NFC Forum has released new test specifications that the group said are the first that will enable manufacturers to certify that their products comply with the NFC Wireless Charging (WLC) 2.0 standard. That standard allows a smartphone, notebook or a dedicated charging device to wirelessly charge other small devices, such as styluses, wireless earsbuds, fitness trackers or smart watches and so on, at a power transfer rate of up to one watt.
NFC Forum said that the Universal Stylus Initiative, or USI, is the first organization to test with TR13 and achieve NFC Forum certification—so that as long as the related device has power, the active stylus won’t run out of power, either.
In other test news:
-Holding company Lawson Products said this week that its TestEquity company has completed its $55 million acquisition of InterWorld, which includes New Jersey-based test and measureent equipment distributor TEquipment.
-Meanwhile, NI has closed on its buy of European company Kratzer Automation, which expands the test company’s capabilities related to electric vehicle testing. Drita Roggenbuck, NI ‘s senior VP and GM of transportation, called the acquisition “another example of prioritizing inorganic investments that accelerate the growth areas of our business.”
–Rohde & Schwarz is hosting a virtual event on May 24 focused on satellite technology development and its intersection with 5G in Non-Terrestrial Networks specifications (more on 5G and NTN here and here). “From the beginning of 3GPP, the vision of ubiquitous communications included the usage of satellite or airborne based network components. In the short history we saw a tremendous development in the satellite and aerospace community as well as in worldwide wireless communication requirements. With 3GPP Release 17, the vision of ubiquitous communication networks including satellite and airborne can become a reality. The global radio access technology 5G New Radio enables NTN connectivity. Diving into some technical challenges of NTN, the event will give insights how to leverage the deployment of NTN capable devices and networks,” said Reiner Stuhlfauth, wireless technology manager at Rohde & Schwarz.
-Two new lab announcements this week from Texas: Amdocs is opening a 5G experience lab in Dallas, while Ericsson is launching a utilities-focused development center in Plano.
-What additional advancements will the telecom industry lay out in 5G, and what is ahead in future 6G systems? What risks do geopolitical jockeying pose for 6G development? Thoughts on those questions and more came from Keysight Technologies‘ 6G Program Director Roger Nichols, in this piece.
–Viavi Solutions put out the results of its most recent tracking of 5G network launches and overall technology development, including Open RAN. As of March 2022, the test company said that based on publicly available information, 5G networks have been launched in 72 countries around the world, with 1,947 cities having 5G networks. In addition, Viavi says there are currently 23 live Open RAN deployments around the world, with 34 trials in progress and another seven operators who have said publicly that they are in the pre-trial phase of Open RAN work. Full story here.
