8 March 2011

RFMD expands portfolio of 5GHz WiFi FEMs for handsets, smart-phones and tablets

RF Micro Devices Inc of Greensboro, NC, USA has expanded its 5GHz WiFi product portfolio to include three new high-band front-end modules (FEMs) with integrated power amplifiers (PAs) delivering high power and linearity and optimized for the rapidly growing smart-phone and tablet markets. Samples and production quantities of the RF5686, RF5506 and RF5516 are available now.

The global WiFi market is growing rapidly and is forecast to represent a greater than $1bn total addressable market (TAM) by 2014, says RFMD. In particular, the adoption of dual-band WiFi (2.4/5GHz) in handsets is estimated to increase from about 25% of all handsets in 2011 to about 50% in 2012, with increasing emphasis on the 5GHz band for use in 3G/4G smart-phones. The anticipated growth in tablet devices is also forecast to support 5GHz FEM adoption, as mobile WiFi chipsets for tablets increasingly adopt dual-band functionality.

To satisfy the growing market demand, RFMD has developed FEMs with high levels of integration, small package sizes, and what is claimed to be best-in-class linearity performance. The firm offers a broad portfolio of highly integrated FEMs that include the PA, the switch, filtering, baluns and an optional low-noise amplifier (LNA) for both single-band (2.4 or 5GHz) and dual-band (2.4/5GHz) operation. Its WiFi product portfolio also includes discrete PAs, switches and switch/LNA products that support integrated chipset solutions.

“RFMD forecasts the WiFi market will expand significantly as dual-band adoption increases and as volume expands across a variety of end markets, including smart-phones, tablets, home automation, WiFi TV, automotive and personal computing,” says Bob Van Buskirk, president of RFMD’s Multi-Market Products Group (MPG). “Because carrier requirements continue to demand higher power levels, this is placing an even greater focus on product performance and increasing the reliance on RFMD’s core technology and product development capabilities,” he adds.

Tags: RFMD WiFi FEMs

Visit: www.rfmd.com

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