to help promote careers in microwave engineering?

A: Anritsu is active throughout the world in promoting RF/microwave engineering, as part of our global Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. We develop partnerships with many universities, and supply equipment to engineering schools to help students advance their studies.

In Japan, Anritsu sponsored special lectures on wireless communication measurement for university students, and those students participated in on-site sessions using actual measuring equipment. Anritsu provided educational support to a German university by offering doctorate students an opportunity to learn about RF/microwave technology. Our online education materials on VNAs were used as textbooks, and we provided VNA Master™ handheld vector network analyzers. Another example can be seen in the United States, as we donated a VNA Master to the University of California, Davis College of Engineering for use in the Davis Millimeter Wave Research Center (DMRC).

We will continue to create and sponsor initiatives similar to these to help forge the future of RF/microwave technology.

Q: For those of you serving the military market, what do you expect 2013 will bring in terms of opportunities in this sector?

A: The military market continues to utilize advanced communications systems that help protect our forces. These systems must be maintained using durable, handheld test instruments, such as our Spectrum Master™ handheld spectrum analyzers. Military and major aerospace companies are also in need of test solutions for their radar cross section (RCS) facilities to verify that stealth designs are successful in reducing RCS to a level that can protect our forces. Our VectorStar™ VNAs and VNA Master are perfect for RCS measurement systems.

Peacekeeping efforts are also a large part of military initiatives. Our VNA Master and Site Master families are easy-to-use tools to help make humanitarian efforts successful. They are used to ensure ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and ground surveillance radar (GSR) systems operate effectively. Peacekeepers in war-torn areas use our handheld instruments to monitor and maintain air surveillance radars, synthetic aperture radars, and commercial satellites used to detect airspace violations, as well as locate and confirm large refugee movements.

Q: If your company serves the commercial markets, are you encouraged by any particular emerging application or technology?

A: LTE-Advanced offers tremendous promise on the commercial side. The first LTE-Advanced networks are scheduled to be rolled out in 2013, and Anritsu is actively involved with chipset and device manufacturers to help meet this timeline.

We recently introduced the industry’s first call-based LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation testing capability into our MD8430A LTE Signaling Tester. The software-only upgrade leverages the four available RFs in the MD8430A, and provides 300 MB/s downlink throughput using two 2x2 MIMO Component Carriers (CCs). When configured with this option, the MD8430A can test advanced wireless devices at twice the rate available on today’s most advanced LTE networks.

As well as serving as a stand-alone instrument, the MD8430A can be part of our ME7873L LTE RF Conformance Test (RFCT) System. A scalable GCF and PTCRB-validated test system, the ME7873L provides the most validated RF test cases in the industry, and is unique in its ability to provide a single system with integrated RRM test capability.

Q: Last year, we asked what impact the global economic crisis was having on the markets you serve and on how you run your business. What is your current perspective?

A: Anritsu has always taken great pride in developing leading-edge instruments that fill a void and help customers do their jobs better and more efficiently. That philosophy has insulated us, somewhat, from the economic situation and helped us achieve growth.

Our approach is evident in our recent introductions. Recognizing the need for device manufacturers to lower cost-of-test and speed time-to-market, we developed the MT8870A Universal Wireless Test Set with manufacturing test capability for up to eight UEs in a single mainframe without the need for external switching. Combining this high-density test capability with the latest parallel TX/RX calibration and verification test modes enables high-speed production test throughput and highly flexible line layouts for UE manufacturers.

Field instrumentation has been an area in which Anritsu has led the way for over a decade. We continue to be the leader with the PIM Master™. It is the first test solution that can locate the distance and relative magnitude of all static PIM sources in an antenna system and beyond the antenna. PIM Master features 2 x 40 Watts of RF power to activate the PIM, making it more visible to find PIM that cannot be found on traditional 20 Watt PIM testers. Market-leading capabilities such as these help us grow, regardless of the economy.

There are opportunities in any economy, as well. For example, the continued rollout of LTE has had a positive impact. Our BTS Master has become the field instrument of choice for carriers deploying and maintaining LTE networks.

Q: What countries or regions do you believe will provide the greatest growth potential for the wireless industry in 2013?

A: In today’s global economy, it is more about technology boundaries than geographic borders. Our focus is to develop test solutions that meet the needs of the global wireless industry. Our LTE test equipment is being well received worldwide, and as LTE Advanced networks are deployed in North America and Europe in 2013, we are prepared for growth in those regions. Other areas, such as Latin America and Asia, continue to deploy wireless networks to meet market demand. This creates opportunities for us, as our broad product portfolio allows us to address the infrastructure and device testing requirements in the respective countries.
One specific area where we see great potential is India, which is why we recently opened a subsidiary company in November in Bangalore. It is a burgeoning market where we expect 20% annual growth. ♦