Fabless semiconductor firm RFaxis Inc., which designs RF semiconductors and embedded antenna solutions for the wireless connectivity and cellular mobility markets, has started sampling its pure-CMOS, RFX8420 RF front-end integrated circuits (RFeIC).

RFX8420 provides the high-performance and ultra-compact size required to facilitate dual-mode Wi-Fi/Bluetooth operation in smartphones, feature phones and tablets. RFX8420 is a fully integrated, single-chip/single-die RfeIC that incorporates all the RF functionality needed for dual-mode WLAN 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth operation in the 2.4GHz band.

Integrated with a single CMOS device, it comes packed with a high-efficiency high-linearity PA providing 18dBm output power with three percent EVM at antenna port, a directional coupler and output power detector, impedance matching networks, harmonic filters and a SP3T switch for antenna sharing between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Cased in a 2.5mm x 2.5mm x 0.4mm 16-pin QFN package, the RFX8420 has the smallest in its class solution size in the industry and is pin-to-pin compatible with incumbent front-end solutions from several vendors who use gallium arsenide (GaAs) solutions.  

"We developed the RFX8420 based on specific input from multiple handset/smartphone vendors to meet their most demanding requirements in terms of size, performance and functionality. The RFX8420 is specifically designed to support direct battery operation for mobile phone applications," stated Mike Neshat, chairman and CEO at RFaxis. "We are proud that our team has delivered another state-of-the-art, RF front-end solution in pure-CMOS, which is significantly more cost-effective than alternative solutions currently available in GaAs."

In RFX8420 all RF decoupling components and DC blocking capacitors are integrated completely on-chip, differentiating it from existing solutions that require multiple inductors and capacitors externally. These distinct features allow customers to add Wi-Fi/Bluetooth functions to their products with the smallest external Bill of Materials (BOM) and effective PCB footprint.According to the press release, the RFX8420 RFeIC is available in an ultra-compact, low-profile 2.5x2.5x0.4mm QFN package and at a high volume pricing of $0.22 per unit.