News

12 June 2009

 

Skyworks adds to Linear Product portfolio with WLAN/WiFi PA for HD video streaming and LNAs for high-performance receivers

Skyworks launches WLAN/WiFi PA for wireless access to HD video streaming

At this week’s IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Sypmosium (IMS 2009) in Boston, Skyworks Solutions Inc of Woburn, MA, USA, which manufactures linear products, power amplifiers, front-end modules and radio solutions for handset and infrastructure equipment, announced the availability of samples of what it claims is the industry’s highest-performance wireless local area network (WLAN) and WiFi-certified power amplifier (PA) to meet demanding high-data-rate applications such as wireless high definition (HD) video transmission. Volume production scheduled to start in third-quarter 2009.

The SKY65137 is a microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) PA fabricated using Skyworks’ indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology. It is internally input-output matched in a 20-pin 6mm x 6mm multi-chip module (MCM) surface-mounted technology (SMT) package, enabling ease-of-use and faster time-to-market as well as higher performance, the firm claims. In addition, the SKY65137 delivers 24dBm linear output power at less than 2.5% error vector magnitude (EVM), enabling higher data rates at extended ranges.

The new SKY65137, along with other solutions in the product family, serve as a media gateway, allowing wireless access to an array of multimedia content from any room and replacing unwieldy cables currently required in the home. Additional applications include high-performance video gaming, outdoor wide-range access points, and extended-range routers.

“Skyworks’ new 5GHz solution increases the range and data rates of existing conventional WiFi gateways and clients, making it ideal for streaming video wirelessly in the home,” says director of marketing Irene Song. “We are delighted to be at the forefront of powering a consolidated multimedia console that will allow consumers to wirelessly access their entire entertainment suite from any room.”

Today’s market is driving toward higher-performance, higher-data-rate wireless standards – particularly for video entertainment networking – which is driving the need for larger and faster data pipes. Channel bonding, which extends bandwidth by bonding two adjacent 20MHz channels into a single channel, can support this. Of the two WiFi frequency bands used currently, the 5GHz band (802.11a/n) supports many more channels than the 2.4GHz band (802.11b/g/n), making it more attractive to use for streaming video and other high data-rate applications. Besides 802.11a/n, additional 5GHz standards such as wireless home digital interface (WHDI) are being used to enable HD video transfer wirelessly in the home.

Skyworks unveils compact two-stage LNAs with high linearity for high-performance receivers

Skyworks has also introduced two 2-stage, ultra-low-noise amplifiers (LNA) with high-linearity performance. Fabricated using Skyworks’ pHEMT process, the compact (2mm x 2mm) LNAs offer performance under 0.7dB while providing high-linearity amplification with OIP3 up to 35dBm. The SKY65037-360LF (operating at 0.7-1.2GHz) and the SKY65040-360LF (operating at 1.5-2.4GHz) have the flexibility of external tuning to set gain up to 25dB and supply current adjustment of 30-100mA. The quad flat no-lead (QFN) devices are lead (Pb)-free and restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS)-compliant.

The new LNAs serve demanding receiver applications including global positioning systems (GPS), satellite digital audio radio services, WCDMA and LTE (long-term evolution) infrastructure platforms, and ISM base-stations, repeaters and access points. Skyworks says that its devices minimize system noise figure, improving receiver sensitivity and providing greater flexibility to meet a wide range of performance requirements.

“Today’s new receiver specifications require low-noise-figure amplifiers with high-linearity amplification,” says David C. Stasey, VP of analog components. “Our solutions meet these stringent parameters with a high degree of flexibility, balancing efficiency with power and linearity performance,” he adds. “More importantly, these new solutions broaden our footprint into high-growth adjacent markets and further support Skyworks diversification strategy.”

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Visit: www.skyworksinc.com