wirelessZONE Products for the week of October 24, 2005

Agilent Technologies Says . . .

ALM-1106: Ultra-Low-Noise Amplifier Module With Shutdown For GPS Handsets
Miniature package, low-volt operation and battery-saving features reduce costs and power consumption

Agilent Technologies Inc. introduced the industry's lowest noise figure 0.9 to 3.5 GHz MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) LNA (low-noise amplifier) module, with integrated shutdown capability that enhances the performance of GPS handsets. The Agilent ALM-1106's combination of low noise figure to improve sensitivity, miniature size, low-voltage operation, and battery-saving features makes the amplifier module an ideal choice for GPS receivers incorporated in mobile phone handsets.

"The ALM-1106 will help our customers reduce the PCB size and associated material costs for the cellular handset GPS function," said Ho King Pieng, worldwide marketing manager for the Wireless Semiconductor Division in Agilent's Semiconductor Products Group. "It offers better performance while being extremely cost-competitive with other GPS and ISM-band LNAs on the market."

The high-performance GPS LNA presents an attractive solution for cellular handset manufacturers as they start offering location-based services. One of the approaches to implementing the U.S. FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) mandate, which will require service providers to supply location information of a 911 caller, requires enhanced GPS capability in the phone itself. The GPS sensitivity required by some service providers can be met only with a high-performance GPS LNA and not by the GPS chipsets available today.

The ALM-1106 operates from as low as 1 volt, is equipped with a built-in shutdown function to minimize standby current, and is supplied in a leadless, small-footprint (2 x 2 mm), low-profile (1.1 mm max) MCOB (molded chip on board) package. The MMIC LNA module is also ideal for IEEE 802.11b and 802.11g Wi-Fi receivers, and for receivers for 2 GHz and 3.5 GHz IEEE 802.16 WiMAX (wireless microwave access)/ BWA (broadband wireless access).

EN-Genius Says . . .

You cannot but be imediately impressed to see a less than 1-dB noise factor in an LNA module with a frequency range from 900 MHz to 3.5 GHz. Over the GPS, ISM, WiMax range it is optimized for -- from 1.575 GHz to 2.4 GHz -- the NF is about 0.9 dB with a 2.4-V rail, falling to close to 0.8 dB with 3.3 V. The curves are within an about 0.01-dB range of one another.

Add to this feat the high S21 gain for such a part -- in excess of 14 dB at the lower frequencies to in excess of 11 dB at the higher frequencies -- and a healthy close to 0 dBm output capability (input P1dB ranging from near +2 dBm at the lower frequency edge to between +4 dbM and +5 dBm at the higher edge, with the number increasing with supply voltage. IIP3 shows a fairly linear increase with the rail from +4 dBm to +6 dBm at the lower edge to +7 dBm to +10 dBm at the higher frequency edge.

Unmatched S11 (for GPS, 1.575 GHz) is a typical -11.8 dB and S22 is -12.4 dB. External matching is required for other frequencies. At GPS even with the rail down at 1.0 V the NF is typically 1.0 dB and S21 is 12.3 dB.

Bias current for the part is variable using a single external resistor and the shutdown pin is CMOS compatible (shutdown current is <0.1 µA). The supply current ranges from a typical 3.6 mA with a 1.0 V supply 6.0 mA at 2.85 V.

The ALM-1106 module uses Agilent's GaAs enhancement-mode pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (E-pHEMT) process. It has winner written all over it -- and deservedly so for such a well-controlled performer.

The ALM-1106 module is in production in an SM 6-pin package with a size of 2.0 mm x 2.0 mm x 1.1 mm priced at $1.13 in 5000+ piece lots. Demo boards are available.

Data Sheet