Mawirede

VIEW THE LATEST PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGIES FOR TODAY'S WIRELESS ENGINEERS AT WWW.WIRELESSDESIGNMAG.COM | VOL. 20 NO.
3
MAY|JUN|2012
wirelessdesignmag.com
IN THIS ISSUE
SELECTING THE OPTIMAL LOW NOISE
AMPLIFIER FOR YOUR APPLICATION
EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS DEMAND
EXTREME LITHIUM POWER
.6
SECONDARY-SIDE BRIDGE
RECTIFICATION FOR WIRELESS

CHARGING APPLICATIONS
mouser.com
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The Newest Products for Your Newest Designs
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Distributing semiconductors and electronic

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Authorized Distributor
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Discrete and Integrated

RF Solutions
See Our New Products Supporting Diverse Applications at
IEEE MTT-S IMS2012 Booth 1507 Montreal, Canada June 1921!
Handsets and Mobile Devices
Part Number
Description
Frequency (GHz)
Package (mm)
SKY65534
WLAN / Bluetooth Front-End Module with Integrated PA, Filter, LNA, and T/R Switch
2.4
QFN 20L 2.5 x 2.5 x 0.45
SKY65535
WLAN Front-End Module with Integrated PA with Filter, LNA, and SPDT Switch
5.0
QFN 16L 2.5 x 2.5 x 0.45
SKY77701-16
High PAE Power Amplifier Module for CDMA / WCDMA / HSPA+ / LTE Band I
1.921.98
10-pin MCM 3 x 3 x 0.9
WiFi Connectivity
SE5516A
802.11ac Dual-Band Front-End Module with PA, LNA, and SP2T Switch
SE5003L1
802.11ac Matched Power Amplifier with Harmonic Filter
TT20P6-0709P0-1825E
High Power Infrastructure Filter can be Configured in a Pass Band Design
2.4, 5.0
LGA 4 x 4 x 1
5.0
QFN 20L 4 x 4 x 0.9
0.72.1
5" x 1.9" x 1"
Wireless Infrastructure
SKY12210-478LF
High Power (100 W) T/R SPDT Switch, 44 dB Isolation @ 2.6 GHz
SKY13419-365LF
CMOS DBS Switch Matrix with Tone/Voltage Detector

High Isolation 40 dB @ 900 MHz
SKY65185
Dual-Channel Variable Gain Amplifier Front-End Module with 31.5 dB Control Range
SKY65373-11
SKY67130-396LF
SKY73208
0.94.0
QFN 16L 4 x 4 x 1.5
0.252.15
QFN 20L 4 x 4 x 0.9
1.72.7
32-pin MCM 7 x 7 x 1.35
Variable Gain Low Noise Amplifier with High Linearity @ 35 dB and Low NF @ 1 dB
1.7
16-pin MCM 8 x 8 x 1.3
High Linearity Amplifier Driver with +16 dBm OP1 dB and 39.5 dBm OIP3 @ 22 mA
0.72.7
DFN 8L 2 x 2 x 0.75
Wideband Rx Mixer with Integrated Integer-N PLL and VCO
0.355.0
36-pin MCM 6 x 6 x 1.35
SKYFR-000782
Single Junction Circulator with Very Low Insertion Loss of 0.08 dB Typical
2.112.17
Drop-in 19 mm
SKYFR-000827
Single Junction Circulator with Very Low Insertion Loss of 0.12 dB Typical
2.32.4
SMT Robust Lead, 23 mm
Smart EnergyConnected Home and Automation 802.15.4, ISM, and ZigBee

SE2435L
High Power RF Front-End Module, 1 W High Efficiency with Integrated PA,

LNA, and Diversity Switch
SE2436L
High Power 0.5 W Front-End Module for ISM band applications, with PA, LNA, Bypass and
Antenna Diversity
SE2438T
Ultra Low Power ZigBee Front-End IC with PA, LNA, Tx/Rx Bypass
2.4
QFN 20L 3 x 3 x 0.5
SKY65367-11
High Power / High Efficiency Tx/Rx Front-End Module with Integrated PA and Bypass
0.17
16-pin MCM 4 x 4 x 0.9
SKY67012-396LF
Low Noise Amplifier with < 0.85 dB NF and < 5 mA Current @ 3.3 V
0.30.6
DFN 8L 2 x 2 x 0.75
0.860.93
QFN 24L 4 x 4 x 0.9
2.4
QFN 24L 4 x 4 x 0.9
New products (indicated in blue, bold) are continually being introduced at Skyworks. Join our customer email program today via
www.skyworksinc.com to start receiving information on new product releases, literature, upcoming tradeshow events, and more!
For more information, please visit our Web site at www.skyworksinc.com.

USA: 781-376-3000 Asia: 886-2-2735 0399 Europe: 33 (0)1 43548540 Email: sales@skyworksinc.com
www.skyworksinc.com NASDAQ: SWKS
4|
MAY|JUN 2012
WDD
Contents
wirelessdesignmag.com
COVER STORY
20 Is Digital Power the Right Choice?

Digital power creates a new design environment for
power supplies, and proves to be a very powerful tool.
FEATURES
EYE ON AMPLIFIERS
POWER
10 Selecting the Optimal

Low Noise Amplifier for
Your Application
26 Secondary-Side Bridge
Rectification for Wireless
Charging Applications
Efficiency considerations are critical
for wireless charging solutions.
Delve into an LNAs role within a

typical receiver architecture.
TECH EXCHANGE
12 Base Station Design

An interview with Damian Anzaldo,
Communications Segment Manager,
Strategic Marketing Group and
Stephen Turnbull, Marketing Leader
for QorIQ Qonverge, Freescale
BRAINSTORM
22 Oscillators/Timing
Devices
Where in the design cycle is it best

to spec in a timing device, and
why?
NO STRINGS ATTACHED
POWER
16 Extreme Environments
Demand Extreme
Lithium Power
Harsh environmental conditions
demand long-life lithium batteries
capable of powering remote wireless sensors reliably for 25+ years
ONLINE BLOGS
24 Wire Less, Write More
Online blogs written by our

industry's own design engineers.
24 Podcasts
Six web-based interviews talking

about the latest wireless technology,
components, and design issues.
DEPARTMENTS
6
Up Front|By Janine E. Mooney
Editor's Choice
PRODUCT SHOWCASE:
14 Oscillators
32 NFC
page 33
page 8
page 14
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
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6| wirelessdesi g nmag.com
BYOD: A Cloudy Adoption

By Janine E. Mooney, Editor
Janine.Mooney@advantagemedia.com
Personal devices are popping up all over the office, and are quickly morphing
from personal, to business and back to personal, all with the touch of a finger.
Lets face it from executives, to interns, employees want access to their work
at all hours of the day, every day of the week. Work is no longer a nine to five
gig - employees must be on at (almost) all times. This is where the Bring
Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative comes into play. Not only are employees
insisting on connecting their personal devices to the company network, they
are refusing to hand over control of the devices to IT security managers.
But can you blame them? Who wants the IT guy knowing what youre chatting about in personal
emails and texts, who youre calling, or what photos you recently uploaded to Facebook?
Unfortunately for employees reluctant to hand-it-over, there is another side to the story. Ensuring data
integrity is not an easy task for IT considering the traditional security issues associated with mobile
devices, and now they have extra dangers to worry about with the addition of mainstream cloud services. Security managers have their work cut out for them as Malware creators can now gain access to
loads of data on one network, which could tap into
multiple mobile and fixed
computers. This exposure
to public cloud services is
a risk that many companies
may not be willing to take.
Companies also need to take into consideration the legal issues concerning the BYOD trend. Can
employers legally monitor employee owned devices for data or policy infringement, improper use of
resources, device usage policies, etc? Juniper Networks recently surveyed more than 4,000 mobiledevice users and IT professionals. One surprising stat concluded: 41 percent of all respondents who
use their personal devices for work are doing so without permission from the company.
Putting aside security and legal issues, it is fair to say that there can be significant advantages
found in implementing a BYOD policy, such as, increased productivity in employees with customerfacing roles, lower costs and of course increased access for employees. Plus, BYOD devices tend to
be more cutting edge, so you get the benefit of the latest features and capabilities.
Lets look at retail and hospital environments, for example. The use of tablets can improve productivity immensely in answering customer questions, or make patient health-checks much easier
and more time-efficient. This will certainly increase customer/patient satisfaction.
Next up costs. Tablets are fairly durable (an IT delight) and, when ordered in bulk, tablets can have
a fairly low corporate cost per unit, compared to laptops. At the same time, a BYOD policy can lead to
less corporate control over what happens to the device, and concerns linger over physical security.
While the initiative might not be right for every company, it is quite compelling but is it worth
the hassle? Would you be willing to potentially sign away personal information to the IT department, or more importantly, do they trust you with a host of company data? Shifting the focus of the
BYOD adoption, we must look at the productivity gains in the workplace, often thanks to the ability
to access work anywhere, anytime. Mobile BYOD is one of the hottest trends in technology today,
and with the big push from eager employees, BYOD could be implemented at a company near you
very, very soon.
UP FRONT
Volume 20, Number 3

