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Jacket Micro Devices is now sampling a complete mobile WiMAX RF front-end module, the M30001.

This highly integrated and performance-optimized WiMAX front-end contains all active and passive components required to interface WiMAX transceivers directly to an antenna. Its single 7 mm × 7 mm × 1.2 mm QFN package is ideal for mobile phone, laptop and consumer electronics applications.

This small size allows WiMAX interfaces to be integrated along with other wireless and computing functions into small form factor products such as PCI Express, USB and handsets.

The M30001 provides exceptional attenuation in the UMTS transmit and receive bands making it ideal for cellular environments. Meeting the need for extended range and increased data rates of WiMAX devices, the module delivers 24 dBm output power at 4% error vector magnitude (EVM). It is compatible with MIMO and antenna diversity configurations using a 1 × 2 architecture.

Four general-purpose broadband RF amplifiers that deliver high gain and linearity over bandwidths from dc up to 6 GHz are well suited for applications ranging from WiMAX base stations to meter readers, set-top boxes, RFID readers and any application requiring a cost-effective, small-signal gain source.

These next-generation indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) devices from Freescale Semiconductor feature active biasing technology that reduces performance variation due to temperature and supply voltage variations, and provides ease-of-use for system designers.

Freescale's four new devices include the MMH3111N, 250 MHz to 3 GHz, GaAs HFET with 21.5 dBm P1dB output power and 11.5 dB gain at 2140 MHz and the MMG3014N, dc to 4 GHz, InGaP HBT with 24 dBm P1dB output power and 20 dB gain at 900 MHz. Also offered is the MMG3015N, dc to 6 GHz, InGaP HBT with 21 dBm P1dB output power and 15.5 dB gain at 900 MHz and the MMG3016N, dc to 4 GHz, InGaP HFET with 24 P1dB dBm output power and 15 dB gain at 900 MHz. The third-order output intercept points (IP3) for all four devices range from 37 dBm to 41 dBm. Each is RoHS compliant and housed in cost-effective plastic SOT-89 packages with a moisture sensitivity level (MSL) rating of 1 at a 260 °C peak package temperature.

Additionally, these devices feature inherently low thermal resistance and low junction temperatures for higher reliability and longer operating life, and operate directly from a single 5 V bias supply, eliminating the need for external resistors.

A dual 14-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that achieves sampling rates of 150 megasamples per second (Msps) is available from Analog Devices. Supporting all 3G base station wireless standards, including W-CDMA, CDMA2000 and TD-SCDMA, the AD9640 is the only dual 14-bit ADC that samples at rates beyond 135 Msps, a common requirement for the emerging WiMAX standard.

Prior to the AD9640, sampling rates beyond 135 Msps could only be realized by using single-channel ADCs. With the AD9640, base station designers are able to reach higher sampling rates with one dual ADC, enabling a 50% reduction in board space requirements.

Additionally, the AD9640 simplifies the design of multicarrier wireless infrastructure systems by decreasing the amount of analog filtering in front of the ADC and offering low-power consumption.

Redline Communications has launched the RedMAX WiMAX products for the 3.3 GHz to 3.5 GHz frequency bands. These products, which include the AN-100U base station, SU-I indoor subscriber unit and SU-O outdoor subscriber unit, are designed to enable operators across the Asia Pacific region to deliver the broadband services their customers need today.

They are being deployed by several operators in India and Vietnam and will be commercially available in the first quarter of 2007. These new RedMAX products join Redline's complete WiMAX Forum Certified systems, which are currently being trialed and deployed by more than 75 operators in 39 countries.

Fujitsu Microelectronics America is shipping its 5.8 GHz WiMAX baseband system-on-chip (SoC). Based on the WiMAX Forum worldwide system profile, this chip has both the performance characteristics and cost-effectiveness to support full base station designs as well as subscriber unit implementations.

The Fujistu 5.8 GHz SoC supports frequencies ranging from 2 GHz to 11 GHz in both licensed and unlicensed bands. It is now being used in the industry's first commercially available fixed WiMAX CPE supporting the 5.8 GHz band.

