Agilent Technologies Announces the CDMAdvantage RF Chipset for Multi-Band, Multi-Mode Handsets

Cambridge Telcom Report, Feb 28, 2000

Agilent Technologies, Inc. Tuesday announced its RF chipset for CDMA (code division multiple access) 800MHz and 1900MHz handset applications.

The Agilent CDMAdvantage RF chipset will include all active RF functions required in a CDMA handset. These products are on display at the Wireless Symposium/Portable by Design Show, San Jose, Calif., Feb. 22 through Feb. 24, 2000.

The new RF solution draws on Agilent's extensive semiconductor product experience, CDMA system understanding, and the technological innovations coming from Agilent Laboratories. The chipset uses a combination of second-generation PHEMT (pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistor), advanced silicon bipolar, and film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) processes to achieve a flexible, efficient, compact solution.

"Agilent has the depth and breadth of technical expertise to provide a complete RF solution for CDMA," said Bryan Ingram, manager of Agilent's Semiconductor Products Group RF Business Unit. "By tightly coupling the various components necessary for this application, we can provide a high-performance, low-cost, and flexible solution that optimizes CDMA's performance potential and helps our customers speed time to market."

The receive side features an innovative switched LNA that is designed to be used in an adaptive mode to ensure lowest current draw and sufficient linearity under all operating conditions. The built-in switch also enables a solution that requires very little board space compared to implementations that combine separate amplifiers and switches. The combination of the Agilent CDMAdvantage MGA-72543 bypassed-switched LNA with the CDMAdvantage HPMX-7102 dual-band, dual-mode downconverter can provide -106.5dBm sensitivity at less than 1 percent frame error rate. This chipset receive architecture allows handset manufacturers to optimize sensitivity and linearity, and minimize current consumption based on their system requirements.

The transmit side features power amplifier modules optimized for high efficiencies at medium power output. This feature extends battery life based on the typical usage profile of a CDMA handset. The modules are fully matched and operate from a single positive supply, requiring only external decoupling capacitors. The power modules can be driven directly by Agilent's upconverters.

FBAR is an innovative filter technology that produces miniature duplexers. While occupying less than 10 percent of the volume of a conventional ceramic duplexer, an FBAR-based duplexer can have better power handling capability, lower insertion loss, and greater selectivity compared to current SAW (surface acoustic wave) devices. This combination of small size and superior performance supports compact handset designs, resulting in smaller, high performance phones for consumers.

A description of the CDMAdvantage chipset is available on the Web at www.agilent.com/view/cdmadvantage.> Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) is a diversified technology company, resulting from Hewlett-Packard Company's plan to strategically realign itself into two fully independent companies. With 42,000 employees serving customers in more than 120 countries, Agilent Technologies is a global leader in designing and manufacturing test, measurement and monitoring instruments, systems and solutions, and semiconductor and optical components. The company serves markets that include communications, electronics, life sciences and healthcare. The businesses comprising Agilent, a subsidiary of HP, had net revenues of more than $8.3 billion in fiscal year 1999. FMI: www.agilent.com.