News

16 October 2008

 

Infineon claims smallest GPS receive front-end module

Infineon Technologies AG of Neubiberg, Germany has launched the BGM681L11, which it claims is the world’s smallest GPS receive front-end module.

“GPS functionality will be a standard feature for the next generations of mobile phones,” says Michael Mauer, senior marketing director Silicon Discretes. According to market research firm IMS Research, the GPS market is growing at a compound average growth rate (CAGR) of 33.7% until 2011. Consequently, GPS will featured in at least one third of all mobile phones to be produced in 2011.

The main challenges for the growing mobile GPS market are to achieve higher sensitivity and higher immunity against interference of cellular signals, so low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) and filters are becoming indispensible components for the GPS receive front-end line-up. As more features are added to new generations of high-end mobile phones, PCB space is becoming the main limiting factor, so small front-end modules are highly desirable.

The BGM681L11 incorporates all key components to amplify a GPS signal and filter out interference, including Infineon’s GPS LNA chip and two integrated filters with high ESD ruggedness (an input and output filter) in a leadless TSLP11-1 package that measures just 2.5mm x 2.5mm x 0.6mm (3.75mm3, more than 60% smaller than the closest competitor with a similar level of integration, the firm reckons). The module operates from a supply voltage of 2.4-3.6V.

Alternatively, the GPS LNA chip is also available as the stand-alone device BGA615L7, which is based on Infineon’s B7HF silicon germanium (SiGe) process technology and operates at 2.4-3.2V. More than 70 million units of the BGA615L7 LNA have already been shipped to the GPS market.

With the BGM681L11, Infineon complements its broad range of high-performance GPS LNAs by providing fully integrated GPS receive front-end components, helping handset makers to fulfil the toughest space requirement, says Mauer. Infineon is providing evaluation kits for the BGM681L11. Pricing starts at a 10,000-piece price of $1.20.

In addition Infineon says that, by making use of its carbon-doped SiGe (SiGe:C) LNAs capable of 1.8V operation (launched in July) as well as its CMOS RF switches, it is expanding its product portfolio of GPS modules further. “Infineon is committed to continue developing a strong portfolio of completely integrated GPS receive front-end modules,” says Mauer.

See related item:

TriQuint claims smallest, most integrated GPS RF front-end module

Search: Infineon GPS receive front-end modules SiGe SiGe:C

Visit: www.infineon.com/BGM681L11