Editorial Office
100 Enterprise Drive, Suite 600, Box 912
Rockaway, NJ 07866-1112
973-920-7129
Group Publisher, Nick Pinto
nick.pinto@advantagemedia.com
Editorial Director, Jeff Reinke
jeff.reinke@advantagemedia.com
Editor, Janine E. Mooney
janine.mooney@advantagemedia.com
Senior Features Editor, Nancy Maas
nancy.maas@comcast.net
Art Director, Beverly Blake
beverly.blake@advantagemedia.com
Production Manager, Conshella Cole-Ford
connie.cole@advantagemedia.com
Administrative Assistant - Pattie Almendinger
pattie.a@advantagemedia.com
Web Production Specialist - Christine Wong
christine.wong@advantagemedia.com
Audience Development Director, Don Ross
don.ross@advantagemedia.com
Subscriptions/Change of Address:
847-559-7560; abwdd@omeda.com
Chief Executive Officer, Rich Reiff

President, George Fox
Chief Financial Officer, Terry Freeburg
Vice President/Human Resources, Susanne Foulds
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Mike Civiello, Broadcom
Frank Ditore, Agilent EEsof
David Donovan, Bitwave Semiconductor, Inc.
Eric Hakanson, Anritsu
David Hall, National Instruments
Jerry Kolbe, Murata Electronics
Giampaolo Marino, Intersil Corporation
Mark Vitellaro, Richardson Electronics
Jim Norling, Jr., Freescale Semiconductor
Justin Panzer, Rohde & Schwarz, Inc.
Kevin Walsh, RF Micro Devices
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
The Most Important Piece of your DAS System...
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BLDC Motor Drivers Serve Automotive

Applications
CH
WDD EDI
TOR
Melexis announces the next-generation IC Family for sensor-less

and sensor-based BLDC motor control for automotive applications.
The new IC family follows the very successful MLX81200 core integration concept. This newest family of driver ICs combines voltage regulator, LIN -Transceiver, MCU, EEPROM, Flash, RAM, Power FET Pre-Driver
and several dedicated circuit blocks for highly efficient BLDC motor control from
a single IC. Customers can realize a very small PCB design with an absolute minimum BOM to create
simple or sophisticated actuators. The new IC family consists of 4 base family members; MLX81205,
MLX81207, MLX81210 and MLX81215. Each is available in different memory configurations and in different package options. The IC family is 45V load dump protected and will be qualified according AECQ100 Grade 0 for high temperature automotive application support.
Melexis, www.melexis.com
OICE
N2
012 |
EDITOR'S
CHOICE
M AY
|JU
6 Watt DC/DC Power Modules

The Minmax MSGWI06 Series is a compact 6 watt DC/DC converter in an SMD
package with a footprint of .87 x .80 x .40 The product features remote on-off and
an ultra wide 4:1 input. This series is EMC compliance to EN55022 Class A
emissions and EN61000 immunity standards. With an ultra wide input range
and international safety approvals, these worldwide marketable power modules
are ideally suited for space critical applications in battery-powered equipment. Single and dual outputs are available with efficiency ratings up to 83%.
Comprehensive preventative circuitry includes a fully regulated input, operating temperature range of -40C to +80C and overload protection. The MSGW106
Series AC/DC power modules use high quality, 100% RoHS compliant materials and
are manufactured to Minmaxs rigorous ISO-9001 quality control program to ensure
high product reliability. The MSGWI06 Series provide a cost effective solution for many
space critical applications in commercial and industrial electronic equipment.
Minmax Power, www.minmaxpower.com
Amplifier and Mixer Solutions

for Backhaul Radios to
46.5 GHz
Hittite Microwave Corporation announces the release
of two new amplifier and three new mixer products
which are ideal for microwave & millimeterwave radios, military sensors, test & measurement equipment
and SatCom applications from 24 to 46.5 GHz. The
HMC1040LP3CE is a self-biased GaAs MMIC Low
Noise Amplifier (LNA) which operates between 24
and 43.5 GHz and delivers 23 dB gain, 2.2 dB noise
figure and output IP3 up to +22 dBm. This versatile
LNA consumes only 70 mA from a +2.5V supply
while the output P1dB rating of +12 dBm enables it to
serve as a LO driver for many of Hittites balanced, I/
Q and image reject mixers. The HMC1040LP3CE features I/Os that are DC blocked and internally matched
to 50 Ohms, and is ideal for high capacity microwave
radios and VSAT applications. The HMC1040LP3CE
is housed in a compact 3 x 3 mm QFN plastic package. The HMC1016 is a four stage GaAs PHEMT
MMIC Medium Power Amplifier die which operates
between 34 and 46.5 GHz. This powerful amplifier
provides 22 dB of gain, +26 dBm of saturated output
power, and 17% PAE from a +6V supply.
Hittite Microwave Corporation, www.hittite.com
CSP Sockets Enable Testing of Any Area-Array

Device to +200 Degrees C
Aries Electronics offers CSP sockets that accept any area-array device for high-temperature testing up to
+200C. The new AR4HT Series sockets incorporate a low-profile 0.45 mm contact structure (compressed)
that is shorter than other low-profile contacts and provides excellent compliance for reliable ATE testing
and burn-in. The sockets are successfully employed in military, aerospace and geophysical environments as
well as in research and development. The AR4HT sockets accommodate a variety of area-array devices including BGA, LGA, QFN, DFN, CSP, MLCC and POP as well as bumped die with full and partial arrays. Full socket
operating temperature is -55C to +200C with a life expectancy of more than 10,000 actuations. The socket can accommodate IC devices with a pitch of 0.4 mm or greater as well as mixed pitch environments.
Aries Electronics, www.arieselec.com
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
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The MIC23155 features internal MOSFETs able to deliver up
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2011 Micrel, Inc. All rights reserved.

Micrel, Innovation Through Technology and HyperLight Load are registered trademarks of Micrel, Inc.
MLF and MicroLeadFrame are registered trademarks of Amkor Technology, Inc.
Ideal for use in:

Mobile handsets
Portable media/MP3 players
Portable navigation devices (GPS)
WiFi/WiMax/WiBro modules
Solid State Drives/Memory
Wireless LAN cards
Portable applications
www.micrel.com
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10| w irelessdesi g nmag.com
C ATA G O R Y
EY E ON AMPLIFIERS
XXXXXXXXXXX
Selecting the Optimal Low Noise

Amplifier for Your Application
Delve into an LNAs role within a typical receiver architecture.
|By Alan Ake, Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
he purpose of this article is to help designers of receiver

products select the optimal low noise amplifier (LNA) for
their particular application. First, we will take a look at a
typical receiver architecture and the LNAs role within it. From
there, the article will offer some practical tips regarding things
to consider when selecting a specific LNA device regarding
process, biasing and cost. Finally, we will take a look forward to
a device which will serve as the foundation for a new generation
of state-of-the art LNAs from Skyworks.
The LNA from a System Perspective
An LNA is simply an amplifier with sufficient gain and
suitable low noise figure (NF) which allows it to reduce the cascaded NF of the receiver to an acceptable level. However, before
we go further, let us step back and consider a generic receiver
(Rx) architecture to get an idea of the role played by the LNA.
Figure 1 shows a collection of amplifiers, filters, mixers,
attenuators, demodulators, etc. which would be common to
most receivers. These signal processing stages all contribute to
the cascaded noise factor (F) of a receiver and the noise contributions of each stage are given by the Friis cascaded noise
equation below. Note that NF(dB) = 10Log(F).
Right, equation 1:
The Friis Cascaded Noise Formula.
An understanding of this equation lies at the heart of the LNA

selection process for any application. It shows how the gain and
noise figures of each receiver stage contribute to the total cas-
Figure 1: Generic Receiver Architecture
caded NF. Clearly, high LNA gain works to reduce the cascaded
NF but there is an issue. LNA gain directly degrades the receiver
linearity. The limiting stage in terms of linearity is usually the
first down converting mixer and, for a given input signal level,
higher LNA gain results in higher power applied to the mixer
input. The NF improvements of increasing LNA gain must be
balanced against the linearity degradation caused by this gain.
To see the LNA gain contribution to cascaded NF more
clearly, imagine three receivers which have the following cascaded NF characteristics:
Receiver 1: Cascaded NF of 12 dB. Example: High-performance discrete architecture receiver such as that used in cellular
infrastructure.
Receiver 2: Cascaded NF of 8 dB. Example: Integrated
CMOS transceiver with a relatively poor cascaded NF.
Receiver 3: Cascaded NF of 4 dB. Example: High performance transceiver which already has an integrated LNA.
Now, imagine that we are able to add a hypothetical LNA to the
input of each of these three receivers. This LNA has a constant NF
of 0.7 dB and a variable gain from 0 to 24 dB. Figure 2 shows the
effect of increasing LNA gain on the resulting cascaded NF.
Figure 2 shows there is an LNA gain level beyond which the
NF improvements diminish. These curves enable the designer
to specify an LNA gain and NF which represent an intelligent
compromise between improving NF and degrading receiver
linearity. A key point here is any LNA can only improve sensitivity by a finite amount equal to the difference between its
NF and the NF of the receiver cascade with no LNA present.
In the case of the receiver with a 4 dB NF, with infinite LNA
gain, the improvement is only 3.3 dB. With only 12 dB LNA
gain, the improvement would still be around 3 dB.
Figure 2: Plot of Cascaded NF vs. LNA Gain
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
wirelessdesignmag.com|11
General Device Considerations

