21 July 2014

RFaxis ramps production of broadband sub-GHz CMOS RFeIC to support IEEE 802.11ah and ZigBee Alliance 920IP initiatives

Fabless semiconductor firm RFaxis Inc of Irvine, CA, USA, which designs RF semiconductors and embedded antenna solutions for wireless connectivity and cellular mobility, is ramping up production of the RFX1010, a highly integrated broadband CMOS RF front-end integrated circuit (RFeIC) to serve the ZigBee and Internet of Things (IoT) market segments that use the 600/700/800/900MHz ‘sub-GHz’ frequency bands. The firm says the addition of RFX1010 means that it is now a one-stop-shop for the IoT/M2M (machine-to-machine) wireless community with an entire family of ZigBee/ISM (industrial, scientific & medical) RF front-end solutions ranging from 600MHz to 6GHz.

920IP is the most recent ZigBee IP release from the ZigBee Alliance to support IPv6-based full wireless mesh networking solution to control low-power, low-cost devices, such as those for HEMS (Home Energy Management Systems) and ECHONET Lite in the 920MHz frequency band designated by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC). Integrating a half-watt power amplifier (PA), low-noise amplifier (LNA), antenna switch and all impedance matching networks into a single-chip/single-die CMOS device and assembled in a 3mm x 3mm QFN (quad-flat non-lead) package, the RFX1010 is an RF front-end solution for both 920IP and emerging IEEE 802.11ah standard-based applications.

“By adding RFX1010, RFaxis now offers the industry’s most comprehensive and high-performance RF front-end portfolio, at a price point utterly disruptive in the IoT/ZigBee market,” claims chairman & CEO Mike Neshat. “RFX1010 is a market-proven product that has passed the most rigorous, industrial-rating qualification by our strategic partners. We have already secured several design-wins with Tier-1 customers in North America and Asia,” he adds. “We applaud the most recent 920IP initiatives by the ZigBee Alliance, which we believe will accelerate the adoption of sub-GHz radio for the nascent HEMS and Smart Home/Smart Energy markets in Japan and the rest of the world.”

The RFaxis IoT/M2M RFeIC portfolio now consists of RFX2401C and RFX2411 for 2.4GHz, RFX1010 for sub-GHz (600-900MHz), and RFX5000/RFX5000B for 5-6GHz frequency bands. These devices can work with all popular wireless standards including ZigBee, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, ANT, 6LoWPAN and other generic ISM or proprietary radios, says the firm. They provide key RF functions, including the power amplifier (PA) and low-noise amplifier (LNA) as well as the antenna switches that are needed to guarantee robust operating range and high receive sensitivity of any wireless system, even in the harshest RF environment, adds RFaxis.

Built upon the firm’s patented single-chip/single-die RFeIC architecture and fabricated in industry-standard bulk CMOS technology, the RFeICs not only simplify RF designs but also provide a significant cost reduction compared with traditional gallium arsenide (GaAs) or silicon germanium (SiGe)-based RF front-end solutions, claims RFaxis. All the RFeICs are available in bare die form, making it possible for wireless module manufacturers to design miniature SiP (system-in-package) or compact, pre-certified ZigBee/ISM modules. The bare dies are offered at a lower price than their packaged counterparts, targeting hardware developers in the IoT/M2M ecosystem.

Tags: RFaxis CMOS

Visit: www.rfaxis.com/our_products/smart-rfx1010