Issue link: https://te.mouser.com/i/1349977
DATA AND DEVICES / TREND PAPER Smart IoT Applications and Environments: Key Antenna Considerations in Designing Your Smart Ecosystem PAGE 2 In a world of uncertainties, technology is the one constant that continues to move us forward. On one hand, it is the tissue that connects people around the globe; on the other, it is the science behind solving some of our planet's most pressing concerns in the mission to create a safer, sustainable, more productive and connected future. Nowhere is this more evident than with the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), the system of uniquely identified interconnected devices that are enabled to transmit and share data over wireless networks. Bridging the gap between the physical and virtual worlds, the IoT is helping to create smart environments by linking these devices to everyday settings and tasks that help individuals, businesses and potentially whole societies, live in a smarter and more comfortable way. And it's growing fast. Machine to machine (M2M) communications utilizing low-powered networks such as UWB, WLAN, Zigbee or Bluetooth to transmit data, have helped to drive IoT adoption. Even more so, it is the advent of LPWAN's like NB-IoT, LTE Cat-M and 5G high efficiency transmission that has fueled IoT growth. While 3G and 4G networks facilitated wireless communications among people, 5G alllows for the greater connection among "things" causing a paradigm shift that has directed a focus on developing sophisticated IoT solutions for a range of industrial and environmental concerns. This has set the stage for a wide-range of applications where meaningful change and efficiencies can be affected. IoT smart environments now can be as diverse as a farm that better manages its irrigation system and equipment maintenance, to a major city seeking to create more effective utility metering, street lighting, energy and other resource management, and predictive maintenance of its facilities and operations. IoT Growth Forecast IoT performance rests on other technologies: Enter the Antenna As IoT growth has been fueled by technology, it also has been facilitated by the strength of other technological advancements. Fiber optic cable has paved the way by offering greater bandwidth that allows for multiple wireless channels to run data over high- speed 5G networks and ensure uninterrupted transmission. Cloud-based technologies are also impacting connectivity dynamics as greater utilization of cloud-like concepts are applied to both radio access and core networks. For example, C-RAN, the fast-growing global cloud radio access network, is focused on BBU pooling and the adoption of cloud technologies. While these are two different technologies, they share a common dominator: they both demand high-speed, high-data, high- density, and reliable and rugged connectivity solutions to support IoT ecosystems. Enter the antenna. Antennas are critical to transmitting and receiving radio frequencies (RF) and along with filter and power amplifiers, must work adeptly with fiber optic and cloud-based technologies. They must also enable near limitless wireless connectivity between devices and databases, while at the same handle high-power signals and operate within stringent thermal conditions. These are functionalities all critical to the development of an IoT application and performance of a smart environment. Cellular and noncellular IoT connections will triple worldwide between 2018 and 2025 to reach 25 billion. (1) Global IoT revenue will increase at an average annual rate of 23% to reach $1.1 trillion by 2023, a fourfold increase on 2018. (1) IDC expects global IoT spending will return to double-digit growth rates in 2021 and achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3% over the 2020-2024 forecast period Antennas are integral to the IoT application At TE Connectivity (TE), we recognize that antennas play a complex role in the dynamics of the IoT. As IoT ecosystems move to support high-density, low latency networks and continue to incorporate various new features into radios and overall system layouts, there is an even greater premium put on antenna system design. As a result, rather than view antennas as passive products – wheth- er they are external or embedded – our engineers treat them as integral solutions in the creation of IoT applications. There are already examples in the market of how multiple antennas are being used to work with 5G networks and support IoT applications. Active Antenna Systems (AAS) are commonly adopted to increase the capacity and coverage of radio streams. They also feature a tighter integration of radio frequency (RF) electronics with a massive-element antenna to enable miniaturization and boost efficiency. Advanced Antenna Systems (another AAS) are also gaining popularity. These systems comprise an array of antennas closely integrated with hardware and software components to handle increased system complexities. This includes greater steerability for adapting antenna radiation patterns to rapidly time-varying traffic and multi-path radio transmission conditions. Simply put, more antennas translate into faster data transfer – the lifeblood of the IoT.