Industry News: Technology (Dec. 2007)

iDirect, Aruba Complete WLAN Testing

Aruba Networks Inc. and iDirect Inc. have completed integration testing of a wireless local area network (WLAN)-to-satellite connection, Aruba announced.
    The two companies have certified the interoperability of Aruba’s secure mobility solution with iDirect’s satellite platform, allowing satellite customers to provide a wide area network interface to Aruba’s adaptive wireless LANs. The solution is expected to be used with video surveillance, perimeter security monitoring, disaster recovery, distance learning, logistics management and storage depots.

Lockheed Martin Readies AEHF Satellite For Environmental Testing

The Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite is ready for environmental testing, Lockheed Martin announced.
    The spacecraft has completed the baseline integrated system test, which was conducted at Lockheed Martin’s Space Systems facility. The test characterized the performance of the integrated satellite and established a performance baseline prior to entering environmental testing, which includes acoustic and thermal vacuum testing. 
    Lockheed Martin will provide three AEHF satellites to the Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing, located at the Space and Missile Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base. The satellites will provide greater total capacity than the entire Milstar constellation and offer higher channel data rates.

Norsat Receives Patent For RF Transmit Technology

Norsat International Inc. will receive a patent for its frequency selective surface waveguide filter, the company announced.
    The European Patent Office notified the company that it intends to grant the patent for the technology, which reduces the weight and footprint of transmit reject filters, one of several elements of the RF transmit chain.

Qualcomm Introduces Mobile Internet Solution 

Qualcomm Inc. has introduced a global mobile Internet and GPS solution for notebook computers, the company announced.
    The Gobi solution includes Qualcomm’s MDM1000 chipset, associated software and API and a reference design for a software-defined configurable data module supporting both Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) and high-speed packet access with full backward compatibility, as well as GPS functionality, the company said.
    Gobi is available, and enterprise and consumer notebooks powered by Gobi are expected to be available in the second quarter of 2008.

Raytheon Forms Team For HC3 Development

Raytheon Co. will team with L3 Communications, Northrop Grumman Corp. and Agile Communications Inc. to develop the next generation of U.S. Army satellite communications, Raytheon announced.
    The High Capacity Communications Capability is a family of reconfigurable communications terminals that will provide soldiers with high-capacity, multiband, multimode connectivity. The system, which can communicate using C-, X-, Ku-, Ka- and Q-bands, will use current and future satellites and integrated into the Army’s future force communications architecture.

Wireless Matrix Launches SDM 5000 

Wireless Matrix Corp. has launched its new satellite communications platform, the company announced.
    The Satellite Data Modem (SDM) 5000 leverages satellite communication so customers can track assets even through areas with poor cellular coverage. Mobile assets that move between areas of strong and weak coverage areas integrated with Wireless Matrix’s cellular communications products. The SDM 5000 uses the Mobile Satellite Ventures communications satellite network.
    The platform will cost less than $1,000.