10-2018

RF & Wireless
infrastructure (most notably the USA), 2G
continues to be a viable and popular option
for M2M solutions in regions still lacking
NB-IoT and LTE Cat M1 networks or where
coverage is spotty. The SARA-G450 is an
ideal solution for cost and space-sensitive
applications in these markets.
Thanks to its pin-compatibility with the
entire u-blox cellular line-up product designers
can use a single platform and PCB
design to enable solutions for a variety of air
interface technologies, including 2G, 3G,
LPWA (LTE Cat M1 and NB1), and highspeed
LTE. This also means that product
developers can anticipate future upgrades
of their applications to move to LTE Cat
M1 and NB1 connectivity as soon as they
become available in their target markets.
SARA-G450 is a standard grade quad-band
GSM/GPRS module that is power-optimized
for IoT applications. It offers the flexibility
to combine with a variety of best-in-class
ublox GNSS or Bluetooth modules for solutions
that integrate positioning, short range
and cellular communication. An embedded
internet suite facilitates the development of
a wide range of M2M devices.
■ ublox AG
info@u-blox.com
www.u-blox.com
5G Antenna Tuning
Solutions
Skyworks Solutions, Inc. unveiled the
latest solutions from its Sky5 portfolio,
the company’s unifying platform enabling
5G applications. Skyworks’ new wideband
16-state antenna aperture tuners are
extremely compact and designed to deliver
improved efficiency and enhanced bandwidth
coverage from 600 MHz to 6 GHz
for LTE Advanced Pro to emerging 5G
standards across a wide range of mobile
devices. Antenna tuning plays a critical
role in maintaining smartphone power
efficiency and battery life, particularly as
signal processing complexity continues to
rise with the onset of 5G. With smartphone
manufacturers adding new features such as
4x4 multiple-in, multiple-out (MIMO) and
5G new radio (NR) for 2019 applications,
next generation architectures must embed
significantly more antennas. New bezelless
smartphones integrate anywhere from
four to seven antennas to support future
data demand versus the two to four average
antenna count within today’s platforms. At
the same time, the migration to full screen
infinity displays and expanded functionality
limit the amount of board space available.
Skyworks’ innovative antenna tuning solutions
leverage proprietary design and process
techniques to help drive antenna performance
while meeting stringent linearity
demands and size constraints.
The SKY5 9256-701LF advanced aperture
tuner features reliable linear operation and
extremely low Ron (1.1 ohm) and Coff (145
fF) to deliver superior antenna performance,
allowing system designers to recover the 1.5
to 3 dB gain degradation caused by shrinking
antenna sizes. The MIPI-controlled,
16-state capability of the tuner also gives
engineers the ability to combine arms for
even smaller Ron and Coff. Excellent harmonics
are delivered throughout the operating
range, assisting customers with achieving
RSE requirements and passing certification.
■ Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
www.skyworksinc.com
High-Performance Transmit/
Receive Frontend Module
Skyworks introduced the SKY66119-11, a
high-performance transmit/receive frontend
module (FEM) that provides range extension
for Internet of Things (IoT) applications
including smart metering and Industrial,
Scientific and Medical (ISM) systems. The
device’s transmit chain features 30 dBm
output and the receive chain features a lownoise
amplifier (LNA) with a 1.3 dB noise
figure. The module delivers 30.5 dBm P out
at 400...500 MHz to enable more than 4x
the range versus standalone system-on-chip
(SoC) solutions and covers multiple unlicensed
bands. It also has a fast switch on/off
(