The ACE 400WB from Azimuth Systems is a comprehensive channel emulator platform for testing multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) and single-input-single-output (SISO) WiMAX solutions. This purpose-built, single-box solution provides sophisticated channel-modeling capabilities in a complete test automation platform to enable real-time performance testing of MIMO devices. As a result, it streamlines the testing of WiMAX chipsets, clients and infrastructure.

The ACE 400WB accurately emulates multipath characteristics with channel correlation to determine the effect of multichannel RF interactions. Its advanced signal-processing technology is integrated in a platform that automates device control, traffic capture and results display to deliver accurate, repeatable and fast results. The ACE 400WB can be used to test and debug MIMO algorithms, optimize the performance of WiMAX devices in MIMO and SISO environments, streamline QA processes and run competitive performance benchmark tests. It also tests interoperability between MIMO and SISO implementations from multiple vendors and can be used to define industry-wide mobility performance test suites for future WiMAX products.

A 3.3 GHz to 3.5 GHz Mini-PCI reference design is available from Wavesat as part of a complete 3 GHz product series. Optimized to allow equipment manufacturers worldwide to rapidly bring WiMAX equipment to market, the Evolutive WiMAX 3 GHz Mini-PCI card facilitates system design by providing a plug-and-play complete solution for the lower layer air interface and time-critical low-level MAC functionality. It allows equipment manufacturers to tailor the motherboard providing the higher layer application processor and peripherals according to their specific needs, hence reducing development efforts.

The Evolutive reference design series comprises a set of three modem cards covering the frequency range from 3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz. The 3.3 GHz to 3.5 GHz and 3.4 GHz to 3.6 GHz designs are available, while the 3.6 GHz to 3.8 GHz design will be available later this year. All designs use Wavesat's DM256 chipset and MC236-PCI MAC co-processor. One motherboard design fits all three frequency bands by simply switching the Mini-PCI card. The motherboard processor has access to and from the modem card through the Mini-PCI interface.

A family of low noise amplifiers (LNAs), optimized for next-generation cellular infrastructure markets is available from Avago Technologies. With a built-in active bias circuit and current adjustable features, the miniature MGA-631P8/632P8 LNAs are specifically designed for easy integration into the receiver chain for GSM, CDMA2000, WCDMA and WiMAX base stations and repeaters. By integrating the external bias circuit into the chip, the MGA-631P8/632P8 provides better temperature response, simplifies product design and reduces PCB space. A current adjustable gain feature enables customers to tune the LNA to the desired gain fitting, thus lowering the bill of materials. Integrated into a compact form factor (2.0 mm × 2.0 mm × 0.75 mm leadless package), the LNAs provide industry low-noise figures with superior linearity.

In 5000-piece quantities, pricing begins at $2.13.

The company is also offering the MGA-645T6 high-performance LNA in an ultrathin package size. This easy-to-use solution with integrated bypass switch and shut-down function is optimized for customer premise equipment and base station equipment used in 802.11 b/g, WiMAX, WiBro and satellite digital multimedia broadband (S-DMB) applications. With a built-in bypass switch, the MGA-645T6 operates in the 2.4 GHz spectrum; a follow-on product will support the 3.5 GHz spectrum. The MGA-645T6 also features an industry-leading low noise figure of 1.1 db and superior linearity.

It ships in a 2.0 mm × 1.3 mm × 0.4 mm package and in 25,000-piece quantities is priced at $0.79.

Intel Corporation has announced the completion of a mobile WiMAX baseband chip design. Combined with the company's previously announced single-chip, multiband WiMAX/Wi-Fi radio, the pair creates a complete chipset called the Intel WiMAX Connection 2300.

A recent demonstration of this solution showed an Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology-based laptop with mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e-2005), Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n), and high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) 3G capabilities successfully accessing the Internet at broadband speeds over a mobile WiMAX network.

This demonstration illustrated the high-speed and QoS capability of WiMAX for handling content-rich applications that can be extremely responsive without interference from other wireless technologies residing on the same system. With the initial Intel WiMAX Connection 2300 chipset design now complete, Intel plans to focus on validating and testing the product, with plans to sample both card and module forms beginning in late 2007.