SkyCross Unveils New Antenna Technology for Wireless Devices

(Top News, 29 Jan 2008)

SkyCross has unveiled Isolated Mode Antenna Technology (iMAT), a revolutionary single-antenna approach providing significant benefits for device designers and manufacturers, network operators, and end users. Antenna technology is crucial because the antenna is the only part of a mobile device that communicates directly with the wireless network. iMAT, a patented, counterintuitive solution, significantly improves antenna gain and receiver sensitivity, delivering the following benefits:

For device designers and manufacturers
iMAT enables designers of handsets, PC cards, USB dongles, personal navigation and other wireless electronics to offer diversity or multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) communications, even in applications where such implementation has been considered impossible due to space constraints inside mobile devices. (Traditionally, MIMO leverages multiple antennas at both the radio transmitter and receiver to improve communication performance). The single-antenna solution from SkyCross eliminates the need to configure multiple antennas and reduces the number of parts required to build a device.

For network operators
A greater number of efficient, iMAT-equipped devices on a network can improve the capacity and bandwidth of the entire system. iMAT enables operators to optimize network performance without any additional investment in infrastructure. iMAT supports legacy networks and is essential for next-generation protocols such as HSxPA, WiMAX, 802.11x, and LTE—all of which require diversity or MIMO.

For end users
iMAT helps deliver better signal strength, even when the nearest tower or base unit is far away. This reduces dropped calls and enables faster data transfer for high-definition video, music, and more. iMAT antennas also exhibit minimal power loss, extending battery life.

iMAT enables a single device antenna to perform like multiple antennas through the use of multiple feed points. Each feed accesses the antenna as if it consisted of multiple antennas, each with high isolation, low correlation, and high per-feed antenna efficiency. The multiple radiation patterns produced by an iMAT antenna have low correlation so they cover different spatial regions to achieve pattern diversity and signal independence. This makes the way the device is "pointed" with respect to towers and base units less crucial.

For more information on the SkyCross iMAT solution, the company will be holding a live webinar scheduled for 11 am ET on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008.

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