Almost the entirety of the modern technology world is built on the foundation of radio. The technology enabled the long-distance transfer of information and thus opened the door for the unprecedented interconnectedness of the Internet world. From radio shows to social media to the tightly interconnected networks of the Internet of Things (IoT) that’s built up in consumers’ homes, radio frequencies and related tech underpin it all. It makes sense, then, that these technologies are built and tested by technicians and engineers all around the world—and those people need the tools to test and measure radio frequencies.
Copper Mountain Technologies (CMT) provides precisely those tools, empowering RF and microwave engineers globally from its headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. Copper Mountain Technologies develops innovative RF test and measurement solutions, including vector network analyzers (VNAs), letting lab technicians and engineers extend their reach through access to affordable lab-grade instruments. Combined with their world-class metrology and engineering resources, CMT represents a powerful extension to any technical team.
After establishing Copper Mountain Technologies Europe in Paphos, Cyprus, in 2022, the company’s global presence allows it to solve problems and support thousands of clients in close to 100 different countries. In building a robust global team, Copper Mountain Technologies hopes to solve more problems, whether technical or business, and optimize modern technical workspaces.
The Copper Mountain Technologies Offering
Copper Mountain Technologies caters its products and support traditionally to RF and electrical engineers designing or testing radio frequency components, but that customer base has expanded over the years as the Internet of Things has become more prevalent. CMT’s innovative products were designed to enable more engineers with USB-based vector network analyzers. By removing the processing module from the measurement module, these new VNAs were made much more portable and affordable—a perfect fit for the growing connectivity and systems integration demanded by businesses and consumers.
Copper Mountain Technologies is continually looking to innovate in the space, a dedication seen in their products. Their VNAs go beyond standard specs to offer tailored, compact, embeddable RF test modules that enable users to solve complex S-parameter measurement challenges. This capability is specifically useful in government, military, medical, and commercial applications and promises a lot of growth in the market. By following the universal technology trend of reducing size without sacrificing performance, these RF test modules have allowed VNA capabilities to escape the lab environment and find success in a multitude of field applications.
As with any technology company that works closely with sensitive information and technology, Copper Mountain Technologies is up-to-date on the relevant certifications. CMT is ISO 9001-2015 certified, both offices in Indianapolis and Cyprus have ISO/IEC 17025 (2005) accredited calibration labs, and the company also recently achieved Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 1. Each of these certifications and accreditations spotlights CMT’s proven commitment to product quality and safety, as well as strong data security and hygiene practices.
Keeping At The Cutting Edge
Technology development moves quickly, and so technology companies and their products must be able to follow suit. Copper Mountain Technologies is no exception; the company leverages a number of practices to stay motivated, continue innovating, and stay at the cutting edge of the RF testing and measurement field. There are two primary drivers for Copper Mountain Technologies’ innovation and growth: their customers and their policy of continuous education and learning.
Copper Mountain Technologies is constantly inspired by its customers and the complex, powerful technology solutions they create using CMT’s VNAs, which may be integrated with other test equipment. Customer feedback has a significant role in determining the company’s product plan, which is only rational considering that enabling engineers is CMT’s first focus. Copper Mountain Technologies is in regular communication with customers to make sure customer challenges are well understood and to determine how their VNA technology experience can be improved.
“We don’t think there is any point developing products or technology that our customers and the industry don’t need,” explains Rebecca Wilson, Director of Marketing. “We try to sanity check our plans against the customer feedback we hear to ensure that it will be embraced and helpful to our customers and users.”
Internally, Copper Mountain Technologies is always taking the time to study, learn, and keep abreast of new developments in its field. The CMT team leverages professional organizations as learning opportunities and information sources, regularly reading new research papers and technical publications from organizations like the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Copper Mountain Technologies also regularly attends trade shows and events, both in the RF/microwave field and others, like the automotive or medical fields. These events are great opportunities to speak with other vendors and collaborate with integrators and customers.
Copper Mountain Technologies’ sales engineers are encouraged to attend professional organizations and events to interact with people and educate them about CMT’s products, their use cases, and the operations they enable. Building relationships and educating others about the power of CMT’s VNAs and other products is an effective tool both for business and for learning. CMT’s sales and technical teams often visit customer sites to learn about their facilities, understand their workflow, and identify opportunities for optimization and improvement.
Upcoming Products and Solutions
Unsurprisingly, for a company in the technology sector, Copper Mountain Technologies has some new products coming down the pipeline that are sure to improve the RF testing and measurement of their customers. Specifically, CMT has launched a new line of VNA products that replace their M Series VNAs: the Value Series VNAs. Retaining some similarities to prior models, the new line promises higher IF bandwidth, higher dynamic range, faster speed, a lower starting frequency, and higher output power, among other benefits. These units remain suitable for those who need an affordable VNA solution without needing any advanced software features included in other CMT models.
“CMT is focused on enabling engineers with affordable and effective equipment, which is why we are launching the improved models at the same price point as the former models offered,” says Brian Walker, Senior RF Design Engineer, SME.
