News

5 February 2007

TriQuint unveils new RF front-end module families and ‘Global Handset Strategy’

As part of its new ‘Global Handset Strategy’, at next week’s GSM World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, TriQuint Semiconductor of Hillsboro, OR, USA will launch its new product portfolio supporting the latest multimedia devices as well as handsets for emerging entry-level markets, offering ultra-compact, high-performance integrated system solutions for GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA and CDMA standards.

New members of GSM/EDGE, 3G WEDGE and CDMA product lines will be branded into families for the first time, says president and CEO Ralph Quinsey. The new modules are designed to increase efficiency for extended talk-time, speed time-to-market and save RF front-end PC board space to enable the addition of multimedia and connectivity features in ergonomic mobile phones.

The HADRON PA Module family is an industry-standard 7x7x1.1mm 3 series of discrete power amplifier modules that provide a choice between EDGE-Linear and EDGE-Polar architectures. Both solutions are optimized to deliver optimum talk time in GSM/GPRS and EDGE (8PSK) modes. In addition, the HADRON II PA Module family is a new generation that shrinks the form factor to 5x5x1.1mm 3.

The TRITIUM PA-Duplexer Module family includes versions that support both CDMA and WCDMA/HSDPA applications, with 8x5x1.5mm 3 modules integrating a duplexer and Tx interstage filter with a linear power amplifier – each optimized to major global geographic frequency bands. In addition, the new-generation TRITIUM II PA-Duplexer Module family shrinks the form factor to 7x4x1.2mm 3.

The QUANTUM Tx Module family builds on TriQuint’s GSM/GPRS transmit modules (integrating a GaAs pHEMT switch, low-pass filters and a power amplifier along with all necessary matching/control circuits) by adding a full-featured quad-band EDGE-Linear version and (in support of the firm’s 2007 Global Handset Strategy) a dual-band GSM/GPRS version for emerging entry-level markets. In addition, the new QUANTUM II Tx Module family adds a WEDGE-compatible multi-throw switch.

TriQuint says that QUANTUM plus TRITIUM modules provide a path to a complete, ultra-compact system solution for 3G WEDGE applications.

The HADRON, TRITIUM and QUANTUM modules complement a full line of GSM/EDGE and WCDMA products for current and next-generation wireless handsets as well as Bluetooth PAs and filters.

* TriQuint unveils ‘Global Handset Strategy’

TriQuint has released its ‘Global Handset Strategy’ for mobile communications platforms addressing broad market trends in new generations of wireless phones.

“The company is building on its successful shipment of more than 150 million highly integrated RF front-end modules to create a new generation of advanced products to meet the changing needs of a truly global communications marketplace,” says Tim Dunn, VP for Handsets. “The evolution of wireless communications is not exclusively in one market segment; it’s growing in many ways, fulfilling multiple needs in diverse global markets,” he adds. “For some, the future is untethered high-data-rate multimedia handsets operating over WEDGE networks. Others see a future that includes the advent of basic communications for the first time as cellular service becomes pervasive across the globe. Many view the inclusion of short-range connectivity capabilities such as Bluetooth and WiFi inside handsets as a priority.”

“With the rapid deployment of both EDGE and WCDMA systems, our product portfolio is growing to include not just more EDGE modules, but the highly integrated products our customers need to support ultra-compact system solutions for WEDGE in 3G handsets, PDAs and data cards,” Dunn continues. TriQuint is also providing highly integrated components such as transmit (Tx) modules for entry-level dual-band handsets and products for handset connectivity capabilities such as Bluetooth and WiFi.

To enable it to meet the needs of an evolving global wireless market, TriQuint says its in-house technology portfolio – which includes GaAs (HBTs and pHEMTs) for switches and power amplifiers, as well as surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) devices for filtering - is designed to maximize efficiency between front-end modules, free-up space for added multimedia features, and speed manufacturing for GSM/EDGE, WCDMA and CDMA handsets. TriQuint says its modules are fully optimized to leading transceiver designs for feature-packed, slim-line wireless handsets.

The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) reported 100 WCDMA networks operating in 42 countries in January 2006, then nearly 50% growth to 141 WCDMA operators in 62 countries in Q4/2006; meanwhile, EDGE operators grew to 156 in 92 countries --- 78 of these operators in 54 countries have deployed combined WCDMA-EDGE (WEDGE) networks. “These figures show consumers are drawn to higher data rates; however, since 3G handsets are more complex, the first models tended to be bigger and bulkier,” says Dunn. “TriQuint continues to drive-down module size, not only enabling small phones, but also creating space for sought-after multimedia applications and connectivity features that consumers favor,” he claims.

Visit: http://www.triquint.com