SiGe Semiconductor expanded its Wi-Fi product range by introducing the SE2571U Front End Module that is specifically targeted at embedded applications including cellular handsets, gaming, digital cameras and personal media players (PMP). The SE2571U has been designed to address the specific challenges faced by OEMs needing to operate "direct to battery", and to improve performance, while addressing consumer led demand for coexistence with UMTS radios.

The SE2571U provides a complete 2.4 GHz WLAN RF transmit and Bluetooth receive solution from the output of the transceiver to the antennas and from the antennas to the input of the transceiver. It incorporates a high performance power amplifier, low noise amplifier with bypass mode, power detector, harmonic filter, 2170 MHz notch filter, an SP3T switch and is configured to enable switching between Wi-Fi receive, Wi-Fi transmit and Bluetooth RX/TX. It delivers 20 dBm in 802.11b mode and a full 19 dBm linear power in 802.11g mode; it can operate from 2.7 to 4.8 V for direct to battery applications, thus removing the need for any supply regulation. The integrated filtering ensures compliance with unwanted spurious emissions in the transmit path and provisions for co-existence operation when a cellular signal is present in the receive path.

"We are very pleased to launch the SE2571U front end module to address these rapidly growing embedded Wi-Fi markets," said Sanjiv Shah, Director, Product Marketing WiMAX and embedded WLAN at SiGe. "This new FEM delivers the reliability, flexibility and performance OEMs require and consumers demand. It significantly reduces device bill of materials and board assembly costs as well as the overall system footprint, all of which are paramount in embedded applications."