Robert H. Caverly
IMAGE LICENSED BY INGRAM PUBLISHING
The two major microwave events of the year, the 2023 editions of the International Microwave Symposium (IMS) and European Microwave Week, are now in the history books. By all accounts, the conference circuit is fully back to normal with busy sessions, packed exhibit floors, and a myriad conversations in hallways and at coffee breaks. In addition to the stimulating conversations and learning about new microwave technologies, conferences provide us with a chance to “recharge our batteries” so that when we return to our offices and laboratories, we have new motivation to continue to develop the next technologies needed to improve communications and sensing.
The steering committees of these conferences, as well as those of the smaller conferences in the MTT-S conference portfolio, deserve our gratitude for the volunteer time and effort spent making these events a success. If you know a steering committee member for one of the many conferences, thank them for a job well done. Consider volunteering for the next iteration of a conference near you. You will find the experience enlightening, meet other dedicated microwave engineers, and increase your professional network, in addition to the satisfaction of a job well done. As part of the conference theme in this introduction, this month’s issue of IEEE Microwave Magazine features two columns on conference activities: the Intersociety Technology Panel at IMS2023 [A1] and the joint Women in Microwaves (WIM) and Young Professional Panel [A2], also at IMS2023. Finally, there are a variety of conference Calls for Papers in this issue, including for IMS2024, representing the technological breadth of our Society.
We have three technical features in this month’s issue that cover a wide range of topics. The first feature, by Moisés Patiño-Gómez and Francisco-Javier Ortega-Gónzalez [A3], is titled “Polar Mode Amplification Techniques for Aeronautical Radio Navigation Transmitters: Power Efficiency and Linearity Enhancements” and looks at a common topic in these pages: power amplifiers. The authors present these amplifiers in aviation, an application space that we do not see often. In this article, different energy-efficient transmitters for aeronautical radionavigation services applications are discussed. Their performance is compared with the performance obtained by the same transmitters, using conventional technologies, demonstrating that high-efficiency transmission technologies can provide important advantages not only in terms of energy savings but also regarding other technical specifications.
There has been a lot written in the literature about software security and stopping software break-ins, but much less is written about physical layer and hardware security. Much of our microwave community develops and uses hardware, and so its security should be something we all need to be aware of. Our second technical feature, titled “RF Fingerprinting: Hardware-Trustworthiness Enhancement in the Hardware Trojan Era,” was written by Noemí Miguélez-Gómez and Eduardo Rojas-Nastrucci [A4] and presents an overview of attack and defense mechanisms for wireless networks, examining portions of the hardware chain that are most vulnerable and how “fingerprinting” can be used to detect or thwart these attacks. Our final technical feature this month is by Sri Venkata Surya Teja Jonnalagadda, Durga Prasad Mishra, and Santanu Kumar Behera. [A5] and looks at various sensors for vital sign monitoring. The feature, titled “Chipless RF Identification Sensors for Vital Signs Monitoring: A Comprehensive Review,” looks at the robust features of chipless RFID sensors that now allow continuous and comfortable on-person monitoring of vital signs. The article discusses the literature related to vital sign monitoring with chipless RFID sensors, smart sensing materials, their classification, and applications. Chipless RFID data coding techniques such as frequency shift coding and hybrid coding are discussed, and recently published results are compared.
Besides the features this month we have other MTT Society-related information to present. The issue continues with the “President’s Message” column [A6], where MTT-S President Nuno Borges Carvalho discusses the many ways the Society engages with you, the members, at both the international as well as more local levels. In our “MicroBusiness” column [A7], Fred Schindler takes a look at automation, both in the microwave community as well as in general society. In the “Microwave Surfing” column [A8], Rajeev Bansal reviews the concept of waves and particles. In the “MTT-S Society News” column [A9], one of the technical committees (TCs) of the MTT-S, the TC-5 Filters Committee, provides an overview of the committee’s activities over the last two years. In our “Educator’s Corner” column [A10], Francesco Fornetti presents a method of assessing the impact of how well students learn using a CAD-based approach in microwave education. While many microwave educators use CAD in their courses, assessing the degree of student learning can be quite challenging, and Francesco discusses his approach to this always vexing problem.
In our “Women in Microwaves” column this month [A11], Fauziahanim Seman provides a summary of the special WIM session at the 2022 IEEE RF and Microwave Conference and highlights the successful careers of two women microwave educators in Malaysia, Prof. Dr. Norbahiah Misran and associate professor Dr. Rosminazuin Ab Rahim. Rounding out the issue is our “New Products” column [A12], along with the next problem in our “Enigmas, etc.” column [A13]. Finally, and returning to the conference theme, we have our “Conference Calendar” column [A14], showing the conference scene for the next several months.
We hope you enjoy the issue!
[A1] J.-C. Chiao and K. Wu, “What’s up with integrated packaging and wireless power: MTT-S inter-society technology panels at IMS 2023 [Conference Report],” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 77–78, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3311647.
[A2] J. Grosinger, S. Montazeri, and J. Yan, “Joint women in microwaves and young professionals panel at IMS2023 [Conference Report],” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 80–82, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3303666.
[A3] M. Patiño-Gómez and F.-J. Ortega-Gónzalez, “Polar mode amplification techniques for aeronautical radio navigation transmitters,” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 16–34, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3303590.
[A4] N. Miguélez-Gómez and E. A. Rojas-Nastrucci, “RF fingerprinting: Hardware-trustworthiness enhancement in the hardware Trojan era,” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 35–52, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3303591.
[A5] S. V. S. T. Jonnalagadda, D. P. Mishra, and S. K. Behera, “Chipless RF Identification sensors for vital signs monitoring: A comprehensive review,” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 53–70, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3303668.
[A6] N. B. Carvalho, “Chapter increase and membership engagement [President’s Column],” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 9–10, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3305084.
[A7] F. Schindler, “The machines have already taken over [MicroBusiness],” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 11–12, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3303588.
[A8] R. Bansal, “Waves and particles [Microwave Surfing],” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 13–14, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3303589.
[A9] X. Gong, “MTT-5 filter committee: Report for 2021–2022 [MTT-S Society News],” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 75–77, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3303669.
[A10] F. Fornetti, “Authentic assessment in RF engineering through simulation-based, online exams [Educator’s Corner],” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 94–99, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3303687.
[A11] F. Seman, “Empowering women in microwave engineering: Inspiring stories from Malaysia [Women in Microwaves],” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 86–89, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3303667.
[A12] K. Mays, “[New Products],” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 83–85, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3303686.
[A13] T. Ohira, “Bridge between R–X and P–Q domains [Enigmas, etc.],” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, p. 100, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3303688.
[A14] “[Conference Calendar],” IEEE Microw. Mag., vol. 24, no. 11, pp. p. 102, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1109/MMM.2023.3303689.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MMM.2023.3305908