Ethertronics, a leading provider of standard and customized embedded antenna solutions for wireless devices, will present "Is 2dB Worth $2" at the 2008 Antenna Systems and Technology Conference taking place in Austin, TX September 25 - 26, 2008.

On the topic of "Is 2dB Worth $2?" Jeff Shamblin, vice president of advanced technology for Ethertronics, will share insights on what device manufacturers and design engineers can look for when evaluating options for improving the RF link margin in new handset designs.  Shamblin will address the tradeoffs that one needs to investigate when deciding whether to make improvements on the handset or network infrastructure side of a link. He will also discuss active antenna advancements currently in development at Ethertronics. These developments are designed to achieve greater than 2dB improvement with changes on the handset antenna and RF front-end.

A 2dB improvement means fewer dropped calls, faster file downloads, longer battery life and more network capacity overall. Achieving an additional 2dB of power can be attained either through the handset and advanced active antenna techniques or through the implementation of additional base stations. Each method has its benefits and drawbacks.

This presentation will address the question of "is the operator better off with more base stations or better handsets?" Attendees will learn the pros and cons of each choice—spending the money upfront during the initial engineering and manufacturing to create a better handset or adding more base stations nationwide to compensate for the lack of a quality, high-performance antenna. The presentation will cover:

• Active antennas techniques that can provide greater than 2dB of improved performance
• Pros and cons of each active antenna technique
• The economic trade-off between spending money upfront for 2dB or waiting until later to achieve 2dB through network enhancements

This presentation is part a two-day conference program presented by Antenna Systems & Technology, the magazine for manufacturers and integrators of antennas, components and infrastructure for the wireless communications industry.

Thursday, September 25, 2008
10:45 – 11:30 AM
    
Hyatt Regency Austin
Austin, TX

Ethertronics designs and manufactures high-performance embedded antenna solutions for wideband and multi-band wireless devices.  Ethertronics’ leading-edge product lines, including Prestta™ stamped metal, Savvi™ ceramic, and Tavvel™ active antennas support a wide range of applications including cellular, UMTS, WiFi, WiMAX, Bluetooth, GPS, FM, MediaFLO and DVB-H among others. The company’s patented Isolated Magnetic Dipole™ (IMD) technology enables smaller size, flexibility in design implementation, shortened design cycle and higher overall performance, while simultaneously meeting and improving upon standard safety emission requirements.  Ethertronics’ antennas have been selected by major customers worldwide garnering an installed base of more than 100 million units. The U.S.-headquartered company maintains a global network of design centers and low-cost, high-volume manufacturing operations.  For more information about Ethertronics, visit the company’s Website at: www.ethertronics.com.