8 Experts on Overcoming Challenges of RF Solution Design 22
"Consider how much radio-frequency (RF) performance you are
getting for the money you are putting in, the number of watts you
are putting in, and the area or size of the device."
Jay Kruse
Head of Hardware
eero
Jay Kruse leads hardware engineering
and program management at eero LLC,
where his teams are developing the next
generation of wireless mesh hardware. An
industry veteran who thrives on solving
difficult problems, Jay has worked on
projects from GaAs IC design to MacBook
computers with some of the best teams in
Silicon Valley. He holds a PhD and a master's
degree from the University of Illinois.
When designing a wireless device, you must first understand what you need to achieve
with that device. Then, within that framework of requirements, consider how much
radio-frequency (RF) performance you are getting for the money you are putting in, the
number of watts you are putting in, and the area or size of the device. When designing a
wireless system, you need a feel for the numbers:
• RF Performance. This measure is the total RF performance, including frequency,
range, output power, and throughput. You need RF technology that delivers on
bandwidth and range requirements, but you must balance that delivery against
power consumption. Increasing the range requires more power.
• Input watts. This measure is the power consumption of your device. It dictates
power supply, battery size, and how long the device will operate on a single
battery charge. Input watts combined with device size dictates power efficiency
requirements, another factor that influences RF technology choices.
• Area. This measure is the physical size of your device, which determines the
components it can contain, component types and configuration, and battery size.
Think about the area, how much power the device will consume, and how it affects
When Making Engineering Trade-Offs,
Remember to Leverage Vendor Support
