17 July 2013

RFaxis ramps up volume production of pure-CMOS-based SP3T Wi-Fi/Bluetooth RF switch for smartphones and mobile devices

Fabless semiconductor firm RFaxis Inc of Irvine, CA, USA, which designs RF semiconductors and embedded antenna solutions for the wireless connectivity and cellular mobility markets, says that it has started volume production of its RFX333 single-pole triple-throw (SP3T) antenna switch, which is developed and manufactured in bulk CMOS technology and is pin-compatible with incumbent solutions that use more expensive gallium arsenide (GaAs) or silicon-on-insulator (SOI) processes.

The RFX333 is optimized for wireless applications requiring high linearity and low insertion loss, such as WLAN IEEE 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth in the 2.4GHz frequency range. It has simple and low-voltage CMOS control logic, and requires minimal external components. All DC-blocking capacitors are integrated on-chip to minimize PCB footprint. Assembled in an ultra-compact, low-profile 1.6mm x 1.6mm x 0.45mm 12-pin quad flat no-lead (QFN) package, the RFX333 provides an RF switch suitable for handset, smartphone, tablet and other mobile platforms.

“With Qualcomm's recent announcement of its RF360, the global RF industry is undoubtedly witnessing an accelerated acceptance of CMOS-based RF front-end components including PAs [power amplifiers] and switches,” reckons chairman & CEO Mike Neshat. “We saw GaAs pHEMT switches displaced by SOI on many platforms in the last couple of years. We are now offering our Wi-Fi SoC partners and ODM/OEM customers with pin-compatible, alternative RF switch solutions based on pure CMOS at a significantly reduced price,” he continues. “By adding RFX333 to our portfolio, RFaxis is rapidly becoming a one-stop shop for high-performance, and yet the most cost-effective RF solutions for wireless connectivity products, including complete RF front-end ICs (RFeIC), high-power PAs and now switches.”

Tags: RFaxis CMOS

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