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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
RFDomus Introduces the Industry's Lowest Power RFIC for Global Positioning Systems
IRVINE, Calif.--Sept. 15, 2004--
Optimized for Cellular Handsets and Other Portable Communications Applications, the Highly Integrated RFD1400 GPS Receiver Offers Ultra-Low Power Consumption of 12mW
RFDomus Inc., a fabless semiconductor company specializing in advanced radio frequency (RF) and analog mixed-signal (AMS) semiconductor devices for the wireless communications marketplace, today announced that it is addressing the growing requirements for low power consumption and increasing global positioning system (GPS) functionality in cellular phones and other portable communications applications with the introduction of the RFD1400 GPS receiver. Offering ultra-low power consumption of 12 milliwatts (mW), the RFD1400 is the industry's lowest power RFIC for GPS applications.
"As GPS deployment continues to shift from the automotive industry, where power consumption is less important, to portable communications devices, an increasing reliance on 'constant tracking mode' for a faster, more accurate 'fix' in dense urban areas, indoors or in emergency situations, as well as the growing use of Location Based Services, have made power consumption a critical factor in the adoption of GPS technology," said Kevin Strong, executive vice president, business development, RFDomus Inc. "The RFD1400 GPS receiver transcends technology barriers to meet these requirements for low power consumption and extended battery life in portable communications and consumer electronic devices by leveraging our ultra-low power RF transceiver technology and previously announced Q-MAX(TM) local oscillator technology."
The handset market currently represents the largest growth opportunity for GPS with GPS attach rates expected to grow to about 150 million units in 2007, which includes CDMA handsets, according to data compiled by ABI Research, a New York-based technology market research company. "Low power, in addition to low cost, small form factor and good indoor performance, is one of the key ingredients for broadening the adoption of GPS in cellular handsets and enabling a diverse range of new tracking and location applications in consumer devices, a market that could become a larger opportunity for GPS than even the handset market," said Alan A. Varghese, director of semiconductor research at ABI.
Features and Benefits
Designed for the integration of GPS in cellular handsets, mobile computing and portable consumer electronics devices to support Location Based and Emergency Services; automotive and consumer navigation; and, emerging people and object tracking applications, the RFD1400 GPS receiver offers ultra-low power consumption of 12mW, as well as the industry's highest level of integration via its enhanced single conversion low-IF architecture. Key features include a high-resolution fractional-N phase lock loop (PLL) for the most flexible support of standard GPS and cellular phone reference frequencies; two IF frequency plans with two independent IF filters combined with flexible quantization, sampling and data output formats for compatibility with multiple GPS base band processors; an automatic proprietary method for adapting to in-band blockers; 1.8V power supply; small form factor 4 x 4 mm 24-pin QFN package; and a 48 x 8 bit register set for extensive configuration and programmable options via a standard microcontroller-type serial port. The RFD1400 also features an LNA with matching network, an integrated Q-MAX(TM) local oscillator, and an on-chip crystal oscillator circuit. Only a few external parts are required to complete a full RF front-end sub-system for GPS. The RFD1400 is also the only GPS RFIC that can output data directly to general-purpose processors and DSPs via a standard serial port, enabling emerging software GPS applications.
Manufacturing
RFDomus leverages Newport Beach, Calif.-based Jazz Semiconductor's advanced SiGe BiCMOS process for the design and manufacturing of the RFD1400. "The Jazz 0.18-micron (um) SiGe BiCMOS process and design platform equip RF design teams with advanced features that can be used to reduce power consumption in innovative RFICs," said Paul Kempf, Jazz Semiconductor chief marketing and technology officer. "Jazz is pleased to support RFDomus with specialty technologies developed for low power, high performance and low cost RFICs to enable integration of new functions, such as GPS, into handsets and other portable wireless consumer products."
Samples of the RFD1400 GPS Receiver will be available in Q1 2005. For more information contact sales@rfdomus.com.
About RFDomus Inc.
RFDomus is a fabless company specialized in advanced radio frequency (RF) and analog mixed-signal (AMS) semiconductor devices for wireless communications.
The company is focused on the complex interdependency of achieving low power consumption with high performance, two characteristics that are difficult to optimize together.
Its patent-pending Q-MAX(TM) technology enables ultra-low power, low-cost RF solutions for integrated multi-mode, high-performance radio transceivers built in leading-edge CMOS and SiGe processes.
RFDomus is located at 7 Corporate Park, Suite 260, Irvine, CA 92606. For more information, please call the company at 949-251-9433 or visit the company's Web site at www.rfdomus.com.
Note to Editors: Q-MAX is a trademark of RFDomus Inc. All other trademarks and trade names held within are the properties of their respective holders.
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