RFMD announces 4G LTE engagements with leading handset manufacturers, baseband providers

GREENSBORO, USA: RF Micro Devices Inc., a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance semiconductor components, announced that the company is engaged with two leading handset manufacturers and two leading baseband manufacturers in the development of fourth generation (4G) Long Term Evolution, or LTE, mobile broadband handsets.

Specifically, RFMD is supplying the RF6276 and the RF3280, both of which are 4G LTE power amplifiers (PAs) designed to meet or exceed the data-centric performance requirements of the 4G LTE mobile broadband standard. RFMD anticipates production revenue related to 4G LTE PAs will begin in the second half of fiscal 2010, ending April 3, 2010.

"These expanding customer engagements with leading industry partners clearly demonstrate our commitment to advancing new technologies and accelerating the wide scale deployment of next-generation mobile broadband," said Eric Creviston, president of RFMD's Cellular Products Group (CPG).

"RF Micro Devices has a proven history in technology leadership and the support of new air interface standards, including 2G, 2.5G and 3G. Now, with these customer engagements, we are pleased to support the early field deployment of next-generation 4G LTE handsets."

The RF6276 linear LTE power amplifier (PA) is tuned for operation in LTE bands 12 (698 to 716 MHz) and 13 (777 to 792 MHz) and delivers a blend of high-power efficiency and lower current consumption as output power levels decrease.

The RF6276 features two digital power modes that adjust bias current and optimize the PA for the desired range of output power, while maintaining the stringent linearity requirements of LTE modulation.

RFMD's RF3280 linear LTE PA is tuned for operation in LTE band 7 (2500 to 2570 MHz) and is optimized for use in linear multimode WCDMA/LTE mobile devices. The RF3280 leverages RFMD's proven quadrature PA technology, which improves end-product immunity to VSWR (otherwise known as "antenna mismatch") and eases end-product implementation.

The RF3280 is designed for RF front end architectures utilizing analog bias control in combination with a mated DC-DC converter. This architecture enables dynamic PA loadline adjustments which optimize performance whether the handset is operating in WCDMA or LTE.

The combination of analog bias control and a DC-DC converter also optimizes efficiency, at all power levels, and minimizes overall thermal impact. The RF3280 includes an integrated output power detector that supplies a voltage signal relative to the output power level of the PA, thereby reducing board area and simplifying implementation.