New microchip would make satellite receivers dishless, portable

MisterAnarchy

Interesting thesis here .
I wonder how practical it is ,as alot of these reports are just a ruse to get funding and very few actually make it to mass production.

The satellite dishes that have long dotted the landscape among rural and suburban houses could soon be a thing of the past with the same technology that would allow satellite television programming to be available on handheld devices.

Marcel van de Burgwal, a recent PhD graduate from the Netherlands’ University of Twente, has designed a microchip that contains a nearly flat grid array of antennas to receive satellite signals without the need for aiming.

The design relies on a collection of small processors integrated on the chip, with power only being consumed by those currently in use. In his doctoral thesis van de Burgwal showed that major gains can be made by using new methods of communication between the different processors

The result is a tiny, energy efficient, software-based television and radio satellite receiver that could make its way into tablets, smartphones, and other handheld media devices. In fact, van de Burgwal has already successfully tested the chip as a digital radio receiver in smartphones.

“Software-defined radio may seem much more complex, but we can pack so much computing power into the space taken up by, for example, a coil that it more than repays the effort”, van de Burgwal said regarding the microchip.

Recore Systems, a semiconductor company that develops advanced digital signal processing platform chips, has taken on the project and is working to further develop and market the chip for consumer use.

This design could conceivably change the way we receive mobile information in the future. Imagine a world where we didn’t have to worry about terrestrial antenna reception and you could access satellite-based communications right in the palm of your hand.

montgolfiere

Please give some of the same tablets...... they sound FANTASTIC!!!!
The Skyman

Tony

dont see how this could work with the current crop of satellites as any device would receive several similar transponders at the same time. Maybe he has a propritery broadcast system in mind.

watty

The gain is related to area.

You can make a electronically beam steerable system so satellite will work on a car. But this system doesn't reduce the size of a dish. The "aerial" plate would actually be larger! It is simply electronically aligned. So you roughly elevate it about 25 degrees and point roughly south and it can align to east or west (though signal level decreases).

You can't beat physics. Think of a solar panel made of 36 minature panels that can tilt to get "best" sun. If the overall panel is not roughtly pointing at sun the available sunlight is less.

This is only of value for cars, trucks, buses and you need about 60cm x 100cm panel.

Also you are shadowed by buildings, bridges, trees.


This is not going to change Satellite TV.