Brent Dietz
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Brent Dietz
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IDG Contributor Network: Why RF is a perfect job field for millennials
Millennials have now captured the crown as the largest generation in the U.S. workforce, according to Pew Research Center. This shift has left many organizations scrambling to reinvent themselves to be more attractive to this generation’s top talent.Perhaps businesses will adopt “tiny offices” to mirror the tiny house movement…For those who are looking to enter an industry that makes a difference, is fast-paced and constantly innovating, look no further than the radio frequency (RF) industry. It’s at the core of consumers’ favorite technologies, such as smartphones and tablets, and is truly all around us with the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT).To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: I’ve got the RF power
If you’re reading this, you’ve got RF power. Power is a necessity for networking, allowing us to charge our batteries, connect millions of devices, communicate over long distances and keep our signals clear.Don’t believe me? Kill the power and see what happens to your network.But with great RF power comes great responsibility. Power management is the art and science of optimizing input and output signals to maximize the efficiency and performance of RF devices – and it’s no easy feat. Each networking device has its own unique power requirements. Higher data rates often mean more power consumption and complexity, which can introduce losses that reduce reliability and increase cost. Low data rate devices, such as those supporting the Internet of Things (IoT), draw very little power in order to conserve every millisecond of precious battery power.To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: I’ve got the RF power
If you’re reading this, you’ve got RF power. Power is a necessity for networking, allowing us to charge our batteries, connect millions of devices, communicate over long distances and keep our signals clear.Don’t believe me? Kill the power and see what happens to your network.But with great RF power comes great responsibility. Power management is the art and science of optimizing input and output signals to maximize the efficiency and performance of RF devices – and it’s no easy feat. Each networking device has its own unique power requirements. Higher data rates often mean more power consumption and complexity, which can introduce losses that reduce reliability and increase cost. Low data rate devices, such as those supporting the Internet of Things (IoT), draw very little power in order to conserve every millisecond of precious battery power.To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: The ‘made up’ jargon of networking
Like any industry, networking has a proprietary slew of acronyms and jargon that only insiders understand. Look no further than Network World’s searchable glossary of wireless terms.Turns out, multiplexing has nothing to do with going to the movies at a place with more than one theater.I also like to think that each networker has their own favorite list of terms, ready to share at a moment’s notice during family dinners, holidays and networking events … or maybe that’s just me?To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: The ‘made up’ jargon of networking
Like any industry, networking has a proprietary slew of acronyms and jargon that only insiders understand. Look no further than Network World’s searchable glossary of wireless terms.Turns out, multiplexing has nothing to do with going to the movies at a place with more than one theater.I also like to think that each networker has their own favorite list of terms, ready to share at a moment’s notice during family dinners, holidays and networking events … or maybe that’s just me?To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: Houston, we have a networking problem
We’ve covered networking on our home planet. But what happens when we send signals where no man has gone before?Space networking is two-way communication between base stations on Earth, and unmanned space probes, planetary rovers, orbital satellites or manned spacecraft. These radio signals bring back messages, images and scientific discoveries. Someday they’ll be used to communicate between colonies on Earth and the moon or Mars.Of course, we can’t just “call” Mars. Networking in outer space is vastly different from what we experience on Earth.Communications travel at the speed of light. This means that it can take 20 minutes or more for a radio signal to reach a Martian planetary rover. It’s like going back to dial-up.To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: Houston, we have a networking problem
