April 12, 2007

Cellular telephones just weren't enough. With the growth of cellular networks in the 1990's, consumers grew accustomed to the comfort of "wireless connectivity," in spite of the price to pay in terms of diminished privacy. Consumers demanded smaller phones, and wanted more functions in their portable units. Long forgotten were those "suitcase phones" of the early Motorola cellular trials, replaced by handsets now curiously similar in size to those early Motorola hand pagers.

But that was all simple communications by means of wireless technology. Consumers now want data, text messaging, video on demand, and a host of other services that require more bandwidth. Just when it appeared that we had enough wireless standards, the IEEE 802.16e WiMAX standard is poised to provide these diverse services through its efficient use of limited bandwidth. Research firms like In-Star are projecting 19.7 million worldwide WiMAX subscribers by 2010, with enormous growth potential in under-developed areas.

The need for low-cost devices such as the Skyworks module (see below) and for the test equipment to evaluate those devices will grow quickly with the demand, just as for every wireless protocol that came before. Consumers appear to have a voracious appetite for wireless services and devices, with WiMAX toys next on the list.

Skyworks Solutions unveiled a highly integrated 2.5-GHz WiMAX front-end module (FEM), model SKY77258, at the recent CTIA show. The FEM is designed for WiMAX handsets and terminals. It incorporates a reliable InGaP HBT power amplifier, pHEMT switch, coupler, detector, controller, baluns, low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), and matching components in a 36-pin, 8 x 10 mm RoHS-compliant multichip module (MCM). The FEM provides +24 dBm linear output power at the switch output with output power at 1-dB compression of more than +35 dBm to support the high peak-to-average ratio (crest factor) needed in multicarrier WiMAX systems.

Skyworks Solutions

Linux appears to be gaining ground as a mobile telephone real-time operating system (RTOS) according to a report by ABI Research. The study projects that by 2012, more than 127 million mobile devices will be enabled with a commercial Linux operating system (OS) compared to 8.1 million in 2007. Additionally, device shipments that incorporate Linux as an RTOS replacement are set to grow to more than 76 million units in 2012, up from nearly zero in 2007. The report, "Mobile Linux: Bringing License-Free Operating Systems to Smartphones and Mid-Tier Devices," that growing collaboration between industry initiatives, and the introduction of complete solutions such as the Trolltech-led GreenSuite, and ALP from ACCESS will contribute to the growth of the Linux OS for mobile devices. But the industry still needs to understand the total cost of ownership for Linux solutions. The report indicates that significant barriers still exist and must be addressed before Linux emerges as a major OS for mobile devices.

ABI Research

ARMMS RF And Microwave Society Conference
April 16-17, 2007
Milton Hill House
Steventon, Abington, Oxfordshire, England
http://www.armms.org/

IEEE Sarnoff Symposium 2007
April 30-May 2, 2007
Sarnoff Labs
Princeton, NJ
http://www.sarnoffsymposium.org

2007 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium
June 3-8, 2007
Hawaii Convention Center
Honolulu, HI
http://www.ims2007.org/