Antenna chip answers mobile TV complaints

Small-form-factor high-performance passive low-cost antenna chip can be used for multiple mobile TV formats.

Siano Mobile Silicon and Vishay Intertechnology have unveiled the world's smallest UHF antenna chip for mobile digital TV applications.

Vishay's RFW8021, or Siano's SMS8021, is an extremely small-form-factor high-performance passive low-cost antenna chip that is applicable for multiple mobile TV formats.

The SMS8021/RFW8021 represents a breakthrough in antenna technologies.

From now on, mobile TV device makers can base their designs on an antenna chip that is no larger than a typical small integrated circuit, and eliminate the need for the long "telescopic" antennas currently used.

Target applications of the SMS8021/RFW8021 include mobile phones, portable multimedia players, notebooks and UMPCs, and accessory cards.

"One of the strongest conclusions we made from our DVB-H service deployment in Italy is that more than two thirds of consumers don't like the DVB-H antenna", said Maria Lorenza Demarie, Project Manager for DVB-H deployment at Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM), one of the first mobile operators in the world to commercially deploy DVB-H.

"During the last five to six years, mobile phone users have become accustomed to phones without a visible antenna, and they find it hard to accept 'stepping back' with DVB-H".

"A miniature antenna that can be buried inside the phone casing like a GSM antenna is exactly the right solution for DVB-H, and we are glad that such a solution has finally been made available".

Applicable for all mobile TV technologies that deploy the UHF spectrum band - DVB-T, DVB-H, ISDB-T, MediaFlo and China's DMB-T - the SMS8021/RFW8021 supports a wide bandwidth range from 470MHz to 870MHz at high gain.

Only 15 x 10 x 1.2mm in size, the innovative omnidirectional antenna chip is mounted directly on the internal PCB, with soldering pads similar to any other chip in the phone.

"In developing the RFW8021 (SMS8021), Vishay has combined its long-term experience in innovative material engineering, and the RF expertise of its RFWaves division, with the profound mobile TV system knowhow of Siano", said David Ben Bassat, President of Vishay RFWaves division.

"We believe that this joint solution will be invaluable in ramping up the mobile TV market".

Starting next month, the SMS8021/RFW8021 will begin shipping in production quantities as a complementary component to Siano's mobile TV receiver product line, the SMS10XX.

The SMS10XX family is the industry's only low-cost ultra-low-power quad-band multistandard receiver in mass production.

It supports DVB-H, DVB-T, DAB, DAB-IP, and T-DMB mobile digital TV standards in various spectrum ranges, from 170 to 1680MHz.

"We are delighted to introduce with Vishay the SMS8021/RFW8021, which will shape the design and performance of mobile TV devices now and into the future", said Alon Ironi, CEO of SiaNo "This tiny, high-performance antenna chip is what mobile device makers have been waiting for, and we believe that it will quickly make external antennas for mobile TV a memory of the past".

"With the SMS8021, Siano's offering for mobile TV is now further strengthened as the most complete with the highest performance in the market".

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