We’ve covered networking on our home planet. But what happens when we send signals where no man has gone before?Space networking is two-way communication between base stations on Earth, and unmanned space probes, planetary rovers, orbital satellites or manned spacecraft. These radio signals bring back messages, images and scientific discoveries. Someday they’ll be used to communicate between colonies on Earth and the moon or Mars.Of course, we can’t just “call” Mars. Networking in outer space is vastly different from what we experience on Earth.Communications travel at the speed of light. This means that it can take 20 minutes or more for a radio signal to reach a Martian planetary rover. It’s like going back to dial-up.To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: Hello, cellular IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) is an overused buzz phrase, but hype is finally giving way to some valuable IoT use cases. In 2017, 433.1 million smart home devices were shipped worldwide, according to IDC. Smart speakers are leading the way, and smart locks, fridges, thermostats, pet food dishes and more have become part of our daily, connected lives.What would I do without my smart egg tray?While there are plenty of smart “fill-in-the-blank” devices, the IoT still has some growing up to do. Battery life and standards still present significant challenges, and not all smart devices get along. The good news is, high-performance RF filters are providing faster data throughput, minimizing energy losses and extending battery life. Imagine a world where sensors need a charge only once in a decade?To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: Filter this
Few of us think about filters until we take our car in for its 50,000-mile service. Looking at the service invoice, there’s an air filter, oil filter, fuel filter, cabin air filter, transmission filter…Sheesh, how many filters does this thing have?!We may also think about them at family dinners. All of us have at least one relative who could use a filter. I’m looking at you, Aunt Sondra.But most of the time, filters are out of sight, out of mind. Most people are gobsmacked when they discover we carry a dozen or more around in our pockets – and they’re not for pocket lint, Snapchat or Instagram.The basics of RF filters Filters, like antennas, are an increasingly important part of the networking mix.To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: Filter this
Few of us think about filters until we take our car in for its 50,000-mile service. Looking at the service invoice, there’s an air filter, oil filter, fuel filter, cabin air filter, transmission filter…Sheesh, how many filters does this thing have?!We may also think about them at family dinners. All of us have at least one relative who could use a filter. I’m looking at you, Aunt Sondra.But most of the time, filters are out of sight, out of mind. Most people are gobsmacked when they discover we carry a dozen or more around in our pockets – and they’re not for pocket lint, Snapchat or Instagram.The basics of RF filters Filters, like antennas, are an increasingly important part of the networking mix.To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: The massive role of tiny antennas
The Shannon-Hartley theorem expresses “the maximum rate at which information can be transmitted over a communications channel of a specified bandwidth in the presence of noise.”Translation: wireless data can only travel so fast. But if data rates are finite, how can we support the rollout of Gigabit LTE, and one billion new 5G connections by 2025?Over the next few years, wireless connections will become ubiquitous – not only in our phones, tablets and PCs – but in our home, car and cities, thanks to an unglamorous and often-forgotten RF enabler: the antenna. Far from the laughably chunky antennas of early mobile phones, today’s nearly-invisible antenna systems make high-speed networking possible. They’re evolving as new wireless technologies emerge to satisfy our demand for content on the move.To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: The massive role of tiny antennas
The Shannon-Hartley theorem expresses “the maximum rate at which information can be transmitted over a communications channel of a specified bandwidth in the presence of noise.”Translation: wireless data can only travel so fast. But if data rates are finite, how can we support the rollout of Gigabit LTE, and one billion new 5G connections by 2025?Over the next few years, wireless connections will become ubiquitous – not only in our phones, tablets and PCs – but in our home, car and cities, thanks to an unglamorous and often-forgotten RF enabler: the antenna. Far from the laughably chunky antennas of early mobile phones, today’s nearly-invisible antenna systems make high-speed networking possible. They’re evolving as new wireless technologies emerge to satisfy our demand for content on the move.To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: A ‘GaN-do’ attitude for networking
CES 2018 did not disappoint, with a gaggle of networking-enabled gadgets for your home, car and bathroom. But many of these technologies demand more data, putting strain on wireless networks.Imagine if all 125 million U.S. households suddenly invested in a smart toilet? When the number of low- and high-bandwidth devices multiply, cable TV networks and cellular base stations bear the burden. So, what’s a network provider to do?The answer – somewhat surprisingly – is to borrow from the defense industry. When times get tough in the commercial electronics space, network providers seek to adopt high-gain, high-power RF solutions from defense radar and communications systems, including many that depend on gallium nitride.To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: A ‘GaN-do’ attitude for networking
