June is now behind us, with another memorable International Microwave Symposium (IMS) in the books. The 2018 version of IMS was another techno-blast, another long sip of information through the proverbial firehose.

IMS 2018 seemed to have two overarching themes:

• 5G and
• everything that makes 5G possible.
   

OK, that may be an oversimplification, but there is an element of truth to it. The 5G conversation centered on infrastructure and the companies making the next-generation network possible, through massive MIMO and 5G base station technology. The market for MIMO base station configurations is expected to support $1 billion in RF solutions by 2022, according to EJL Wireless Research and Qorvo estimates. Good news for many readers of Microwave Journal.

There was also enough to quench anyone’s thirst for RF knowledge and to track the latest technology trends in biomedicine and healthcare, Internet of Things (IoT), gigabit broadband, radar and defense, as well as advances in compound semiconductors and packaging. GaN seemed to be everywhere, as it continues to make a steady migration from defense to commercial markets.

Like the IoT at Mobile World Congress 2018, the question was not if we’ll use GaN, but how and where. Applications were king, as exhibitors showed off the latest GaN solutions for radar, electronic warfare and communications.

My Favorite Things from IMS

It would be difficult to walk the exhibit floor or peruse the technical program and not be overwhelmed by all the great technology at IMS 2018.

When asked what were my favorite things at IMS, the melody from The Sound of Music’s “My Favorite Things” begins ringing in my head. With apologies to both Rodgers and Hammerstein, here’s my musical tribute to IMS 2018:

Solutions for 5G and gigabit broadband,
medical, industrial and defense for X-Band.
Small plastic packages sans gold or bling.
These are a few of the IMS things.

Power amplifiers for next generations.
Tuners and switches and GaN for base stations.
BAW, TC-SAW and SAW filter pairings.
These are few of the IMS things.

When the call drops,
when the clips freeze,
when I’m feeling mad.
I simply remember the IMS things,
and then I don’t feel so bad.

This article first appeared in Brent's Musings on Microwave Journal.