RF Front-End IC Is Small And Feature Laden

Heralded as the industry’s smallest and most complete flip-chip based RF front-end IC with copper pillar solder bumps, the FM2491 FC is ready for both on-board SMT and SiP assembly processes with no wire bonds required. The device is based on a commercially available and advanced BiFET wafer foundry process that integrates InGaP bipolar HBT and GaAs pHEMT processes into one wafer-fabrication process. Measuring 1.5 mm x 0.9 mm x 0.3 mm, it integrates a 2.4-GHz 11b/g/n power amplifier delivering 19 dBm of output power at 3% EVM, a low-loss linear SP3T switch, high-pass filter to reject WCDMA signals at 2.17 GHz, power detector, temperature compensation circuit, voltage regulator, CMOS-compatible logics for PAON and switch function controls, and all I/O matching circuitry and biasing components. Price is less than $0.50 each in volume. Epic Communications Inc., Sunnyvale, CA. (408) 752-9135.