San Jose, Calif.—Semiconductor vendor Avago Technologies is starting to sample some RF PA (power amplifier) modules that are already being used in a reference design from a leading W-CDMA chipset supplier. Handsets based on the design will ship beginning this fall.

These devices are fabricated as InGaP (indium gallium phosphide) HBT (heterojunction bipolar transistor) MMIC s (monolithic microwave ICs).

If you adopt these PA products, Avago claims you'll enjoy a time-to-market advantage in delivering functions for multi-mode 3G (third-generation) mobile phones, as well as data cards, PDA s (personal digital assistants), and other nomadic devices.

The reference design uses Avago Technologies's ACPM-7311 CoolPAM PA module for UMTS800 Band 5 (824-MHz to 849-MHz) (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). The reference design also uses the company's ACPM-7331 PA module for UMTS1900 Band 2 (1.85-GHz to 1.91-GHz), and its ACPM-7381 module for UMTS2100 Band 1 (1.92-GHz to 1.98-GHz) operation.

Lowered Current Demand

Avago's CoolPAM also draws low current from batteries, permitting mobile handsets to run cooler without incurring additional design time or expense of using a DC-to-DC converter. Average current draw is 32-mA, with a 10-mA idling spec. The PA modules use a three-mode power control scheme, using two control bits.

The reference design supports HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) UMTS/GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication)/GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)/EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) networks.

The CoolPAM W-CDMA devices are supplied in 4 x 4 x 1.1-mm (0.16 x 0.16 x 0.044-in.) 10-pin surface-mount modules. The packaging ensures high thermal conductivity, minimizing temperature rise.

CoolPAM W-CDMA modules can operate at 3.2-V to 4.2-V. They have 50-ohm input and 50-ohm output matching networks. They're also equipped with a control pin that sets operating parameters for highest efficiency when operating at low output-power levels.

Price And Availability

ACPM-7381, ACPM-7331, and ACPM-7311 CoolPAM power amplifier modules are priced at $1.85 each in 10,000-unit quantities, and are sampling now. Volume quantities are expected in the fourth quarter.

Click here for a ACPM-7311 CoolPAM datasheet (in Adobe Acrobat .PDF format).

For more details contact Avago Technologies, 350 W. Trimble Rd., Bldg. 90, San Jose, Calif. 95131. Phone: 408-435-7400 or 877-673-9442.

Avago Technologies , 877-673-9442, www.avagotech.com/mobile