Process: E-mode pHEMT is the dominant technology for the
lowest NF LNA and these modern processes have led to lower cost,
super low noise, high linearity devices which can be used anywhere
from high volume commercial applications to the highest performance infrastructure applications. A key advantage of the E-mode
pHEMT is that it provides optimal performance from a single positive supply voltage.
Bias Voltage and Current: Typically, the gain and NF of modern
pHEMT devices is insensitive to supply voltage over the common
supply ranges of 2.7 to 6 volts. Higher supply voltage tends to
result in a higher compression point for the amplifier while IP3
is usually more a function of device current. Look for devices
having bias control pins which allow quiescent current to be set
A look ahead to new levels of NF performance:
independently from the supply voltage. Having this flexibility in
Figure 3 shows a preview of Skyworks next-generation
bias voltages and quiescent current allows the device linearity to
pHEMT device. Devices from this product family will allow
be adjusted according to the specific application requirements thus
designers to create LNA modules and receivers with lower NF
maximizing efficiency.
than ever before.
Device Cost: Given todays high performance, low cost
Selecting an LNA involves achieving the desired cascaded NF
pHEMT, there is little reason from a price perspective for not
while keeping LNA gain to a minimum to preserve the receiver
choosing a pHEMT device. That said, the LNA NF will tend to
linearity. A key takeaway is that a LNAs only purpose is to reduce
drive the cost of the device up sharply as the NF drops below
the cascaded receiver NF. Todays advanced pHEMT devices offer
about 0.7 dB. Requirements for higher linearity will also tend
optimal LNA solutions for applications ranging from high volume
to increase the device cost often due to the need for
larger amplifier die sizes. A clear understanding VIEW THIS ARTICLE ONLINE! WLAN and ISM applications up to infrastructure LNA
applications requiring the highest levels of performance.
of the NF and linearity requirements is essential
GO TO:
WDD
http://bit.ly/wdd-eye
towards finding the most cost-effective solution.
Figure 3: The SKY67151 next-generation LNA measured NF and Gain

data for 1600-2170 MHz tune.
IF/RF/Microwave Filters - Wireless, Military, Space, GPS and Commercial
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B A S E S TAT I O N D E S I G N
TECH EXCHANGE
Base Station Design
This Month: Damian Anzaldo, Communications Segment Manager,
Strategic Marketing Group and Stephen Turnbull, Marketing Leader for
QorIQ Qonverge, Freescale
Q: What are some of the most challenging issues

when designing products for remote base station
applications?
Damian Anzaldo, Communications Segment
Manager, Maxim: Todays remote base stations

must be power efficient, smaller in size and deliver excellent radio performance. Power efficiency is important to
improve mobile operator total cost of ownership, help
reduce CO2 emissions and minimize heat dissipation
to address passive cooling requirements. Smaller size is
important to meet diverse site installation scenarios and
help lower operator CAPEX; and excellent radio performance is needed to
deliver exceptional user Quality-of-Experience.
There are two areas where Maxim is focused in developing solutions for
remote base stations and each area has its own unique challenges. The two areas
are radio signal path and analog baseband. The radio signal path includes RF
devices, high-speed data converters and frequency synthesizers. Analog baseband
solutions support the radio and digital baseband. Maxims analog baseband solutions include power management, precision measurement and control, system
management and signal integrity with fiber optics for front haul applications.
In the radio the most challenging issues related to RF and high-speed data
converters are weighing the tradeoff for wideband, high dynamic performance
and circuit partition against total power consumption and the right levels of
integration. Next is balancing these tradeoffs with IC process selection to meet
performance and price expectations. This becomes more complex as remote
base station segmentation now includes macro cells, different classes of small
cells and different wireless backhaul technology.
In analog baseband the challenges are more function specific but the underlying trend is miniaturization through integration and high reliability. For
example, in power conversion a challenging issue is developing intelligent and
high efficiency DC-to-DC converters to address increasing power density.
Stephen Turnbull, Marketing Leader for QorIQ Qonverge,
Freescale: The challenge is to meet high levels of integration within the
required power and cost budgets. Individually these are not challenging, but
the combination of performance, cost and power can be a difficult balance to
achieve. Of course, there are also considerations related to software partitioning
and how to architect the SoC to meet the power/performance balance while also
making the device easy to use. Freescales approach is to provide smart acceleration combined with high performance DSP and processor cores. This provides
optimal power/performance balance while still maintaining flexibility.
Q: What new temperature control techniques have

you developed to maintain good performance over a
wide range of temperature ranges when developing
remote electronics for base stations?
Damian Anzaldo: To address wide operating temperature range, Maxim
takes a holistic approach at meeting this challenge. We look at device and
system level issues. At the device level Maxim temperature control techniques
for RF devices and high-speed data converters include advanced packaging
and innovative circuit topologies; but fundamentally you need, and we are fortunate to have, world class analog IC designers and product definers.
In terms of innovative circuit topologies for lowering power while maintaining
high dynamic performance in mixers, modulator/demodulators and high-speed
data converters; our RF DACs employ a proprietary differential current-steering
topology; our high-speed ADCs use a proprietary zero crossing detection topology. Our mixer cores on a SiGe BiCMOS process use a passive topology which
delivers high linearity at low power while enabling the high levels of integration.
Production test and bench characterization is an important customer requirement to ensure high-reliability operation over a wide temperature range. Maxim
production tests all devices and guarantees operating parameters over the full
temperature range.
At the system level, smart system partitioning with innovative architectures
help address temperature control challenges. This includes solutions that
diverge from conventional designs and operate at much lower total power. For
example multi-carrier/multi-band MIMO transmitters that employ direct digital
synthesis with the MAX5879 direct RF DAC.
Stephen Turnbull: Freescale uses thermal diodes which allow users to monitor the junction temperature of our devices and use that to prevent thermal runaway and control loadings in software. We also employ a wide range of power
management techniques to minimize power and temperature, such as clock gating, voltage islands, waterfall power management and drowsy circuits.
Q: Do you see operators trending towards a multiband/multi-standard architecture that must be scalable to accommodate, picocell, femtocell and macrocell
base station development?
Damian Anzaldo: Yes, operators are trending toward a multi-band/multistandard architecture. This has always been the operator and equipment manufac-
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
turer desire and is becoming more important as we move to a Heterogeneous Network

(HetNet). But different classes of base station have different performance requirements,
operating conditions and cost tolerance. In the short term there will be optimized solutions for groups of equipment like pico and femto cells versus micro and macro cells.
In the long term as active antenna and active antenna arrays are more widely adopted,
a single multi-standard/multi-band architecture or software defined radio will come
closer to realization. We have a good jump start on this challenge with the MAX2550family of single-chip RF transceivers that address femto cells and the MAX5879 RF
DAC which addresses multi-band/multi-standard transmitters in micro and macro cells.
Stephen Turnbull: Absolutely, and this is exactly the strength of Freescales
QorIQ Qonverge family of heterogeneous multicore basestation-on-a-chip SoCs.
Qonverge incorporates multiple integrated antenna interfaces, accelerators architected for WCDMA or LTE and a common software architecture spanning from residential solutions (covering a handful of
users) to macro solutions (which can handle 3 x 20MHz sector
of LTE). This common, scalable architecture has been popular
with our customers, allowing them to migrate from residential
to enterprise implementations without significant development
costs, or produce macro and metro solutions leveraging pin
compatible hardware and providing operators a common software solution.
Q: What new temperature control techniques have you

developed to maintain good performance over a wide range
of temperature ranges when developing remote electronics
for base stations?

