RF Micro Devices Inc. (RFMD, Greensboro, NC), a provider of radio frequency (RF) integrated circuits for wireless communications applications, announced that it has entered the market for dc-dc converter power management components. The company's dc-dc converters work with the its power amplifiers (PAs) and reduce PA current consumption by greater than 50 percent in CDMA and WCDMA applications. DC converters expand RFMD's addressable market and increase the company's content in wireless handsets as well as its silicon product portfolio. The dc-dc converters provide approximately 90-percent efficiency over a wide output-voltage range with minimal ripple. The dc-dc converters are designed using a low-cost silicon process, and are packaged in a low-cost, leadless package, measuring 3 mm x 3 mm.
Cellular Products Corporate Vice President Eric Creviston said, "We are pleased to announce shipments of our dc-dc converters to a tier-one handset manufacturer. Our dc-dc converters facilitate the trend toward feature-rich, multi-mode, 3G handsets by accommodating the higher data rates without the associated increase in current consumption. By reducing PA current consumption by more than 50 percent, our dc-dc converters help extend the battery life in CDMA and WCDMA applications, which is a top priority among handset manufacturers and consumers."