CES 2018 did not disappoint, with a gaggle of networking-enabled gadgets for your home, car and bathroom. But many of these technologies demand more data, putting strain on wireless networks.Imagine if all 125 million U.S. households suddenly invested in a smart toilet? When the number of low- and high-bandwidth devices multiply, cable TV networks and cellular base stations bear the burden. So, what’s a network provider to do?The answer – somewhat surprisingly – is to borrow from the defense industry. When times get tough in the commercial electronics space, network providers seek to adopt high-gain, high-power RF solutions from defense radar and communications systems, including many that depend on gallium nitride.To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: ‘A (Networking) Christmas Carol’
Our story begins on a cold Christmas Eve in 1966, five minutes after my uncle stopped by our house to show off his new analog car phone. He worked for IBM at the time, and I can still remember him opening the door of his car Vanna White-style to reveal the status symbol inside.We’ve all been visited by old, curmudgeonly RF. As networking professionals, we know the joys of RF present, and there are enough predictions articles this time of year to get us excited about the future.If networking were A Christmas Carol, it might go something like this.The ghost of RF past The first of the RF spirits takes us to the 1980s, when cellular, WiFi and automotive connectivity were young and innocent. RF was so old you could see it, hanging in the air like a damp, grey fog.To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: ‘A (Networking) Christmas Carol’
Our story begins on a cold Christmas Eve in 1966, five minutes after my uncle stopped by our house to show off his new analog car phone. He worked for IBM at the time, and I can still remember him opening the door of his car Vanna White-style to reveal the status symbol inside.We’ve all been visited by old, curmudgeonly RF. As networking professionals, we know the joys of RF present, and there are enough predictions articles this time of year to get us excited about the future.If networking were A Christmas Carol, it might go something like this.The ghost of RF past The first of the RF spirits takes us to the 1980s, when cellular, WiFi and automotive connectivity were young and innocent. RF was so old you could see it, hanging in the air like a damp, grey fog.To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: 5G and the need for speed
Tesla’s “Maximum Plaid” speed mode rockets its new Roadster from 0-60 in 1.9 seconds. If you think that’s fast, go ahead and Google “5G.”5G is Plaid for cellular networking – a next-generation mobile network that promises not only ten-times the available spectrum, for ten-times the download speeds, but across ten-times the devices and with a fraction of the latency.The move from 1Gbps to 10Gbps speeds will support bandwidth-intensive applications like high-definition video and virtual reality, and near real-time connections will enable ultra-low latency applications like autonomous cars, remote surgery and specialized applications within the Internet of Things (IoT).To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: 5G and the need for speed
Tesla’s “Maximum Plaid” speed mode rockets its new Roadster from 0-60 in 1.9 seconds. If you think that’s fast, go ahead and Google “5G.”5G is Plaid for cellular networking – a next-generation mobile network that promises not only ten-times the available spectrum, for ten-times the download speeds, but across ten-times the devices and with a fraction of the latency.The move from 1Gbps to 10Gbps speeds will support bandwidth-intensive applications like high-definition video and virtual reality, and near real-time connections will enable ultra-low latency applications like autonomous cars, remote surgery and specialized applications within the Internet of Things (IoT).To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: 5G and the Need for Speed
Tesla’s “Maximum Plaid” speed mode rockets its new Roadster from 0-60 in 1.9 seconds. If you think that’s fast, go ahead and Google “5G.”5G is Plaid for cellular networking – a next-generation mobile network that promises not only ten-times the available spectrum, for ten-times the download speeds, but across ten-times the devices and with a fraction of the latency.The move from 1Gbps to 10Gbps speeds will support bandwidth-intensive applications like high-definition video and virtual reality, and near real-time connections will enable ultra-low latency applications like autonomous cars, remote surgery and specialized applications within the Internet of Things (IoT).To read this article in full, please click here
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IDG Contributor Network: 5G and the Need for Speed
Tesla’s “Maximum Plaid” speed mode rockets its new Roadster from 0-60 in 1.9 seconds. If you think that’s fast, go ahead and Google “5G.”5G is Plaid for cellular networking – a next-generation mobile network that promises not only ten-times the available spectrum, for ten-times the download speeds, but across ten-times the devices and with a fraction of the latency.The move from 1Gbps to 10Gbps speeds will support bandwidth-intensive applications like high-definition video and virtual reality, and near real-time connections will enable ultra-low latency applications like autonomous cars, remote surgery and specialized applications within the Internet of Things (IoT).To read this article in full, please click here