12 February 2014

TriQuint launches three MMPAs with envelope tracking, capturing design wins in LTE smartphones

RF front-end component maker and foundry services provider TriQuint Semiconductor Inc of Hillsboro, OR, USA has launched three new multi-mode, multi-band power amplifier modules (MMPAs), targeted at delivering longer battery life for LTE smartphones while simplifying increasingly complex RF design. The versatile new products, which are already capturing design wins in leading LTE smartphones, feature new envelope tracking technology as well as a new mobile chip interface.

“Building on the success of TriQuint’s highly integrated TRIUMF MMPAs, our three newest products add more LTE bands to cover more regional markets, as well as support for power-saving envelope tracking and a versatile new MIPI interface,” says Sean Riley, VP of Mobile Products.

Device manufacturers are adopting envelope tracking (ET) in next-generation smartphones to maximize energy efficiency. ET extends battery life by dynamically adjusting the supply voltage to the power amplifier (PA), in contrast to PAs with conventional constant-supply voltage.

Also, TriQuint’s new MMPAs – which measure 5mm x 7mm – also feature a new mobile chip interface — based on an open ‘MIPI’ standard — used by several chipset providers to increase interoperability among vendors and reduce development time and effort.

In addition to designing increasingly sophisticated devices, smartphone makers serving the global market must produce several regional variants of each model to operate in carriers’ specific assigned spectrum, notes TriQuint. This is becoming more challenging as numerous new LTE bands are allocated. TriQuint says that the versatile design of its new MMPAs gives manufacturers a common platform to release new products at a faster pace, while controlling design and manufacturing costs. The new TRIUMF multi-mode, multi-band PA modules support a growing number of popular 3G/4G bands for specific regions, i.e. hexa-band W/CDMA/HSPA+/LTE, as well as quad-band GSM/EDGE. Specifically:

• the TQP9059 supports bands GSM850/900, DCS/PCS & WCDMA & LTE B1,B2, B3/4, B5, B8, B17, B20 & B26 + TD-SCDMA & TD-LTE B34 & B39;

• the TQP9059S supports bands GSM850/900, DCS/PCS & WCDMA & LTE B1,B2, B3/4, B5, B8, B20 & B26 + TD-SCDMA B34/39;

• the TQP9051 supports bands GSM850/900, DCS/PCS & WCDMA & LTE B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8 & B26.

By integrating more functionality into smaller form factors, they simplify PCB routing, reduce bill-of-materials (BOM) count and speed time to market, the firm claims.

TriQuint is exhibiting the new devices at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain (24-27 February).

Tags: TriQuint MMPAs

Visit: www.triquint.com/products/triumf