Ultrathin amplifier module enhances GPS

An Avago Technologies product story
Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jun 27, 2006

Selecting the right highway exit or finding a pizza parlour will become increasingly convenient as new mobile phones begin appearing this autumn using amplifiers with GPS capabilities.

Avago has announced a low-cost method for handsets that improves Global Positioning System receiver sensitivity to assure reliable satellite location of mobile phones.

GPS shipment forecasts are expected to grow more than 30% between 2006 and 2007, according to ABI Research.

Avago's MGA-635T6 low-noise amplifier (LNA) module is designed for handsets for carriers offering location-based services, and for meeting the US FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) mandate for handsets.

The device also offers size and performance benefits throughout today's growing range of portable and mobile GPS-based applications such as navigation, mobile resource management and vehicle tracking.

"This ultrathin product will help our customers further reduce the size of the radio-frequency portion of almost any portable or mobile GPS-equipped product", said King-Pieng Ho, Worldwide Marketing Manager for Avago Technologies' Wireless Semiconductor Division.

"Although smaller and thinner, it still offers better performance than, and is extremely cost-competitive with other GPS and ISM-band LNAs on the market".

The module operates over a 1.0 to 3.3V range, with an operating current as low as 4.5mA at 1V, and a total shutdown current of approximately 0.1uA.

The LNA uses Avago's proprietary GaAs enhancement-mode pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (E-pHEMT) process to achieve high-gain operation with very low noise figures and high linearity.

Its CMOS-compatible shutdown pin can also provide variable bias to the amplifier.

Of the MGA-635T6 Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) LNA module samples and demo boards are immediately available with production quantities anticipated by the end of June.

Find out more about this article. Request a brochure, download technical specifications and request samples here.

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