TriQuint intros industry’s most integrated small cell power amplifier

HILLSBORO & RICHARDSON, USA: TriQuint Semiconductor Inc., a leading RF solutions supplier and technology innovator, introduced its first integrated power amplifier solution for ‘small cell' and active antenna base stations that dramatically reduces board space while delivering high efficiency. Small cell solutions are key components in 3G/4G mobile networks including LTE.

TriQuint's integrated small cell power amplifier, the TGA2450-SM, is the first in a family serving all key mobile infrastructure frequency bands. The new power amplifier and other integrated solutions for base station, networks and defense applications will be displayed during the European Microwave Week exhibition, October 8-10, 2013 (Nuremberg, Germany).

As the name implies, ‘small cell' radio systems have deliberately-defined coverage areas that can improve connectivity where it is most needed. The radio transceivers in these systems are smaller by design to support indoor or outdoor deployment as required. By significantly reducing board space, network infrastructure OEMs can reduce the size of radio systems and their bills of materials.

"The market trend is towards more densely-packed, smaller radio links-small cells. TriQuint's highly-integrated solution offers the flexibility to support our customers' emerging designs. Our product family uses only half the space of traditional discrete parts," says Infrastructure and Defense Products VP and GM, James L. Klein.

Noted infrastructure researcher Earl J. Lum reports that small cell and active antenna solutions will be a growing part of infrastructure and future heterogeneous networks supporting faster 3G/4G data rates.

"Highly integrated power amplifier solutions such as the TGA2450-SM and filtering technology offered by TriQuint support additional network capacity, higher efficiency systems and reduced system BOMs. The overall LTE outdoor microcell market is expected to begin high volume shipments in 2014 and reach $$1.8 billion by 2017," said Earl J. Lum, president of EJL Wireless Research.