Damian Anzaldo: To address wide operating
temperature range, Maxim takes a holistic approach
at meeting this challenge. We look at device and system level issues. At the device level, Maxim temperature control techniques for RF devices and high-speed
data converters include advanced packaging and innovative circuit topologies; but fundamentally you need, and we are fortunate to
have, world class analog IC designers and product definers.
In terms of innovative circuit topologies for lowering power while maintaining high dynamic performance in mixers, modulator/demodulators and
high-speed data converters; our RF DACs employ a proprietary differential
current-steering topology; our high-speed ADCs use a proprietary zero crossing detection topology. Our mixer cores on a SiGe BiCMOS process use a
passive topology which delivers high linearity at low power while enabling
the high levels of integration.
Production test and bench characterization is an important customer
requirement to ensure high-reliability operation over a wide temperature
range. Maxim production tests all devices and guarantees operating parameters over the full temperature range.
At the system level, smart system partitioning with innovative architectures
help address temperature control challenges. This includes solutions that diverge
from conventional designs and operate at much lower total power. For example
multi-carrier/multi-band MIMO transmitters that employ direct digital synthesis
with the MAX5879 direct RF DAC.
WDD
14|
O S C I LLAT ORS|SHOWCASE | wirelessdesig nma g.com
Ultra Small VCO Ideal

for Mobile Radios
Z-Communications announces a
RoHS compliant Voltage Controlled
Oscillator model USSP2350-LF for
mobile communication system applications where low power consumption
and small package size are critical. The
USSP2350-LF covers the frequency
range of 2300-2400 MHz in 0.5 to
3.0V of tuning voltage. This high
performance VCO comes available in a compact surface mount package measuring a mere 0.2" x 0.2" x 0.04" while operating off 2.7V and drawing only 6mA,
typically. The USSP2350-LF provides a spectral purity of -82dBc/Hz, typically, at
10kHz from the carrier and is designed to operate over the commercial temperature range of -20 to 70C. This ultra miniature VCO delivers 04dBm of output
power into a 50 ohm load and suppresses the 2nd harmonic to better than -13dBc.
Z-Communications, www.zcomm.com
3200 MHz VCO Ideal for Digital Radio

Equipment
Crystek's CVCO55CCQ-3200-3200 VCO operates at 3200 MHz with a control
voltage range of 0.5V~4.5V. This VCO features a typical phase noise of -115 dBc/
Hz @ 10KHz offset and has excellent linearity. Output power is typically +6 dBm.
The model CVCO55CCQ-3200-3200 is packaged in the industry-standard 0.5-in.
x 0.5-in. SMD package. Input voltage is 6V, with a typ. current consumption of 27
mA. Pulling and Pushing are minimized

to 0.3 MHz and 0.1 MHz/V, respectively.
Second harmonic suppression is -12 dBc
typical. The CVCO55CCQ-3200-3200
is ideal for use in applications such as
digital radio equipment, fixed wireless
access, satellite communications systems, and base stations.
Crystek Corporation,
www.crystek.com
Oscillator Features High-Speed Current

Steering Logic
Tellurian Technologies introduces its newest crystal
oscillator, the T4000HCSL. The oscillator touts a
small package size of 5.0 mm x 3.2 mm x 1.3 mm
and provides a high-speed, current steering logic
output (HCSL). It is designed to reduce the cost and
need for the additional circuitry needed to translate
CMOS, LVDS, and LVPECL outputs. The oscillator provides a lifetime stability
of +/- 25 ppm for all conditions over -40 C to +85C and boasts an RMS jitter
of less than 1 ps (12 kHz to 20 MHz) by using a 3rd overtone crystal design. The
T4000HCSL eliminates spurs through a PLL chip set using voltages as low as 2.5 V
and drawing a maximum current of 88 mA. The oscillator targets PCI express applications and other communications devices requiring high speed data transfer.
Tellurian Technologies, www.telluriantech.com
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POWER
Extreme Environments Demand

Extreme Lithium Power
Harsh environmental conditions demand long-life lithium batteries
capable of powering remote wireless sensors reliably for 25+ years.
|By Sol Jacobs, Tadiran Batteries
he more challenging the environment, the more critical

the choice of power management solution. This maxim
is especially true if the hostile environment is also
located in an inaccessible location, making battery replacement
difficult or impossible.
Remote sensors are increasingly finding their way into exotic
locations, from seismic monitoring stations in Antarctica, to
GPS tracking of icebergs in the North Atlantic, to sensors that
must withstand the extreme temperatures of oil and gas drilling
equipment and oceanographic sensors

that must survive the frigid cold and
high pressure of ocean depths.
Extreme environmental conditions
can also found in everyday life. For
example, millions of motorists flash
their E-ZPass at toll booths each day,
unaware that this RFID device is
powered by a lithium thionyl chloride
Able to last over 25 years under the most
challenging conditions, Tadiran standard lithium
batteries are ideal for remote locations and
challenging environmental conditions.
(LiSOCL2) battery capable of withstanding the extreme heat,

vibration and rapid temperature cycling to which automotive
windshields are subjected. LiSOCL2 chemistry is also utilized
to power tens of millions of wireless automated meter reading
(AMR) units worldwide, demanding reliable performance in all
types of conditions, from artic cold to desert heat. These batteries are also utilized in medical RFID tags that must withstand
the prolonged heat of autoclave sterilization cycles, and data
loggers that must work continuously in the cold chain.
Lithium thionyl chloride (LiSOCL2) chemistry is ideal for
long-term deployment in challenging environmental conditions
because it offers the highest specific energy (energy per unit
weight) and energy density (energy per unit volume) of all
existing battery chemistries. One reason for the high energy
density is lithiums large electric potential, exceeding that of
other metals and producing the high voltages typical of lithium
batteries (2.7-3.9 VDC). Lithium cells use a non-aqueous electrolyte, which enables certain LiSOCL2 batteries to operate in
extreme temperatures (-55C to 125C), with certain models
adaptable to the cold chain (-80C). Recently, Tadiran LiSOCL2
cells were placed in a chyro chamber and subjected to progressively lower temperatures down to -100C and continued to
operate as needed.
Bobbin vs spiral wound construction
Lithium primary LiSOCl2 cells are constructed two ways:
bobbin-type and spiral-wound. Bobbin cells combine the highest energy density, the highest voltage, a wide temperature
range and very low annual self-discharge (less than 1 percent
per year). Bobbin cells consist of an outer cylinder made of
lithium metal and an inner electrode that is reminiscent of a
bobbin of thread. Spiral-wound cells use flat sheets of metal
wound around a core, providing a large surface area that can
create high currents. The greater number of layers within the
spiral-wound cell reduces the volume of electrolyte these batteries can hold, whereas bobbin cells can hold more electrolyte,
enabling them to deliver about 30 percent more energy than
spiral-wound cells of equivalent size.
Bobbin-type LiSOCl2 cells have a proven track record in remote
wireless applications. In 1984, this battery technology was chosen
by Aclara (formerly Hexagram) to power their first generation of
wireless AMR meters. Today, millions of these units remain in
operation, the earliest of which are still operating on their original
LiSOCl2 battery after 28+ years in the field.
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
Generates complex conditions.

And extreme condence.
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POWER
Tadiran lithium thionyl chloride cells are the most powerful and reliable lead-free, RoHS
and WEEE compliant batteries in the world.
A choice of batteries
to a low current sleep or standby state. The
for high current pulse
PulsesPlus battery also features a unique voltage
applications
curve that allows devices to be programmed to
Wireless sensors are becoming increasingly comgenerate low battery status alerts. PulsesPlus batterplex and feature-rich, with a growing demand for On
ies are available in a 3.6V system that indicates when
Demand 2-way RF communications that require
approximately 95 percent of the batterys capacity
high current pulses for data gathering and transmishas been exhausted, and a 3.9V system that indicates
sion. To address the unique power requirements of
when approximately 90 percent of available capacity
high current pulse applications, Tadiran developed
has been used up.
the PulsesPlus battery, which combines a standard
Tadiran recently introduced a second alternative,
bobbin-type LiSOCL2 battery with a patented Hybrid
Tadiran Rapid Response TRR Series batteries,
Layer Capacitor. This combination allows remote
which do not require the use of an HLC but still
wireless devices to operate continuously
deliver high capacity and high energy
with low background current, periodi- VIEW THIS ARTICLE ONLINE!
density without voltage or power delay.
GO TO:
cally drawing high current pulses for data
When a standard LiSOCl2 battery is first
http://bit.ly/wdd-tech
capture and transmission, then returning
subjected to load, voltage can drop temporarily, and then return to

its nominal value. TRR
Series batteries virtually eliminate this voltage drop
as well as voltage drop under pulse (or transient
minimum voltage level).The final result is zero delay
during the voltage response. These unique attributes
enable TRR Series batteries to utilize available capacity more efficiently, thus extending the operating
life of the battery by up to 15 percent under certain
conditions, especially in extremely hot or cold temperatures.
Lithium battery technology is evolving rapidly
to address the needs of high current pulse applications in extreme environments, providing design
engineers with greater flexibility to craft optimized
solutions that result in decades of maintenance-free
battery performance.
WDD
the world needs innovative electronics.

