BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RF Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: RFMD), a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance semiconductor components, today released the RF720x family of WCDMA/HSPA+ power amplifiers (PAs). RFMD's RF720x product family is comprised of four PAs designed for 3G multimode devices implementing mode-specific, band-specific front end architectures. The RF720x product family accommodates all major WCDMA/HSPA+ bands and band combinations and is optimized to mate with reference designs from the industry's leading open market 3G chipset supplier.
Paul Augustine, general manager of RFMD's Component Solutions Business Unit, said, "The RF720x greatly increases RFMD's ability to extend our leadership in 3G while expanding our customer footprint, particularly in Korea, China and Taiwan, by delivering compatibility with reference designs from the leading open-market 3G chipset supplier. We continue to expect double-digit growth in 3G in calendar year 2009, and we are encouraged by ongoing favorable design activity in this growth market."
The RF7200 (band 1), RF7206 (band 2), RF7203 (band 3, 4, 9 or 10) and the RF7211 (band 11) are designed for single-band operation, while the RF7201 (band 1/8), RF7202 (band 2/5) and the RF7205 (band 1/5) feature two band-specific PAs integrated in a single module package. Each band of amplification in the RF720x product family is addressed with a band-specific high-efficiency, linear power amplifier designed to lower current consumption as output power levels decrease. The improvement in low-power efficiency is enabled through the use of three digital power modes that adjust bias current and optimize the PA for the desired output power range while maintaining linearity.
Each PA in the RF720x product family includes an integrated output power coupler, which eliminates the need for external couplers in chipsets monitoring and adjusting PA output power. The integrated power coupler also significantly reduces the board area required for front end implementation and lowers mobile device bill-of-material (BOM) costs. The RF7201 and RF7202 further reduce board area and streamline implementation by combining the highest volume WCDMA/HSPA+ 3G band combinations in one module. By combining multiple PAs from the RF720x family, handset manufacturers and platform providers can accommodate the majority of WCDMA/HSPA+ band combinations, including bands 1/8, bands 1/5, bands 2/5, bands 1/2/5 and bands 1/3/8.
Industry-Leading 3G PA Technology
RFMD's broad 3G front end portfolio features innovative products and product families capable of accommodating all major 3G RF architectures, including existing mode-specific/band-specific and mode-specific/multi-band architectures as well as emerging multimode/multi-band "converged" architectures.
RFMD's mode-specific/band-specific offerings, such as the RF720x product family, deliver low cost in single-band 3G implementations and design flexibility in multi-band 3G applications. RFMD's mode-specific/multi-band offerings leverage RFMD's proven quadrature (or "balanced") PA technology and include the RF6280 3G transmit system as well as the RF9372 (single path), RF3278 (dual path) and RF6278 (triple path) broadband PAs. RFMD's quadrature PAs enhance multi-band platform capability and improve immunity to VSWR ("antenna mismatch").
RFMD's revolutionary multimode/multi-band converged offerings include the recently introduced RF6460 front end platform, which leverages RFMD's high-volume quadrature PA technology to deliver the industry's broadest band coverage (Band 1-6, 8-10) from a single, scalable front end platform. RFMD's converged front end platforms enable the smallest size and lowest implementation cost for multi-band smartphones (and other mobile devices, such as data cards), while supporting all air standards--GSM/GPRS, EDGE, CDMA, TD-SCDMA (3G), WCDMA/HSPA+ (3G), and LTE (4G).
Technical features of the RF720x family include:
-- Compact, low profile packages: Single-band - 3 x 3 x 1 mm, Dual-Band - 4
x 5 x 1 mm
-- Excellent low-power efficiency
-- 3 power-mode states with chipset-specific digital control interfaces
-- Integrated voltage regulator (Vreg)
-- Integrated output power couplers
-- Highly integrated modules requiring no external blocking or decoupling
capacitors
Availability and Pricing
Samples and pre-production quantities of the RF720x family are available immediately. Pricing is available upon request by contacting an RFMD sales representative or by visiting www.rfmd.com/purchase. Based upon current design activity, RFMD expects shipments of RF720x PAs to commence in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2009.
RFMD's product portfolio will be on display at the 2009 GSMA Mobile World Congress February 16 to February 19 in Hall 8, Stand 8B79.
About RFMD
RF Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: RFMD) is a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance semiconductor components. RFMD's products enable worldwide mobility, provide enhanced connectivity and support advanced functionality in the cellular handset, wireless infrastructure, wireless local area network (WLAN), CATV/broadband and aerospace and defense markets. RFMD is recognized for its diverse portfolio of semiconductor technologies and RF systems expertise and is a preferred supplier to the world's leading mobile device, customer premises and communications equipment providers.
Headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., RFMD is an ISO 9001- and ISO 14001-certified manufacturer with worldwide engineering, design, sales and service facilities. RFMD is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol RFMD. For more information, please visit RFMD's web site at www.rfmd.com.
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, representations and contentions and are not historical facts and typically are identified by use of terms such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue" and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. You should be aware that the forward-looking statements included herein represent management's current judgment and expectations, but our actual results, events and performance could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. We do not intend to update any of these forward-looking statements or publicly announce the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements, other than as is required under the federal securities laws. RF Micro Devices' business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including variability in quarterly operating results, the impact of global macroeconomic and credit conditions on our business, the rate of growth and development of wireless markets, risks associated with our planned exit from our wireless systems business, including cellular transceivers and GPS solutions, the risk that restructuring charges may be greater than originally anticipated and that the cost savings and other benefits from the restructuring may not be achieved, risks associated with the operation of our wafer fabrication facilities, molecular beam epitaxy facility, assembly facility and test and tape and reel facilities, our ability to complete acquisitions and integrate acquired companies, including the risk that we may not realize expected synergies from our business combinations, our ability to attract and retain skilled personnel and develop leaders, variability in production yields, our ability to reduce costs and improve gross margins by implementing innovative technologies, our ability to bring new products to market, our ability to adjust production capacity in a timely fashion in response to changes in demand for our products, dependence on a limited number of customers, and dependence on third parties. These and other risks and uncertainties, which are described in more detail in RF Micro Devices' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any of these forward-looking statements.
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