ParkerVision Launches RF Power Amplifiers With All-Digital Circuit Architecture
Jacksonville, FL -- ParkerVision, Inc. today announced that it is introducing a new product line of efficient, low-cost RF power amplifiers targeted to companies that design and manufacture wireless RF products. The initial product line is designed for use in cell phones, cordless phones, and for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and VoIP products and applications. ParkerVision's power amplifiers incorporate a proprietary all-digital circuit architecture that replaces traditional analog circuitry.
ParkerVision's power amplifiers will extend battery life in mobile wireless RF products and help designers improve cost and size by reducing the size of the battery. In certain applications, such as Wi-Fi, ParkerVision's power amplifiers will enable manufacturers to provide networking gear that delivers higher data rates at greater distances, with increased coverage and reliability, by providing greater RF transmitted power.
"Our products will empower manufacturers with a new solution to create unparalleled choices in efficiency, cost, size, and performance for their wireless products," Jeffrey Parker, ParkerVision CEO, said. "We will immediately begin working with manufacturers to configure the offering to their needs and provide samples mid-year, with volumes available later in the year. We are targeting high volume as well as fast growth applications. Our product line, built from common low cost silicon semiconductors, will incorporate into single chips the same ease of design that manufacturers have come to rely upon from multi-component modules that dominate the PA market today. ParkerVision expects to be shipping its own branded products that incorporate our digital power amplifier chips by end of this year."
D2D technology
Extending the science behind its patented Direct2Data (D2D) digital RF transceiver technology into power amplifiers, the new products target product applications that are forecasted to consume nearly 1.5 billion RF power amplifiers this year and will continue to grow at up to 18% unit volumes year over year, according to a report by Allied Business Intelligence (ABI). RF power amplifiers are a critical component of all wireless RF devices used in digital communications. They boost the transmitted RF signal so that it can reach its intended destination. The transmitter in these devices is commonly the single largest power consumer oftentimes accounting for the majority of all power used by a wireless RF product. While traditional RF power amplifiers are built from legacy analog circuits with inherent efficiency and performance limitations, ParkerVision's digital RF power amplifiers benefit from the only 100% digital architecture. According to ParkerVision, its power amplifiers reduce total transmitter power consumption by 50% to 80%.
"Our expertise in high performance digital architectures allowed us to create an ultra-efficient all digital power amplifier technology," Parker added. "The excellent linearity of our proprietary technology makes it applicable to all wireless RF digital communications, even challenging applications such as CDMA or OFDM used in higher data rate Wi-Fi applications."
Product applications
The initial ParkerVision digital power amplifier product lineup includes models for:
- CDMA2000 1x 1xRTT, 1xEVDO, and 1xEVDV
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE
- IMT-2000 W-CDMA for UMTS
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n wireless networking gear
- Bluetooth enabled devices
- Cordless and VoIP Phones
- Multi-mode/multi-band products that combine the standards listed above
The company's first offerings will be for applications up to 3 GHz frequencies. It expects later this year to announce additional models up to 6 Ghz frequencies that will target applications for the Wi-Fi 802.11a standard, additional cordless phone applications, and other applications.
Source: ParkerVision