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C O V E R S T O RY
Is Digital Power
Digital power creates a new design environment for power
supplies, and proves to be a very powerful tool.
|By Bruce Haug, Senior Product Marketing Engineer, Power Products, Linear Technology
xperienced digital power users are normally

well aware of the benefits of digital power system management. However, for those who are
considering whether it makes sense for their products,
its benefits may not be so obvious. Typical questions
being asked are: Will our time-to-market be
longer when incorporating digital power?
LTC3880/-1 Programming Resolution
How difficult is it to implement? How
VOUT Command
long is the learning curve? What is the
12-bit Resolution
additional cost? Will our customers value
5.5V Range, 1.375mV per step
digital power? Will this technology open
2.75V Range, 687V per step
up new markets? Will we be left behind if
Current Limit Set Point
we dont incorporate digital power into our
3-bit Resolution, 5mV Accuracy
product portfolio? The answers to these
25mV to 75mV span
questions need to be understood to help
OV/UV VOUT Supervisor
8-bit Resolution, 2% of Accuracy
determine if digital power is a good choice
OV/UV VIN Supervisor
in the end application.
Figure 1. LTC3880 Applications Schematic
8-bit Resolution, 2% of Accuracy
Why Digital Power?
Having digital control over analog power supplies
with a simple PC connection is especially valuable
LTC3880/-1 Telemetry Resolution
during the development stage where designers need
Input Current
to get their systems up and running quickly. There
16-bit Resolution
can be as many as 30 point-of-load (POL) voltage
Per Phase and Combined
rails and users need to be able to easily monitor and
VIN
adjust supply voltages, sequence supplies up/down,
16-bit Resolution, 2% Accuracy
VOUT
set operating voltage limits, and read parameters like
16-bit Resolution, 0.5% Accuracy
voltage, current and temperature as well as access
IOUT
detailed fault logging via a digital interface. High
16-bit Resolution
accuracy is extremely important in these systems to
1% for 6mV VSENSE
maintain tight control over the rails and achieve the
Calibration factor for DCR
maximum performance.
In data centers, a key challenge is to reduce overall power
consumption by rescheduling the work flow and moving jobs to
underutilized servers, thereby enabling shutdown of other servers. To meet these demands, it is essential to know the power
consumption of the end-user equipment. A properly designed
digital power management system can provide the user with
power consumption data, allowing for smart energy management decisions to be made.
Knowing the condition and operating status of a voltage
regulator is perhaps the last remaining blind spot in todays
modern electronic systems, since they normally do not have

the means for directly configuring or remotely monitoring key
operating parameters. It can be critical for reliable operation
that a regulators output voltage drift over time or an over temperature condition be detected and acted on before a potential
failure event occurs. A well designed digital dower system can
monitor the performance of a voltage regulator and report back
on its health in so that corrective action can be taken prior to it
going out of specification or even failure.
In order to protect expensive ASICs from the possibility of
an over voltage condition, high-speed comparators must monitor the voltage levels of each rail and take immediate protective
action if a rail goes out of its specified safe operating limits. In
a digital power system, the host can be notified when a fault
occurs via the PMBus alert line and dependant rails can be shut
down to protect powered devices such as an ASIC. Achieving
this level of protection requires excellent accuracy and very fast
response times.
Digital power management is being adopted because of its ability to provide accurate information about the power system and its
ability to autonomously control and supervise dozens of voltages
with ease. It can be very difficult to probe around and monitor
30 POL voltages on a complex system board. System designers
dont have to write a single line of code unless they want their host
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
the Right Choice?

controllers with I2C-based PMBus interface for digital power system management.
These devices combine best in class analog switching regulator performance with
precision mixed signal data conversion for
ease of power system design and management, supported by the LTpowerPlay software development system with easy-to-use
graphical user interface (GUI).
The LTC3880/-1 allows for digital programming and read back for real-time control and monitoring of critical point-of-load
converter functions. Programmable control
parameters include output voltage, margining and current limits, input and output
supervisory limits, power-up sequencing
and tracking, switching frequency and identification and traceability data. On-chip
precision data converters and EEPROM
allow for the capture and nonvolatile storage of regulator configuration settings and
telemetry variables, including input and
output voltages and currents, duty cycle,
temperature and fault logging.
The LTC3880/-1 has an analog control
Figure 2. Block Diagram on How to Control 15 Rails via an I2C/PMBus
loop for best loop stability and fastest
transient response without the quantization
effects commonly found in slower digital
control loops. This device can provide two
independent outputs or be configured for a
two phase single output. Up to 6 phases can
be interleaved and paralleled for accurate
sharing among multiple ICs, minimizing
input and output filtering requirements for
high current and/or multiple output applications. An integrated amplifier provides
true differential remote output voltage
sensing, enabling high accuracy regulation,
Figure 3. LTC2978 Controlling an External DC/DC Converter
independent of board IR voltage drops. Figure 1
shows a typical application using the LTC3880 to
processor to read telemetry and do simple fault interdevelop 1.8V @ 20A and 3.3V @ 15A from a 12V
vention. It is clear that manufacturers need to provide
bus voltage.
cost-effective parts tailored and targeted at specific
Configurations for the LTC3880/-1 are easily
niches that can be easily implemented by new, as well
saved
to internal EEPROM over the devices I2C serias experienced users. Linear Technology has several
al
interface
using Linear Technologys LTpowerPlay
digital power products and the LTC3880 (see page 20)
GUI-based
development
software. Onboard memory
is one that has recently been released.
allows for specific user settings. In addition, this
controller can power up autonomously without burDigital Power Done Right
dening the host processor. Default settings can be
The LTC3880 and LTC3880-1 are dual output
optionally configured by external resistor dividers
high efficiency synchronous step-down DC/DC
WDD|MAY|JUN|12
for output voltage, switching frequency, phase and

device address. The LTC3880/-1 has an onboard 16bit ADC that provides best in class programmability
and telemetry read-back.
Programming Resolution & Telemetry
Accuracy of the LTC3880/-1
The LTC3880/-1 features onboard integrated
MOSFET gate drivers to drive all N-channel power
MOSFETs from input voltages ranging from 4.5V
to 24V, and it can produce 0.50% accurate output
voltages from 0.5V to 5.5V with output currents up
to 30A per phase over the full operating temperature
range. The LTC3880/-1 can also drive power blocks
or DR MOS devices. The LTC3880/-1s minimum
on-time of just 90ns makes it ideal for compact
high frequency/high step-down ratio applications.
Accurate timing across multiple chips and eventbased sequencing allow the optimization of power-up
and power-down of complex, multiple rail systems.
The LTC3880 features an onboard LDO. The
LTC3880-1 allows for an external bias voltage for
highest efficiency. Both parts are available in a thermally enhanced 6mm x 6mm QFN-40 package with
a -40C to 105C operating junction temperature
range.
Digital System Management for Real-Life
Applications
A large multirail power board is normally comprised of an isolated intermediate bus converter,
which converts a 48V, 24V or other voltage from
the backplane to a lower intermediate bus voltage
(IBV), typically 12V that is distributed around the
PC card. Individual point-of-load (POL) DC-DC
converters step down the IBV to the required rail
voltages, which normally range from 0.6V to 5V
with currents ranging from 0.5A to 120A. Figure
2 shows how a multi-rail system can be controlled
with various Linear Technology controllers and
DC/DC converters. The point of load DC/DCs can
be self-contained modules, monolithic devices or
solutions comprised of DC-DC controller ICs with
associated Ls, Cs and MOSFETs. These rails normally have strict requirements for sequencing, voltage accuracy, over current and over voltage limits,
margining and supervision.
Clearly, the sophistication of power management
is increasing and its not uncommon for circuit board
to have over 30 rails. These types of boards are
C O V E R S T O RY
densely populated and the digital power system management circuitry must not take up too much board
space. It must be easy to use and be able to control a
high number of rails. Linear Technology's LTC2978
combines all the necessary features to work in
conjunction with the LTC3880/1 and LTC2874 to
control up to 72 voltages on a single segment of
an I2C bus. The LTC3880/-1 controls, VIEW THIS ARTICLE ONLINE! to report telemetry. Figure 3 shows an
monitors and generates up to two high
example of one channel of an LTC2978
GO TO:
http://bit.ly/wdd-tech
current rails. The LTC2978 controls and
controlling a DC/DC converter.
monitors up to 8 rails, and the LTC2974
The PMBus command language was
controls and monitors up to 4 rails. Such solutions
developed to address the needs of large multirail
must operate autonomously or communicate with
systems. In addition to a well-defined set of stana system host processor for command, control and
dard commands, PMBus compliant devices can
also implement their own proprietary commands to
provide innovative value-added features. The standardization of the majority of the commands and the
data format is a great advantage to OEMs producing
these types of system boards. The protocol is implemented over the industry-standard SMBusTM serial
interface and enables programming, control, and
real-time monitoring of power conversion products.
Command language and data format standardization
Printed Circuit
allows for easy firmware development and reuse by
Interconnection
OEMs, which results in reduced time-to-market for
Devices
power systems designers.
With over 75 PMBus standard command functions, users can take full operational control of
their power system using one of the most popular
TP-105 Series of Color-Coded
open standard power-management protocols. Users
PCB Test Points
can also generate interrupt requests for the system
10 Standard Colors for Easy
controller by asserting an ALERT pin in response to
Identication
supported PMBus faults. The supplied LTpowerPlay
Ultra-low Prole
GUI gives users easy access to the LTC3880/-1s
Available in Positions from
operations and settings.
BUILD a BETTER
BOARD
TP-105
1 to 40
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866-4COMPCO Fax: 973-361-5801
Conclusion
Digital power creates a new design environment
for power supplies which adds value in several areas.
First, having digital control over analog power supplies with a simple PC connection is valuable during
the development stage enabling designers to get their
systems up and running quickly. Designers of high
rail count systems need an easy way to monitor, control and adjust supply voltages, limits and sequencing. Production margin testing is easier to perform
than traditional methods since the entire test can be
controlled by a couple of standard commands over
an I2C/PMBus bus. Power system data can be sent
back to the OEM about the power supplies health,
effectively opening up the blind spot with regards to
a DC/DC converters well being.
A properly designed digital power management
system provides the user with power consumption data, allowing for smart energy management
decisions to be made, which can be used to reduce
overall power consumption. Digital power is not all
things to all people; however, for high rail count
complex systems and OEMs who want to keep
track of their power systems status it is a very powerful tool.
WDD
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
NORDIC
SEMICONDUCTOR
Meet
of A
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ons
tor
from N
ordic Semiconduc
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WRITE MORE
Noise on Vcc - A Challenge for Designers

