Skyworks Expands Family of WCDMA Front-End Modules

Europe : Skyworks Solutions added a highly integrated transmit wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) front-end module (FEM) supporting high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) to its Intera(TM) portfolio. The SKY77427 enables Skyworks to offer customers global support with band I, II and V coverage, which are anticipated to be the dominant frequency bands for third-generation (3G) handsets.

"As the industry increasingly migrates to WCDMA, battery life, reduced form factors, multimode operation and cost are four key drivers for handset manufacturers," said Thomas J. Richter, Skyworks' marketing director for Mobile Platforms. "Our simplified architecture meets these demands while facilitating implementation with virtually any WCDMA baseband."

WCDMA is a 3G wireless technology that allows users to send and receive mobile voice, data, image and video communications at speeds up to 2 Mbps over a broad range of frequencies. HSDPA allows high-speed downlink with data transmission up to 10 Mbps. According to Deutsche Bank, WCDMA handsets are expected to more than double in 2006, off a base of 45 million units sold in 2005.

By integrating the company's next-generation, innovative load insensitive power amplifier (LIPA(TM)), a duplexer, power detector and filters into a single 5 x 8mm package, Skyworks' Intera(TM) FEMs allow mobile handset designers to simplify radio frequency (RF) design and reduce board space by nearly 50 percent when compared to alternative discrete approaches. These solutions are the latest additions to Skyworks' highly successful GSM/GPRS/EDGE FEM portfolio that today are at the heart of over 100 million handsets following their debut just three years ago.

About SKY77427

The SKY77427 FEM is a fully matched, 22-pin surface mount module developed for WCDMA applications. Small and efficient, this WCDMA FEM integrates the interstage filter, the input matching, the PA, the output matching, the power detection, and the duplexer into a single 5 x 8 x 1.5mm package. SKY77427 meets the stringent spectral requirements of HSDPA standards up to 24.2 dBm output power. It incorporates an indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) heterojunction bipolar transistor PA and contains circuitry to optimize power detector performance. Different control pins are available to enhance the performance of the FEM at different power levels. Integration of the RF front-end greatly simplifies the design of the handset radio as all critical matching between the interstage filter, PA, power detection and duplexer is optimized within the module.

Pricing and Availability

The SKY77427 will be available for sampling in March and is priced at $4.50 each in quantities of 10,000.

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