Part of EE Times’ RF Wireless Special Report

In the world of EE the complexity of RF engineering can be daunting for many. A quick search on the internet of “RF” turns up a number of job listings. Engineers capable of creating an interface for 5G networks is currently exceeding the available capacity, a professional has told the EE Times.

Engineers are generally highly sought-after. Between 2016 and 2024 the tech industry is expected to be unable to fill the gap of 6 million engineers as per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The global population of STEM graduates is shrinking and the current engineering workforce is experiencing fatigue and burnout as they create new communication technologies.

All EE graduates take RF courses, however RF engineers are rare. RF is a distinct kind of analog circuitry which requires its own set instruments and techniques for analysis. It is a complex field with countless variables engineers claim so trial-and-error is an integral part of RF designing experience.

The majority of RF engineers work for the business sector. (Source: Zippia)

“RF and microwave theory is a subset of training for an electrical engineering degree,” explained Joel Levine, president and CEO of the specialty distributor RFMW. “People tend to choose to enter the highly specialized field of RF and microwave due to their curiosity about the way that signals travel and transmit information. Often, it’s started as a passion. Training may come through college courses however, the real education in microwave and RF is gained through on-the-job education, hard-earned experiences gained through experimentation and enthusiasm for microwave, RF, and mmWave.”

The RF engineers concentrate on circuits that operate at radio frequencies like radio broadcasting wireless communication ( 5G, wireless service WiFi, 5G, and Bluetooth) as well as RF remote controlling, remote sensing satellite communication, and imaging. The timing could not be better for attracting RF engineers.

5G’s deployment is increasing which is resulting in increased demand for RF experts. The switch between 3G and LTE (4G) was easy for a majority of cellular service companies (CSPs) however 5G is an extremely complex technology that is completely new, with a brand-new technology (5G NR) and standalone services that are essential for applications. Additionally, 3GPP (still the same name as 3G) updates are coming out very fast. CSPs and the manufacturers need to be quick to catch up.

Furthermore, 5G requires more virtualization and software in comparison to the previous generation. This is the reason why companies that aren’t typically involved in the mobile market–hyperscalers such as Google, AWS, Microsoft and VMware are stepping up to join. These new players must find as many RF potential talent as they can.

RF all over the world

“Most often, the industry is looking for specialized talent, such as high-power RF design engineers, high-frequency design engineers or antenna design engineers,” Levine explained. “All described in these categories are a subset of the field that have specific skills and experiences for the specific job. Due to the specialized nature of these jobs are, businesses need to be extremely competitive in their compensation and benefits and also offer additional benefits for potential employees like health programs, education reimbursement and so on.”

In both the commercial and military sectors, the demand for the most advanced RF methods for satellite communications (SATCOM) is on the rise. One particular project which requires advanced RF technology is the Wi-Fi global project by SpaceX that will require more than 4,000 satellites orbiting to transmit wireless internet to everyone in the globe.

The RF engineers should have an extensive understanding of mathematics, physics, and general electronics theory in addition to specialized training in fields such as wave propagation, impedance transforms filters, and Microstrip design for PCBs. Many have advanced degrees.

Businesses often hire RF engineers straight from college and start the process of training them in their particular methods and technologies, Levine explained.

“New engineers have the knowledge of ‘theory’ from their college experience, and working in a company allows them to put those theories to work in practical designs,” the engineer said. “Employer training is often designed to give the new RF engineer immersive, hands-on experience, such as including the new engineer as part of a product design team or tasking them with a portion of the design, such as CAD simulation.”

The U.S., RF engineers have an average of two to three years at their job. (Source: Zippia)

Highly experienced RF engineers are educated about the company’s special products and technologies and are recruited via regular job announcements and by referrals, he explained.

“Referrals run a long way in this industry; the RF world is small enough that if you’ve been in it for a while, you’ll know people from all the top companies, so developing positive working relationships is key to an RF engineer’s career.”

“Technology trends have been changing so fast that it’s difficult for even the most experienced engineers to keep up,” Joe Civello, director of RFMW product management/PathWave services within Keysight Technologies, told EE Times.