by Wolfgang Damm, Director Product Marketing, Wireless Telecom Group
Highest component integration and ultra-fast switching speed of electronic chips and
devices forces circuit designers to re-think their Vcc and GND architecture.
The Vcc level should be flat and GND should be a clean reference unfortunately, this is
not always the case. With increasing integration and growing requirements for speed and
accuracy, noise starts to permeate supply power and, even if minute, may affect the functionality of integrated circuits and systems.
Read more at http://bit.ly/wdd-blog-wtg
The 4G Challenge That Networking Users Now Face

by Dan-Joe Barry, VP of Marketing with Napatech
One of the biggest technical challenges facing the networking industry today are the demands that the next generation of cellular communications known as 4G (for fourth generation) will place on the network backhaul and communications networks generally.
4G better known as Long Term Evolution by those in the know is a revolution in terms
of data speeds, but is actually a natural upgrade for existing 2G and 3G cellular networks,
achieving downstream speeds of an astonishing 300 Mbps and uplink speeds of 75 Mbps.
Read more at http://bit.ly/wdd-blog-Napatech
Automating Industrial Equipment

Controls with M2M
Communications
Platforms and
Services
by Brian Anderson, VP of
Marketing, Sierra Wireless
Traditional control systems used to monitor and

automate industrial field equipment provide very specific functions. These systems generally control local
equipment functions, like process control, and allow
one-way data communication of data from the industrial product to a business application typically used by
a few individuals working within a single department.
New machine-to-machine (M2M) communications technologies can vastly expand and improve
upon those earlier control systems. These new
M2M solutions make it possible to build and deploy
smart automation systems, providing new control
and management capabilities, that deliver more detailed, actionable information.
Read more at http://bit.ly/wdd-blog-sw
Building a Successful All-CMOS Silicon

Oscillator - An Ageold Problem Solved
by Steve Cliffe, VP Worldwide
Sales and Marketing, eoSemi
The march of silicon integration

has proved irresistible in almost every
area of electronics design. Even the most intractable problems such as mixed signal circuits have
succumbed to the power of CMOS: in the process,
vast swathes of hardware and software have been
sucked into the silicon chip. Oscillator design is
one of the very few exceptions to this rule. As soon
as you learn a little about the subject, it becomes
clear that its a special challenge and it becomes
obvious why the existing solution, the crystal, has
been in use for nearly a century now.
Read more at http://bit.ly/wdd-blogeosemi
Change in Your Pocket

By Janine E. Mooney, WDD Editor
For retailers tablets equal gold. After entering the e-commerce space in the last years, and
with the help of user-friendly mobile apps, retailers are pleased and profitable. But this isnt
the only wireless technology that theyre (almost) smiling about.
Mobile payments are developing in their favor, thanks to near field communication. The
act of pointing your NFC-enabled phone at a card reader to pay your train fare, to download
details about the next time your favorite band is coming to town, or to quickly pay for dinner, is so simple and intuitive. Some retailers have already started using the technology, and
although there is considerable activity around mobiles payments, uncertainty still lingers.
Read more at http://bit.ly/wdd-blog-jm
WiGig is Coming
By Ali Sadri, President and Chairman of the WiGig Alliance
The widespread availability and use of digital multimedia content has created a need for
faster wireless connectivity that current commercial standards cannot support. This has
driven demand for a single standard that can support advanced applications such as wireless display and docking. The Wireless Gigabit (WiGig) Alliance was formed to meet this
need by establishing a wireless technology operating in the unlicensed 60 gigahertz band
that promises data rates of up to 7 gigabits per second, or more than 10 times the speed of
the fastest wifi networks available today. The band has much more spectrum available than
the 2.4 or 5 gigahertz bands used by existing wifi products.
Read more at http://bit.ly/wdd-blog-wigig
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
POWER
Secondary-Side Bridge Rectification

for Wireless Charging Applications
Efficiency considerations are critical for wireless charging solutions.
|By Ann Starks, Applications Engineer, Power MOSFET Division, ON Semiconductor
n today's industry there is a continual need for on-the-go

power management, and wireless (contactless) charging
solutions are becoming more and more prevalent in the
marketplace. While not as efficient as existing wired solutions,
wireless charging provides increased convenience to the consumer and eliminates the need for additional charging cables.
Wireless charging has applications in the portable electronics
industry, the auto industry, and even the medical industry.
In todays high tech society, there is an increasing desire for
convenient charging solutions for multiple electrical devices.
Potential wireless charging market opportunities include use in
vehicles, airports, and inside the home. Gaming platforms now
offer wireless charging options for their controllers with the
goal of added convenience to the consumer. As wireless charging gains popularity, many cell phone manufacturers have begun
offering battery covers that incorporate additional circuitry to
make their products compatible with wireless charging.
Wireless charging is not a new concept. For years, electronic
toothbrushes and razors have utilized this charging method.
The consumer simply places the device into the base unit to
charge the battery, without the need for exposed metal contacts.
Wireless charging reduces or eliminates the need for charging
cables, and can provide the ability to charge multiple devices at
once by simply placing them on a charging pad.

Wireless charging is accomplished by use of an air-core transformer. The primary winding is located in the charging pad and the
secondary winding is located within the device itself. The charging
pad induces a current in the secondary winding that passes through
a full-bridge rectifier and additional circuitry within the hand-held
device to create a DC voltage that charges the battery. Figure 1
shows an example block diagram of a wireless charging circuit. The
base unit is powered from a standard wall outlet. Once the hand-held
device is placed on the base unit, the battery begins to charge.
Transformer Basics
When current passes through a coil of wire, a magnetic field
is produced. The transformer uses this fundamental property to
induce a current from one winding to another. The turns ratio,
N, is the ratio of number of turns in the secondary winding to
the number of turns in the primary winding.
n
N = ns
p
The turns ratio is used to calculate the voltage and current
induced in the secondary winding. The voltage produced in the
secondary winding can be calculated as:
Vs = Vp * N
The current in the secondary winding is calculated as:
Ip
Is = N
Figure 1 (above): Wireless Charging Example Diagram
Transformers can be designed in various configurations and use

