Transceiver has all GSM standards covered

Sony Semiconductor and Devices Europe (SDE) has designed its first Quadband GSM/GPRS/Edge transceiver, the DuettoDC.

Sony Semiconductor and Devices Europe (SDE) has designed its first Quadband GSM/GPRS/Edge transceiver, the DuettoDC.

Driven by the new demands of the US market in addition to European requirements, the DuettoDC supports all four GSM bands (850, 900, 1800 and 1900MHz) and is GPRS/Edge compatible.

This allows handset manufacturers to develop a flexible, common RF platform for their worldwide GSM handset programmes.

Further, the DuettoDC is specifically designed to address handset cost reduction through minimising the RF bill of materials, while elegantly overcoming the traditional problems of direct conversion.

With its 'futureproof' RF architecture, the DuettoDC is a key element in a new range of leading edge Sony SDE RF solutions addressing the requirements of GSM and dual-mode (GSM/UMTS) handsets.

Incorporating a direct-conversion receiver and direct modulator on transmit, the DuettoDC is designed for lowest RF BOM (bill of materials) and supports GPRS Class 12 and both Edge receive and transmit.

The exceptional level of integration means key functions such as the RF VCO, all LNAs and VCTCXO blocks are on chip, and the high-power output direct modulators eliminate the need for costly external power VCOs or PA predrivers.

It is also compatible with most major GSM baseband devices through a flexible/programmable RF to baseband interface.

The DuettoDC includes a fast-hopping sigma-delta PLL enabling GPRS class 12.

The low PLL spurious and phase noise result in improved receive blocking performance.

Traditional direct conversion problems of static and dynamic DC offsets are minimised through a combination of high IP2 RF mixers and a programmable/automated DC offset correction routine.

The latter stores the offsets digitally and corrects them through DACs for low drift.

This makes a GPRS handset less sensitive to unwanted blocking signals and enables it to maintain high-datarate transfers using multiple timeslots.

The DuettoDC is fabricated in a leading edge 0.25-micron SiGe Bicmos process and is packaged in a space-saving 84-pin VFLGA (7.0 x 7.0 x 1.1mm).

Richard McPartland, Deputy General Manager, Wireless Marketing at Sony Semiconductor and Devices Europe (SDE), said: "The DuettoDC is specifically designed to enable GSM handset manufacturers to develop flexible common RF platforms which support quad-band and Edge.

The RF bill of materials has been minimised through exceptional levels of integration which includes features such as a superb sigma-delta PLL and on-chip RF VCO, both designed to provide excellent RF performance at lowest cost.

The DuettoDC is the latest and best GSM/GPRS transceiver developed by the wireless team at Sony SDE's European Design Centre and follows on from the successful Duetto and Concerto20 GSM transceivers".

(This was Electronicstalk's Top Story on 4 February 2002).

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