To reduce the gap between demand and supply Universities are now offering classes and certificates that cover RF design, simulation, and testing. Businesses themselves are taking the initiative by offering engineers regular technical education.

Keysight is one example. It has a program for universities which encourages the growth of talent in engineering design disciplines. Keysight also has an internship program that allows students to experience real-world engineering issues and issues while they’re working towards their degrees. Recently, Keysight has hired many of these interns following their graduation.

The RF center of excellence

To enhance the performance of RF components as well as the workforce of RF/analog, RF center of excellence (COE) were established which integrate research, design assembly, test as well as inspection research. In 2015, the military/aerospace large Lockheed Martin opened an RF Payload COE in Colorado. Lockheed Martin uses its “digital tapestry” method to weave 3D printing, virtual design and automated assembly testing and inspection. The center will create diverse technologies that are typically used into RF payloads, such as antennas arrays, transmitters and arrays. The goal is to reduce the cost of production and also reduce the number of work hours employed in the production of equipment for RF.

NASA also has also a COE for Advanced RF Technologies in Cleveland, Ohio. The center is focused on the development of technology, research and the characterization of RF components, antennas and systems for the support of NASA’s aerospace and space communications applications. The center is aiming to develop new methods of calibration and antenna technology that can be used to calibrate advanced phased arrays wideband antennas, conformal antennas and antennas designed for extreme environments.

This year this year, an RF COE was announced in Penang, Malaysia, was suggested by Wong Peng Wen the co-founder of RF and microwave design firm FILPAL. The center is funded by the government. the center will have three goals including cost reduction, encouraging local businesses and enhancing Malaysia’s place in the field of semiconductors.

Every company operating in Southeast Asia must test their products in RF outside of the region. The combination of Malaysia’s place on the chip market by establishing an laboratory for testing and certification of RF helps to develop RF talent and strengthens Malaysia’s ability to attract foreign direct investment, as per Wong.

The Texas Analog Center of Excellence (TxACE) is which is located in the University of Texas at Dallas is the biggest analog research center located in the academic institutions. The TxACE is supported by an alliance between states of Texas, Texas Instruments, the Semiconductor Research Corporation and The University of Texas System, and the University of Texas at Dallas.

The U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Radio Frequency Technology Division develops the theory, metrology as well as standards and specifications for wireless technology. Innovations include on-chip measurements of the transistors responsible for generating wireless signals, testing of free-field signals, as well as the antennas that transmit signals and take them in, as well as the analysis of integrated circuits that process and receive signals. The center also addresses fundamental RF measurement challenges that can be applied to a variety of industries and government agencies.

It was in Grenoble, France, Leti, a research center of CEA Tech, and Radiall, a world-class maker of interconnect solutions, announced an agreement for a five-year joint lab to create novel RF antennas to fulfill the requirements of infrastructure for 5G networks and photonics parts that are designed for harsh conditions. The partnership will also establish an ongoing task force, which will focus to speed up the creation of high-capacity and large-coverage antennas. Like other centers in the field, reducing development costs is among the lab’s objectives.

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) the Center for Wireless Communications has contributed to the development of microwave, analog millimeter, and analog circuits as well as research in systems, communication and information theory, coding and applications studies for 5G, 4G and 6G wireless systems.

In Belgium the Informatics and Information Security Research Institute (ISRC) RF R&D laboratory is made up of people and infrastructure that can conduct research and development that goes up to 110 GHz and also the testing and measurement, RF/microwave equipment that can reach 40 GHz. The center also concentrates on multichip and chip-on-board development.

The many organizations needing assistance from RF experts are also assisted by electronic distributors that need RF knowledge.

“Engineers are faced with a dilemma when they are employed to become experts on the specialized products and technologies of the businesses they are employed by. Manufacturers and suppliers face the task of acquiring experts who are able to quickly learn more about their specific products or technologies,” RFMW’s Levine said. “Distributors like RFMW have the challenge of building and maintaining a sales force who are constantly refreshing their training to keep up with industry innovations so we can make the best recommendations possible to our end customers.”