RF Micro Devices Inc. announced it has captured a major design win on a leading handset original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) upcoming 3G multimode handset platform. RFMD® secured the design win with the industry's highest performance and most highly integrated triple-path, broadband power amplifier (PA), delivering unmatched broadband performance and TRP compliance. Based upon current customer forecasts and design activity, RFMD anticipates volume shipments to commence in the fourth quarter of calendar 2008.
RFMD's triple-path 3G PA combines three broadband (multi-band capable) power amplification paths in a single, size-reduced package. The highly integrated PA features two high-band broadband amplifiers and one low-band broadband amplifier, thereby enabling 3G handset designers to simultaneously address any combination of the eight major WCDMA cellular frequency bands without the need for external tuning. Additionally, the broadband, triple-path capability enables handset designers to implement a single RF platform across all 3G band combinations -- delivering maximum flexibility, reducing space requirements and accelerating time to market.
The triple-path, broadband 3G PA succeeds a highly successful dual-path, broadband 3G PA that is currently in high volume and also implements a balanced amplifier design. The balanced design improves total radiated power (TRP) and specific absorption rate (SAR) performance, thereby eliminating the need for costly RF isolators and further simplifying multi-band platform implementation. RFMD is a leader in enabling TRP-compliant handsets, which improve network efficiency, enhance network coverage and increase data throughput -- all of which are critical metrics related to 3G handsets.
"We're extremely pleased to support this leading OEM with our ground-breaking triple-path, broadband 3G power amplifier," said Eric Creviston, president of RFMD's Cellular Products Group. "Handset designers using our broadband 3G PA can implement a single, scalable 3G platform that services multiple WCDMA bands through simple changes in filter components. No change to the RF layout of the phone board is necessary. As the leading supplier of 3G cellular front ends, RFMD is proud to deliver the industry's most integrated and most capable broadband 3G PA.
"Looking forward, we plan to introduce additional 3G front-ends with even greater functionality, higher dollar content and higher levels of integration, as future architectures incorporate duplexers, switches and other functions previously implemented on phone boards discretely."