Transceiver speeds GSM/GPRS handsets to market

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Mar 24, 2005

Sagem has adopted Silicon Laboratories' Aero II transceiver for use across its GSM/GPRS handset platforms.

Sagem has adopted Silicon Laboratories' Aero II transceiver for use across its GSM/GPRS handset platforms.

Silicon Laboratories' Aero II transceiver has shown to improve handset system performance while reducing the design time and bill-of-materials (BOM) required for highly-integrated, feature-rich GSM/GPRS handsets.

The Aero II transceiver implements an entire quad-band radio, excluding the power amplifier and antenna switch, in an area less than 1.0cm2.

As the industry's smallest, highest performance quad-band solution for GSM/GPRS handsets, the Aero II transceiver simplified the design process for Sagem's diverse handset portfolio.

"As the leader in RF solutions designed in CMOS, Silicon Laboratories offers the most flexible RF transceiver in terms of design implementation and feature set allowing customers like Sagem to implement highly customisable platforms", said Ed Healy, Vice President of Silicon Laboratories.

"We are pleased to continue our partnership with one of the industry's premier handset manufacturers known for highly reliable, fully integrated handsets".

The Aero II transceiver integrates all sensitive components including RF and TX voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), VCO tuning components, loop filters and clock coupling capacitors.

The Aero II transceiver also uses a proven digitally controlled crystal oscillator (DCXO) that enables the use of a standard 26MHz crystal to provide the transceiver reference clock, thereby reducing the handset BOM.

The Aero II transceiver also serves as a fundamental building block supporting EDGE platforms.

Silicon Laboratories' Aero transceiver product family uses a software-programmable universal baseband interface, allowing handset designers to implement the transceiver with all leading basebands.

The Aero transceivers are also fully compliant with GPRS Class 12 requirements, providing high-speed datacommunications to the mobile computing environment.