Module improves range for 54g wireless designs

SiGe Semiconductor is supplying a custom module designed to enhance coverage and reduce implementation costs of 54g wireless LAN products enabled by Broadcom Corp.

SiGe Semiconductor is supplying a custom module designed to enhance coverage and reduce implementation costs of 54g wireless LAN products enabled by Broadcom Corp.

SiGe Semiconductor's SE2521A is a custom variant of the SE2526A front-end module, both offering highly integrated, high-performance radio frequency (RF) front-end solutions that optimise wireless access in 54g Wi-Fi systems.

"SiGe Semiconductor's capabilities fit well with and support our strategy to deliver products that will greatly improve the Wi-Fi user experience", said Brian Bedrosian, Senior Product Line Manager for Broadcom's Home and Wireless Networking Business Unit.

"SiGe's power amplifiers are included in several of our 54g reference designs, complimenting system solutions that provide superior wireless coverage".

"SiGe Semiconductor's ability to meet our performance and design specifications make them an ideal vendor choice for manufacturers of 54g products".

SE2521A improves wireless connectivity, reduces bill of materials (BOM) The SE2521A is custom built to meet the requirements of systems based on Broadcom 54g wireless LAN devices.

The SE2521A features output power of +19dBm, with an error vector magnitude of less than 3% while fully complying with FCC and IEEE802.11 requirements.

This industry-leading performance increases the range of 54g-based devices, allowing users to stay connected to their wireless network at greater distances.

Using the SE2521A, systems such as notebook computers and other mobile devices can maintain wireless connections at distances up to 50% further from a Wi-Fi access point or router.

"We collaborated with Broadcom to design a module that provides performance and integration ideal for 54g -based Wi-Fi systems", said Alistair Manley, Senior Director of Marketing, SiGe Semiconductor.

"Our integration ability and the SiGe fabrication process allow us to follow the Broadcom specification while also partitioning the architecture to include all of the critical front-end circuitry into a single, chip-scale solution".

SiGe Semiconductor's new module is a highly integrated device that combines all critical radio frequency (RF) front-end components.

The device includes SiGe Semiconductor's previously announced SE2525L power amplifier, power detector, switches and filters in a compact chip-scale module that is fully matched to 50ohm.

The high level of integration eliminates a large number of components from the current reference bill of materials, thereby simplifying design and reducing system cost by up to 30%.

Further, by reducing printed circuit board (PCB) complexity, the SE2521A enhances yield, simplifies testing and increases reliability of wireless LAN devices.

The SE2521A is currently being adopted by customers of Broadcom's 54g wireless LAN products.

The module is ramping to production for supply to this rapidly growing market, which SiGe Semiconductor expects to reach in excess of 80 million units this year.

54g is Broadcom's maximum performance implementation of the IEEE802.11g standard, the new mainstream Wi-Fi technology for homes, businesses and public hot spots.

54g technology provides the industry's best combination of speed, reach and security, and is compatible with the 100 million 802.11g and 802.11b devices installed to date.

54g technology can be found in the leading brands of wireless LAN products and notebook PCs, including Acer, Apple, Belkin, Buffalo, Cisco/Linksys, Dell, eMachines, Gateway, HP/Compaq, Microsoft and Motorola.

As of February 2004, 71% of all 802.11g network product shipped through US retail were based on Broadcom 54g technology, according to NPD Techworld, a division of The NPD Group.

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