Microwave Engineering Europe - December 2007 - (Page 5) By JP Joosting, Microwave Engineering Europe NEWS 5 Sicomm chooses Jazz Semiconductor’s CMOS Silicon Radio Platform for its PA chips Jazz Semiconductor, a leader in Analog-Intensive Mixed-Signal (AIMS) foundry solutions and Hangzhou Sicomm RF Technology, Inc. (“Sicomm”), a company dedicated to the design of RF and mixed-signal chips and systems, have announced that Sicomm has developed a high gain and high efficiency power amplifier (PA) chip series, designated SRT3600/01/02/04. The SRT3600 series of chips offers high performance in CW or FM signal amplification, especially for 400 MHz to 470 MHz band WalkieTalkie applications. The devices are fabricated on Jazz Semiconductor’s recently announced 0.18-micron Silicon Radio Platform using a highpower CMOS module ideally suited for highly integrated products that require higher breakdown voltages and high density CMOS. The SRT3600 power amplifier chip series is targeted for applications including dual-mode Walkie-Talkies, such as Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), commercial and consumer systems, portable battery-powered equipment, and long distance remote control. Features of the devices include single 3.6-V to 6-V supply voltage, 400 MHz to 470 MHz operation frequency, 39dB power gain, 36-dBm output power at 6 V, and 60 percent power added efficiency. Their output match is implemented on printed circuit board and can be easily adjusted to obtain optimum power and efficiency characteristics. The devices are packaged in small plastic QFN packages. Sicomm utilized Jazz Semiconductor’s 0.18micron Silicon Radio Platform built upon the company’s dual gate 1.8-/5.0-V 0.18-micron CMOS baseline process. The Silicon Radio Platform includes options such as the highpower CMOS module used in the design of the SRT3600 as well as high density MIM capacitors, resistors and thick power metal. It also offers an SOI option for integration of the antenna switch. www.mwee.com/202803120 IN BRIEF Mobile broadband traffic to drive equipment growth by 43% per year Ovum RHK’s new five-year forecast of wireless backhaul traffic, services, equipment, and components estimates that traffic on mobile backhaul networks will grow by 32 percent per year, driven by the adoption of mobile broadband services around the globe, while mobile operators will spend $37 billion globally on wireless backhaul in 2012, nearly 12 percent of total operating expense in 2012. According to the report sales of backhaul transport equipment will grow 43 percent annually over the next 5 years, and will reach $7.3 billion by 2012. Further, component demand related to backhaul transport equipment will exceed $1 billion by 2012. www.mwee.com/202803141 C-band users, WiMAX hopefuls welcome WRC spectrum allocations Satellite operators and equipment vendors hailed the outcome of their campaign at the World Radicommunications Conference to protect the users of its C-band spectrum from terrestrial interference. Backers of WiMAX also won the last of their hard-fought battles to cement the technology’s acceptance as a mobile broadband standard. The WRC agreed that radio frequencies used for WiMAX throughout the world: the 2.3 to 2.4 GHz and 3.4 to 3.6 GHz band are to be designated as IMT radio frequency bands. Inmarsat and SES New Skies welcomed the last minute decisions at the WRC in Geneva, held under the auspices of the International Telecommunications Union over the past four weeks. They managed to ensure that as well as maintaining uninterrupted use of the C-band, the conference, held every four years, gave satellite operators assurances that any future IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications) networks will provide them with full protection from interference. The endorsement of the satellite industry’s use of the spectrum in the 3.4 to 4.2 GHz band will ensure that operators will also have adequate bandwidth to roll out future service “ especially in those regions where they are most in demand, including the developing world, large industrialized countries, and remote regions. Delegates from most countries also supported the idea of making part of the spectrum available for other uses, such as WiMAX, suggesting a major geographic split in the way the mobile ibroadband technology is likely to deployed. In effect, the WRC decided against the global identification for IMT, including WiMAX, of any part of the satellite C band (3.4 to 4.2 GHz). The outcome means the ITU table of allocations remains unchanged, the satellite operators said. A limited numbers of countries in favor of change will be “identified” in an opt-in footnote. With this approach, the world’s regulators have “clearly signaled” that these bands are not globally harmonized for IMT, the satellite opeartors stressed. The WRC further restricted IMT, including Wimax, by imposing stringent requirements for the protection of existing and future satellite services in the band, including transborder protection, the operators added. www.mwee.com/203102926 BridgeWave expands distribution partners for 60-GHz and 80-GHz gigabit radio BridgeWave Communications has announced the expansion of the company’s international channel operations through agreements with distribution partners in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. The increased global footprint will help BridgeWave further accelerate emerging market opportunities for high-speed, secure and reliable wireless links that offer enterprises, government entities and network operators the highest levels of network capacity and service. To date, the company has deployed thousands of 60 GHz and 80 GHz wireless gigabit radios to support LAN backbone extensions, highcapacity access services as well as emerging WiMAX/4G mobile backhaul applications. These spectrum bands were initially allocated for commercial use in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The unique attributes of this spectrum permit cost-effective deployment of “wireless fiber” solutions, offering fiber-equivalent performance, reliability and security. www.mwee.com/203102935 Microwave Engineering ● December 2007 ● www.mwee.com 005_MWEE.indd Sec1:5 23/11/07 11:50:25 http://www.mwee.com/202803141 http://www.mwee.com/202803120 http://www.mwee.com/203102926 http://www.mwee.com/203102935 http://www.mwee.com
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