US : Renesas Technology America, Inc. today announced the R2A60281LG, an ultra-compact 2G/3G dual-mode radio frequency (RF) transceiver that supports both the 2G and 3G modes used in cellular communications. The device integrates in a single chip most of the high-frequency signal processing functions required by mobile phone handsets, including the down conversion of high-frequency wireless signals to a lower frequency to be used by the baseband processor.

The R2A60281LG is only 7×7×0.6 mm (about 20% smaller than previous solutions). It combines multiple functions and eliminates the need for an analog baseband processor. Therefore, it will facilitate the development of smaller and thinner handsets for GSM and W-CDMA/HSUPA/HSDPA networks used as the global mobile telephony standards. The transceiver also can be applied in 3G communication cards for PCs.

Multiple industry trends are driving the need for the new transceiver. Many mobile phone users are expected to replace older phones with global 3G models that also support the GSM (2G) standard. At the same time, there is a growing demand for handsets that support more than one frequency band. Feature-rich handsets offering an array of multimedia functions, such as terrestrial TV broadcast reception, are becoming more popular, making it necessary to mount more electronic devices on handset circuit boards, even as the handsets themselves become thinner. The new transceiver builds on previous Renesas RF transceiver technology and addresses these trends by supporting multiple frequency bands and both the 2G and 3G modes, while also offering faster operation and a smaller, thinner package.

Specifically, the R2A60281LG integrates 2G (GPRS/EDGE) quad-band (850MHz/ 900MHz/ 1.8GHz/ 1.9GHz) and 3G (W-CDMA) quad-band (800MHz/ 1.5 GHz/ 1.7 GHz/ 2 GHz) functionality into a single chip. It also supports High-Speed Downlink Packet Access*1 (HSDPA) categories 7 and 8 for fast data downloads at speeds up to max. 7.2 Mbps as well as High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HPUPA). The chip is built in 0.18 micrometer Bi-CMOS technology.

The transceiver includes the low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), a loop filter*2 circuit, HPA controls and more. A filter supporting CDMA2000 attenuates wavelengths outside the desired frequency band, reducing susceptibility to radio frequency interference (RFI). Also, a 312Mbps (max.) digital interface function supports 3G DIGRF operation, offering the A/D and D/A conversion functions formerly handled by an analog baseband processor. This interface enables high-speed exchanges of In-Phase/Quadrature-Phase (I/Q) and control data with a digital baseband processor, for quick transfers of large data volumes.

The R2A60281LG 2G/3G dual-mode RF transceiver looks to the future, as well, by also supporting the 1.5GHz band under the specifications newly standardized by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), an international body for establishing 3G mobile phone standards. Renesas’ development plans for RF transceiver products include new chips offering support for the 3G-LTE*3 and 4G modes that will enable even faster communication speeds.

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