News: Microelectronics
7 January 2020
Qorvo launches first Wi-Fi 6 iFEM with BAW filter to deliver whole-home coverage
Qorvo Inc of Greensboro, NC, USA (which provides core technologies and RF solutions for mobile, infrastructure and defense applications) has launched what it claims is the first integrated front-end module (iFEM) that provides reliable, whole-home coverage when designed into Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) systems. The iFEM combines Qorvo’s bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filter technology with its unique edgeBoost – or flat power – capability, nearly doubling Wi-Fi range and tripling capacity to handle more devices.
The Wi-Fi Alliance forecasts that there will be as many as 50 billion connected wireless devices around the world by 2022. Qorvo’s new QPF7219 iFEM opens up the full 2.4GHz Wi-Fi bandwidth, making it all usable throughout the smart home and delivering more FCC-compliant range than any competing product, it is claimed.
“Our new, compact edgeBoost BAW filter iFEM resolves interference, improves efficiency and reduces size – all while increasing speed, extending coverage and connecting more devices,” says Cees Links, general manager of Qorvo’s Wireless Connectivity business.
The QPF7219 integrates a 2.4GHz power amplifier (PA) with power detector, FCC edgeBoost BAW filter, regulator, transmit-receive switch and by-passable low-noise amplifier (LNA) into a single device. This removes 20 surface-mount components based on a 4x4 configuration, reducing printed circuit board area by 40% compared with standalone solutions.
Optimized for a 5V supply voltage, the PA’s performance conserves power while maintaining the highest linear output power and what is claimed to be leading-edge throughput across all Wi-Fi channels 1 through 11. This eliminates the need to reduce transmit power (flat power) to meet FCC regulatory limits. It also makes range, capacity and coexistence improvements across all available channels, significantly increasing quality of service.
