Product category:
Communications ICs (Wireless)
News Release from: Silicon Laboratories | Subject: Si4300
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 12 February 2004
Monolithic CMOS power amp cuts GSM
consumption
The Si4300 is billed as the industry's first monolithic CMOS power amplifier (PA) for GSM cellular applications.
The Si4300 is billed as the industry's first monolithic CMOS power amplifier (PA) for GSM cellular applications Further extending a history of unprecedented advances in CMOS, Silicon Laboratories' new power amplifier is the smallest, high-performance, high-power PA available for GSM handsets
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 17 Nov 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Unlike PA modules (PAM), which are composed of multiple die and numerous discretes, the Si4300 uses a single die on a small substrate making it the industry's smallest GSM PA solution and the first functionally complete monolithic GSM PA solution.
Manufactured using TSMC's standard 0.35-micron CMOS process, the Si4300 is also the first GSM PA solution to be implemented in CMOS.
Based on a patented new amplifier architecture, the Si4300 integrates all functions between the transceiver and the antenna switch module (ASM), including complete power control circuitry, thermal and load mismatch protection, harmonic filtering, and input and output matching networks.
The Si4300 provides generous margin across operating conditions to the 3GPP specifications to enable the system designer to quickly move from design, through full type approval (FTA) and into production.
"Silicon Laboratories has cleverly crafted a power amplifier design that taps all the inherent advantages of a highly manufacturable, mature CMOS process technology to create a truly breakthrough product", said Dr FC Tseng, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of TSMC.
The Si4300 PA is a complement to Silicon Laboratories' patented 100% CMOS Aero transceiver family.
Silicon Laboratories' RF solutions offer the highest level of integration while significantly easing the design manufacturing process.
Silicon Laboratories' RF solutions, augmented by the PA product family, will ultimately increase Silicon Laboratories' content in the overall bill of materials.
"The introduction of a CMOS PA sets a new standard for integrated GSM power amplifiers", said Allen Nogee, Principal Analyst for the Wireless Technology Group of In-Stat/MDR.
"This is a disruptive technology for the industry and represents a significant step in the integration path of the wireless handset".
The Si4300 is GPRS Class 12 compatible and can be used in GPRS multislot applications.
The monolithic GSM PA solution is available in a small (3.9 x 6.4 x 1.3mm) surface-mount package.
"With more than 75 patents filed on our RF technology in CMOS, Silicon Laboratories remains focused on leading the cellular handset industry's drive for cost-effective integration", said Ed Healy, Vice President of Silicon Laboratories.
"The result of our efforts is increased technical innovations that enable customers to focus their resources on creating new, value-added features for their products rather than RF optimisation".
The Si4300 is available in an 18-pin land grid array (LGA) package.
Pricing for the Si4300 starts at $2.82 in quantities of 10,000.
Samples are available now, and volume production will begin in Q3 2004.
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