15 November 2012

Anadigics’ WiFi front-end specified on leading reference designs to start shipping in Q1/2013

RF component maker Anadigics Inc of Warren, NJ, USA has launched four new front-end integrated circuits (FEICs) for 802.11n and 802.11ac WiFi applications: the AWL9280 and AWL9281 (operating at 2.4GHz) for the 802.11b/g/n and 802.11b/g/n/ac standards respectively, and the AWL9580 and AWL9581 (operating at 5GHz) for the 802.11a/n and 802.11a/n/ac standards respectively.

The firm says that its FEICs provide a combination of integration, efficiency and linearity to minimize time-to-market, increase battery-life, and maximize throughput for mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, netbooks, notebooks, and gaming systems. The solutions have been selected by multiple leading reference design companies and are gaining OEM traction worldwide, adds Anadigics.

The new family of WiFi FEICs use Anadigics’ exclusive InGaP-Plus technology and patented design architectures to combine a power amplifier (PA), low-noise amplifier (LNA), low-insertion-loss Tx/Rx RF switch and high-directivity coupler with integrated power detector on a single die within a 2.5mm x 2.5mm x 0.4mm QFN package (with all RF ports internally matched to 50-Ohms). This level of integration reduces space requirements and simplifies RF front-end design.

Anadigics claims that its WiFi FEICs provide exceptional error vector magnitude (EVM) and noise figure performance in the Rx path, enabling ultra-high data throughput and connectivity over greater range. EVM is 2.5% for the AWL9280 and AWL9580 at +19dBm and +18dBm respectively, and 1.5% for the AWL9281 and AWL9581 at +17dBm and at +16dBm respectively. The solutions also deliver high efficiency with low current consumption to conserve battery-life in mobile applications.

“By combining our high-performance PA, LNA, and RF switch in a compact, low-profile package, we are enabling manufacturers to develop the next generation of mobile devices with extended battery-life and greater connectivity speeds,” says Dave Cresci, VP of WiFi Products. “The advantages of our new FEICs have been validated by multiple wins on major WiFi reference designs.” High-volume production shipments are expected to start in first-quarter 2013.

Samples of the AWL9280, AWL9281, AWL9580 and AWL9581 front-end ICs are available now for qualified programs.

Tags: Anadigics front-end

Visit: www.anadigics.com