TriQuint announces complete RF front-end for 3G WCDMA handsets
February 12, 2006
TriQuint Semiconductor announced the release of its WCDMA total RF front-end solution supported by a complete product line-up of highly-integrated modules that offer manufacturers best-in-class power efficiency, greater battery conservation, lower cost and smaller module sizes that enable the compact 3G handsets consumers favor.
Development of TriQuint's complete WCDMA RF front-end solution (signal amplification, switching and filtering between the antenna and transceiver) comes in response to the wireless phone industry's transition from GPRS, to the higher data rates offered by EDGE, and the move toward full-3G data rates (up to 2.3 Mbps) offered by WCDMA.
"TriQuint's goal is to simplify design of the handset RF front-end," remarked Bruce Fournier, TriQuint Vice President. "To that end, we have assembled an array of technologies that enable us to provide designers with integrated RF blocks that speed time to market while providing the performance and size advantages that have long been associated with technology integration."
"The GSA reported in January that by the end of 2005, there were 100 3G (WCDMA) networks operating in 42 countries - growth of more than 20% in one year. Consumers are drawn to the high data rates of 3G and the services they enable, but, because 3G handsets are more complex, the handsets at first tended to be bigger and bulkier than previous generations. TriQuint has been driving size through integration, enabling designers to create small and thin form factors for their next generation of handsets," said Fournier.
TriQuint will unveil products that realize the promise of a truly integrated WCDMA and EDGE RF front end at the 2006 GSM World Congress in Barcelona. These future releases will include:
-- WCDMA switch module (p/n 890047): TriQuint's switch module combines GaAs signal switching with a diplexer providing a seamless switch function between the GSM and WCDMA bands. These switch modules also deliver the essential high linearity and out-of-band blocking that WCDMA signals require while also preserving the GSM harmonic requirements.
-- WCDMA transmit modules for key bands within 3G handsets (p/n TQM616017, TQM666017 and TQM676001). These modules incorporate integration along the signal path to maintain integrity. The first two modules also provide the essential 'duplexing' function needed in WCDMA handsets to separate transmit (Tx) from receive (Rx) signals for simultaneous transmission and reception. The modules include a fully matched power amplifier module (PAM), transmit (Tx) filtering and a duplexer. The TQM676001 includes a PA module, WCDMA filters and power detection / bias control features.
-- WCDMA / EDGE (WEDGE) receive modules (p/n 890057 and 890060), combine essential multi-mode switching, low pass transmission signal (Tx) harmonic filtering and receive (Rx) SAW filtering for all GSM bands. The modules provide improved WCDMA linearity that is essential to meet the 3GPP specification for out-of-band blocking requirements. TriQuint's modules (tri-band and quad-band, respectively) preserve signal integrity and provide very low insertion loss, which effectively increases battery life in the handset.
-- TQM7M5003: quad-band GSM EDGE polar power amplifier module (PAM) that provides the market's best GSM/GPRS and EDGE efficiency for wireless (cellular) handsets in a footprint compatible with all major transceiver makers' designs. It offers greater efficiency, which translates into longer battery life for next-generation EDGE phones.
-- TQM6M5001, an EDGE quad-band transmit module is the smallest on the market and provides a highly integrated solution for system architectures offering data rates superior to older GPRS systems. The amplifier is optimized for highly efficient signal amplification, which can extend battery life. With a form factor the same size and layout the same as previous standards, manufacturers can move from existing designs to higher EDGE data rates without significant phone board layout changes, speeding time to market and reducing costs. This all-in-one RF transmit module contains full GMSK (Gaussian minimum shift keying) and EDGE linear functionality, combining a quad-band EDGE PA, a linear transmit / receive switch, plus PA and switch control along with ESD protection.
TriQuint's new system design for the RF front-end of WCDMA / EDGE wireless handsets maximizes signal fidelity and system efficiency while keeping module sizes small. These advancements assist manufacturers making the move from incumbent, slower GPRS systems to the benefits of EDGE and WCDMA 3G networks. By matching every element along the transmit and receive chains with the transceiver, and including all matching components within the module whenever possible, TriQuint offers manufacturers all the benefits needed to extend battery life, shrink handset form factors, increase mobile device functions and satisfy consumers' demands for high-bandwidth services such as streaming video and high speed Internet access.
 |