a core material to induce the magnetic field in the secondary winding. Permeability, , is a measure of how effectively a magnetic
field is created within the transformer. In other words, how efficiently the transformer delivers power to the secondary winding.
The higher the permeability, the more effective the transformer is
at transferring power from the primary to the secondary. Intrinsic
permeability is the permeability of free space in a vacuum, and is
defined as:
0 = 4 107/2
Figure 2 (above): Full Bridge Rectifier: 4 Diode Configuration
Units are in Newtons per Ampere-squared. The relative permeability is defined as the permeability of a specific material
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divided by the intrinsic permeability, or:
Relative Permeability =
0
A very popular material used in todays industry is the Ferrite core. The relative permeability
of a manganese zinc ferrite core is 640 or greater.
For wireless chargers, however, air is the core
material. This is because the primary winding
is located in a separate unit from the secondary
winding. The relative permeability of air is 1,
resulting in a much less efficient transformer.
Because the transformer efficiency is low, the
efficiency of the rest of the circuit becomes very
important.
Secondary Side Bridge Rectification
The full-bridge rectifier and filter circuit produces a constant DC voltage from the AC signal
induced in the secondary winding. Figure 2 shows
a full-bridge rectifier circuit using a four-diode
configuration.
When diodes 1 and 3 are forward-biased, diodes 2
and 4 are reverse-biased, and vice versa. Therefore,
the main power loss across the bridge is the forward
drop across the two diodes. A standard diode has a
voltage drop of approximately 0.7 V. This means that
the power loss across the two diodes is:
Ploss = ILoad * (VF1 + VF2) = ILoad * 2(0.7V)
Figure 3: Current Path During (a) Region 1 and (b) Region 2 of the Input Waveform.
Figure 4: Full Bridge Rectifier: 2 Diode, 2 MOSFET Configuration
A second full bridge rectifier configuration consists of two diodes and two MOSFET devices.
Figure 4 shows an example of this configuration.
A Schottky diode has a much lower forward voltFor this bridge configuration, diodes 3 and
age drop, typically around 0.4 V. For the bridge con4 are replaced with N-channel MOSFETs. The
figuration shown in Figure 2, the Schottky diodes
gate of MOSFET 3 is tied to node a and the gate
give better efficiency. The example input waveform
of MOSFET 4 is connected to node b. The body
shown in Figure 2 is a sine wave with amplitude
diode of each MOSFET blocks current flow
VPK. The rectified output has an amplitude of VPK
when that MOSFET is off. The example bridge
and both halves of the cycle are positive.
input and output waveforms are the same as the
Figure 3 shows the current path across the bridge
previous bridge configuration. During Region 1,
and load for Region 1 and Region 2 of the input
the voltage at node a is higher than the voltage
voltage sine wave. During the first half of the input
at node b. Diode 1 is forward-biased, Diode 2 is
voltage cycle (Region 1 and Figure 4a) the voltage at
reverse-biased, MOSFET 3 is on and MOSFET 4
node a is higher than the voltage at node b. Current
is off (with the body diode of MOSFET 4 reverseflows through diode 1, across the load, and returns to
biased). During Region 2, the voltage at node b is
the transformer through diode 3. During the second
higher than the voltage at node a. Diode 2 is forhalf of the input voltage cycle (Region 2 and Figure
ward-biased, Diode 1 is reverse-biased, MOSFET
4b) the voltage at node b is higher than the voltage
4 is on and MOSFET 3 is off (with the body diode
at node a, and current flows in the opposite direcof MOSFET 3 reverse-biased).
tion through diode 2, across the load, and returns to
The current path and resulting output
the transformer through diode 4. In each
case, current flows in the same direction VIEW THIS ARTICLE ONLINE! waveform is the same as the previous
GO TO:
configuration. However, by replacing two
across the load itself, producing the outhttp://bit.ly/wdd-tech
diodes with MOSFETs, the bridge effiput voltage waveform seen in Figure 2.
ciency is increased, and the power loss across the

diode and MOSFET becomes:
Ploss = ILoad * VF1 + I2Load * RDS(ON)

The third implementation results in the lowest
power loss. This power loss savings translates
directly into improved efficiency of the secondary
circuit as a whole, making the wireless charging
solution more energy efficient.
Efficiency considerations are critical for wireless charging solutions, due to the lower efficiency
nature of the air-gap transformer over traditional
wired solutions. Therefore, to maximize the performance for wireless charging, the efficiency of
each circuit block must be carefully considered
and addressed. Implementing a two-diode and
two-MOSFET solution results in a large power loss
savings. For the electronics industry today, energy
conservation and improved efficiency are at the
forefront of the minds of both consumer and manufacturers. As wireless charging gains momentum,
so too does the increased need for high-efficiency
and high performance solutions.
WDD
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
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O S C I L L AT O R S / T I M I N G D E V I C E S
Oscillators/Timing Devices
Q:
Where in the design cycle is it best

to spec in a timing device, and why?
E.L. Fox, President, Fox

Electronics In short, the earlier in
the design cycle, the better, especially
with the advantages provided by todays
configurable oscillator technologies.
Timing device decisions are traditionally saved for the end stages of a design
cycle, but configurable oscillator evaluation can offer unique engineering advantages when incorporated at the front end of the process.
Specifically, configurable quartz oscillators provide designers with additional options, due to their modular, flexible
Ramon Cerda, Vice President of Engineering, Crystek
structure. When evaluated earlier in the design phase,
Corporation The short answer is; as soon as possible. Most, if not all
configurable oscillators can be tailored to precise frequency
timing devices should be treated as long lead-times items. If the crystal oscillarequirements and tweaked as the design process evolves.
tor manufacturer does not have your particular frequency and/or specification
They can also be modified to accommodate changing
requirement in stock, it can take many weeks before they can deliver the timstabilities,
tolerances or power supply requirements depending device. There are very few manufacturing short cuts in the building of a
ing
on
how
the design progresses. Even the form factor
quartz crystal. The writer has firsthand experience with important projects being
might
be
adaptable,
with appropriate allowances for heat
delayed because of a twenty cents crystal. Throwing expediting fees at the last minute is no help.
dissipation
in
higher
power, higher frequency designs.
The systems/design engineers should contact the crystal oscillator manufacturer early in the
Because
the
modular
design of configurable oscilladesign cycle. This is important not only for having a device in time but also to check what is the
tors
utilizes
stocked
components
in addition to an interbest timing unit for the specific application. As we all know, websites are sometimes difficult
changeable
building-block
design,
designers can receive
to maneuver and one can easily miss the best part for application. The early bird can save the
test
samples
in
a
matter
of
days
and
full production runs
company money by selecting the right part early. Hence, speaking with an application engiin
less
than
two
weeks.
And
because
these custom-taineer may get you a better performing part on time, and at the lowest cost possible.
lored
solutions
can
be
delivered
quicker,
they are better
Iteration of a selected timing device is sometimes necessary. This may be due to improved
equipped
to
accommodate
last-minute
adjustments
if
requirements now needed but not anticipated before or a frequency change. This is like starting
they
consider
their
full
range
of
options
earlier
in
the
over and these new requirement(s) should be communicated with the timing device manufacoscillator design process.
turer right away so they can keep up with your schedule.
Todays high-quality configurable oscillators, like Foxs
XpressO family of crystal oscillators, deliver reliable
performance across a full range of target frequencies from
0.75 MHz all the way up to 1.35 GHz. They also offer sta By David Kenny, Vice President Research & Development,
bilities as tight as +/-20 ppm, reduce jitter to the range of
Pletronics, Inc. The best time to consider the timing device in the
0.3 pS to 0.5 pS, satisfy voltage requirements down to 1.8
design cycle is at the very beginning. Too often the assumption is made that
V, and offer package sizes down to 3.2 mm x 2.5 mm at
the timing device is an off-the- shelf component. If this is the case, it should
costs equal to or better than conventional quartz oscillator
be verified early. If this is not the case, the timing device could have signifidesigns, and with very short order lead times.
cant lead time. Precision timing devices using quartz are dependent on the
With the more versatile time, cost and performance
mechanical properties of quartz. If the particular frequency has not been previadvantages now afforded by configurable oscillators, designously configured, the lead-time for proper thickness blanks and associated masks can take 12ers can do more to satisfy both their end product and produc16 weeks. If the timing device is considered early enough in the design process, it may
tion requirements by bringing oscillator considVIEW THIS ARTICLE ONLINE! erations into the equation much earlier than the
be possible to use an existing or slightly modified device and save time on time and
GO TO:
cost by using the economy of scale by riding along with other timing products.
end of a design cycle.
http://bit.ly/wdd-brainstorm
BRAINSTORM
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
mouser.com
Distributing semiconductors and electronic

components for design engineers.
Authorized Distributor
.6
mouser.com
Find It Here. Faster.
Mouser and Mouser Electronics are registered trademarks of Mouser Electronics, Inc. Other products, logos, and company names mentioned herein, may be trademarks of their respective owners.
32|
N F C|SHOWCASE | wirelessdesignmag.com
Dual RFID-ZigBee Sensors

