VFTT – Copper Mountain Technologies

by Irena Goloschokin, CEO, Copper Mountain Technologies

MPD: How is your company addressing the many constraints that the pandemic has placed on business operations?

IG:

Many of our customers continue to work through the pandemic, some in their regular workplace and some in their home office. Our engineers and technicians continue to support them, wherever they work. We already had facilities for remote connection to equipment for support, virtual demos and educational webinars in place before the pandemic. We could virtually meet and provide support to customers from day one of the pandemic. Our sales and marketing team had the biggest adjustment, but they also adapted well to virtually engaging with customers. In those rare occasions when our sales team members could visit customers, they were well equipped (see picture). 

MPD: The adoption of open architectures is accelerating in many markets, from wireless to defense. Do you feel your company and the RF and microwave industry as a whole benefit from this initiative?

IG:

Open architectures invite collaboration and innovation. This is always a good thing. The industry will benefit from a marketplace of ideas and our customers will participate in the creative process. The Metrology Grade measurements made with our Vector Network Analyzers will contribute greatly to new design efforts.

MPD: Technologies such as direct RF sampling are reducing the number of analog components in receivers and, increasingly, transmitters as well. Do you feel that the “digitalization of RF” will have an impact on your business?

IG:

As the digital and RF worlds converge, it will be necessary for RF engineers to become involved in the high-speed digital designs. The analysis of crosstalk between digital lines and the reflections from the interfaces to high density, high speed connectors can be performed with a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA). While the VNA has traditionally been a tool for RF design, it is now needed for these new digital designs. This will require us, as a manufacturer of VNAs, to help teach our new customers how to use our equipment to make measurements on high-speed digital circuit boards.

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