RF front-end component maker and foundry services provider TriQuint Semiconductor Inc of Hillsboro,OR,USA has launched what is claimed to be the first 802.11ac-ready Wi-Fi RF module for next-generation mobile devices.In addition to supporting faster download speeds,the TriConnect TQP6M9017 wireless local-area-network(WLAN)front-end module enables connectivity from greater distances,allowing nearly 60%further range than its predecessor(the TQP6M9002),due to advances in output power technology.
As demand for Wi-Fi proliferates worldwide,consumers have developed an ever-growing appetite for faster mobile data rates to support video streaming and other multimedia applications,says TriQuint.With data rates up to 1.3Gb/s,the new IEEE 802.11ac standard will deliver transfer rates 3–4 times faster than current-generation 802.11n Wi-Fi.Market research firm In-Stat predicts that 1 billion devices with 802.11ac technology will ship by 2015.
"A major manufacturer has selected our new high-performance TriConnect component for its next-generation smartphone,and it's also included on a reference design by a leading chipset supplier,"says Shane Smith,VP of global marketing for Mobile Devices at TriQuint."Our 802.11ac technology expertise also expands our future market opportunity for infotainment applications such as in-home video distribution,"he adds.
The TriConnect TQP6M9017 is a highly integrated,dual-band WLAN module that provides a complete solution for 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth applications,simplifying RF design for device manufacturers.It uses TriQuint's gallium arsenide(GaAs)enhancement/depletion-mode(E/D)pseudomorphic high-electron mobility transistor(pHEMT)and heterojunction bipolar transistor(HBT)technologies to integrate two power amplifiers(PAs)for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands with a front-end switch,filtering,baluns and other active and passive components into an ultra-small 4mm x 4mm x 0.5mm ETSLP-24 Pb-free package.
Volume production of the TriConnect TQP6M9017 is planned for July.
TriQuint is exhibiting in booth 1815 at the 2012 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium(IMS)in Montreal,Canada(17–22 June).