Enable NFC Applications for
the Internet of Things
Libelium has launched a RFID/NFC module
for the Waspmote sensor platform. The
radio module extends Waspmote features
allowing the sensor data to be used in
Location Based Services (LBS),
such as asset tracking, supply
chain monitoring, intelligent
shopping or access management.
By using RFID/NFC along with
ZigBee, asset tracking can be
more accurate than ever along
the whole supply chain process.
Product management softwares,
like ERPs, will have access in real
time to information related to remaining stock, storage and transportation conditions, expiration dates and even
consumer profiles, knowing time spent in front of a shelf or products picked
up and not bought. Security applications, including access control, can also be
covered with this technology as the RFID standard -Mifare- uses a 6 bytes key
to ensure maximum privacy and authentication requirements, a major concern
in this technology.
Libelium, www.libelium.com
Five-in-one
Wireless
Connectivity
Solutions for Nextgeneration Mobile
Experiences
Texas Instruments introduced
the WiLink 8.0 product family:
a collection of 45-nanometer single-chip solutions that
integrate up to five different
radios, and set the stage for nextgeneration mobile Wi-Fi, GNSS, NFC, Bluetooth and FM transmit/receive
applications. The WiLink 8.0 architecture supports various combinations of
these technologies, allowing for customized solutions to address the unique
needs and price points of all mobile markets. Each chip variant comes in a
compact WSP package that can be mounted directly on a PCB, and includes
all required RF front ends, a complete power management system, and comprehensive coexistence mechanisms. WiLink 8 solutions are available for all
Wi-Fi throughput ranges, either using 2x2 MIMO or SISO 40MHz. Capable
of reaching more than 100Mbps Wi-Fi TCP throughput on the 2.4GHz and
5GHz bands, the chips promise the fastest mobile streaming and high-definition (HD) mobile video capabilities.
Texas Instruments, www.ti.com
Single-chip
Solution for
Multifunction
Car Keys
Pioneering the market
for smart car keys,
NXP Semiconductors
announced the availability of its production-ready single-chip
solution for multifunction car keys - the
NCF2970 (KEyLink Lite). Enhancing the functionality of car keys by supporting Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, NXPs KEyLink
Lite enables car manufacturers to offer a new driving experience with keys
that connect to external NFC-compliant devices, such as mobile phones,
tablets and laptops. The launch of KEyLink Lite is timed to take advantage
of the growing popularity and availability of NFC. Drivers will be able
to simply wave their car key over an NFC-compliant mobile device to access essential and useful car data. Based on NFC standards, and utilizing
the 13.56MHz frequency and cryptography such as Hitag-3 or AES-128,
KEyLink Lite provides secure storage and enables communication of sensitive data. KEyLink Lite uniquely combines NFC capabilities and NXPs
industry-leading Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) and Passive Keyless Entry
(PKE) technologies. This allows NFC-compliant mobile devices to edit and
view data stored on a car key and opens many new use cases.
NXP Semiconductors, www.nxp.com
N F C|S HOWCA SE | wirelessdesignmag.com

Single-chip
Solution for
Multifunction
Car Keys
Pioneering the market
for smart car keys,
NXP Semiconductors
announced the availability of its production-ready single-chip
solution for multifunction car keys - the NCF2970 (KEyLink Lite). Enhancing the functionality of
car keys by supporting Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, NXPs
KEyLink Lite enables car manufacturers to offer a new driving experience with
keys that connect to external NFC-compliant devices, such as mobile phones,
tablets and laptops. The launch of KEyLink Lite is timed to take advantage of the
growing popularity and availability of NFC. Drivers will be able to simply wave
their car key over an NFC-compliant mobile device to access essential and useful car data. Based on NFC standards, and utilizing the 13.56MHz frequency and
cryptography such as Hitag-3 or AES-128, KEyLink Lite provides secure storage
and enables communication of sensitive data. KEyLink Lite uniquely combines
NFC capabilities and NXPs industry-leading Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) and
Passive Keyless Entry (PKE) technologies. This allows NFC-compliant mobile devices to edit and view data stored on a car key and opens many new use cases.
NXP Semiconductors, www.nxp.com
Standalone NFC
MicroSD
austriamicrosystems announced
the first demonstration that enables
NFC data transfer on removable
secure elements using a micro-antenna design. This solution was
developed in cooperation
with Infineon Technologies
AG. It will speed up the
deployment and the acceptance of standalone
NFC solutions based
on ultra small form
factors such as
microSD. NFC
is now entering the
consumer mass market and
despite the release of new NFC enabled
phones, standalone solutions are needed
to enable NFC for the millions of mobile devices already in the field. The
NFC microSD solution is integrated with the micro-antenna included in the
ultra small form factor. No other design approach currently on the market allows for reliable contactless payment fully enclosed within the microSD.
austriamicrosystems, www.ams.com
|33
NO
STRINGS ATTACHED
Introducing No Strings Attached
Each month this section will highlight our web-based interview show where we talk
about the latest wireless technology, components and design issues.
In this podcast, Tom Dekker, Director of Sales and Marketing for RF Products at Cree, discusses the C-Band
GaN HEMT MMIC high-power amplifier. The device offers superior linear efficiency in a small footprint package
facilitating reductions in transmitter size and weight with
lower cost thermal management. In addition, because this
device operates at higher voltages than GaAs MESFETs,
the transistors draw less current, resulting in lower power
distribution losses and higher overall system efficiencies.
Listen to the podcast at: http://bit.ly/wdd-nsa-cree

For more information about Cree, please visit: www.cree.com
Listen as Jennifer Ernst, VP of North America at Thinfilm
Electronics speaks with us about printed electronics and
the new printed temperature sensor system. They recently
announced a new partnership with PST Sensors to jointly
develop a printed temperature sensor system that will
monitor the temperature of perishable goods such as food
and pharmaceuticals. These systems are a successful example of how low cost electronics can be manufactured in high volumes for a
fraction of the cost compared to traditional silicon microelectronics.
Listen to the podcast at: http://bit.ly/wdd-nsa-tf

For more information about Thinfilm Electronics, please visit: www.thinfilm.no
Talking with Andy Ross, Director of Wireless Applications for B&B Electronics, speaks with us about the
new airborne technology. This industrial-grade wireless access point is the first fruit of B&Bs October
2011 acquisition of Quatech, whose Airborne wireless
networking devices feature WiFi connectivity technology to network-enable industrial M2M devices.
Listen to the podcast at: http://bit.ly/wdd-nsa-bb

For more information about B&B Electronics, please visit: www.bb-elec.com
Listen as we discuss small cells and WiFi with Juan Santiago, VP of Product Management at Powerwave. Small
cell technology boosts the capacity of cell networks, and
because the technology is designed to feature more, but
smaller transmitters, you'll find less dead zones and less
competition for cell tower resources. What does this mean
to you? It means more cell phone coverage and cheaper
data transmissions.
Listen to the podcast at: http://bit.ly/wdd-nsa-pw

For more information about Powerwave, please visit: www.powerwave.com
We welcome Bill Saltzstein, President of connectBlue,
who is speaking with us about Bluetooth low energy technology. Bluetooth low energy technology is rapidly being
integrated in small mobile devices thanks to the unique
features of an extremely long battery lifetime, fast connection times and interoperability focus provided by the
standard. Industrial and medical customers can now
easily utilize "apps" for Human Machine Interface (HMI),
gateway and data acquisition functionality.
Listen to the podcast at: http://bit.ly/wdd-nsa-cb

For more information about connectBlue, please visit: www.connectblue.se
We talk to Jeremy Hendy, VP of Sales and Marketing at
Nujira, who is speaking with us about envelope tracking.
Nujira has launched the first IC in its Coolteq.L product
family of Envelope Tracking (ET) power supply modulators for mobile handsets. Nujiras NCT-L1100 has been
developed by the industrys largest and most experienced
ET team, delivering a chip that reduces wasted energy
from power amplifiers (PAs) in mobile handsets by more
than 50 percent, cutting heat dissipation and extending battery life.
Listen to the podcast at: http://bit.ly/wdd-nsa-nj

For more information about Nujira, please visit: www.nujira.com
No Strings Attached Sponsored by:
Memory Protection Devices, Inc.

200 Broadhollow Road; Suite 4; Farmingdale, NY 11790
Phone: 1-631-249-0001; Fax: 1-631-249-0002
Email: info@memoryprotectiondevices.com
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
36|
P ROD U CT & S ER VI CES M ARKE TP L AC E
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Tadiran Electronic Industries .......................................................................................................................... 5
MAY|JUN|12|WDD
We Still Make em
Like They Used To
Some classic designs

are timeless
Lansdale Semiconductor still manufactures some of
the most popular and timeless commercial wireless,
telecommunications, military and aerospace integrated
circuits (ICs) classic designs.
As a global pioneer in IC products life cycle management, Lansdale
manufactures over 3,000 classic design ICs in the original package, exactly
as they were created and produced by AMD, Farchild, Freescale Semiconductor, Harris, Intel, Motorola, National,
Philips (formerly Signetics), and Raytheon.
Our exclusive life cycle management program assures you of a dependable, continuous, cost effective, and high
quality source of classic designed ICs today and tomorrow!
This means Lansdale eliminates the need to go to the time or expense of designing in a replacement part or even
doing a complete product redesign not when we still make em exactly like they used to.
Log on to our Web site at www.lansdale.com to review our up-to-date
product listings and data sheets.
Contact Chris@Lansdale.com today.

5245 South 39th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85040-9008
0HONEs&AX
Redening RF and
Microwave Instrumentation
with open software and modular hardware
Achieve speed, accuracy, and exibility in your RF and microwave test applications
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system design software of NI LabVIEW coupled with NI PXI hardware puts the latest
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>> Learn more at ni.com/redene
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2012 National Instruments. All rights reserved. LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments.
Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 06147
WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES
National Instruments supports a broad
range of wireless standards including:
802.11a/b/g/n/ac
CDMA2000/EV-DO
WCDMA/HSPA/HSPA+
LTE
GSM/EDGE
Bluetooth

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