The first USB device certified by the WiMAX Forum, the MiMAX Q-Series USB dongle from Airspan Networks Inc., incorporates the SkyCross Isolated Mode Antenna Technology (iMAT). Introduced by SkyCross in late January, iMAT allowed the MiMAX to be certified for the 2.5-GHz band, operating at nearly every applicable WiMAX and Wi-Fi frequency from 2 GHz to 5 GHz.
Following months of rigorous testing, the MIMAX device passed the WiMAX Forum conformance standards and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) requirements. Implementing MIMO on a device typically requires multiple antennas. However, small mobile devices do not provide the space necessary for multiple antennas to operate without interfering with each other, noted SkyCross. The company said iMAT solves this problem by enabling one antenna to behave like multiple antennas, each with superior performance, so sleek industrial design is not compromised.
“Our MiMAX device is the first time anyone has attempted to support 2 GHz to 5 GHz in a single WiMAX device, and the innovative iMAT solution from SkyCross provided us a lot of design freedom,” said Ori Hareli, vice president of engineering at Airspan Networks. “As a result, we were able to develop a sleek device with outstanding RF performance across the bands. Certification from the WiMAX Forum reinforces the quality of this solution.”
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