NEC's New Front End Integrated Circuit Simplifies Board Design and Reduces Cost

Small footprint enables new product designs

SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- NEC is now shipping its
UPG2253T6S Front End Integrated Circuit (FEIC), available through California
Eastern Laboratories (CEL). The FEIC is a highly integrated device that
combines a power amplifier (PA), low pass filter (LPF), and two single pole
double throw switches (SPDT) into a single chip. By integrating these
components into one die, the FEIC reduces component count, saves total bill of
materials (BOM) cost, simplifies procurement, and decreases the printed
circuit board (PCB) space required for many new embedded product designs. The
FEIC eliminates the need for RF component matching which greatly simplifies
board design and further reduces component count.

Key Applications
The FEIC is ideal for applications such as Bluetooth modules that are designed
into notebooks, mobile phones, and headsets as well as ZigBee/ 802.15.4
modules which have wide applicability in automatic meter reading, wireless
security, cable replacement, and lighting systems in both commercial and
residential buildings. The FEIC significantly boosts range for CEL's extensive
line of ZigBee/802.15.4 devices.

Leads the Market
The FEIC is superior to similar products on several fronts. Its smaller
package size enables product designs with tiny footprints while its better
harmonic suppression eliminates the need for low pass filters on most product
designs. Few designs have the FEIC's through/PA bypass feature, which
enables the end product to switch to a high power mode when greater range is
needed but automatically switches to a low power mode when greater battery
savings are optimal. Alternatively, the through/bypass path can be used as
the Rx path. Furthermore, NEC's ability to integrate these functions on a
single chip gives size reduction and performance advantages over companies
using multi-chip modules.

"Our new FEIC enables many new product designs in Bluetooth, ZigBee, and other
2.4 GHz wireless applications. Interest has been strong from customers who
have been sampling it, and no other company can deliver such a convenient,
easy-to-design-in compact device, especially with NEC-level quality," said CEL
Senior Product Line Manager Joe Grimm. "We will continue to improve the FEIC
later this year and next," continued Grimm.

Technical Information

Package type: 12 pin QFN

Package size: 3 mm x 3 mm x 0.7 mm

DC: Vd = Ven = Vsm = 3.0V

Tx: Po = 19 dBm, PAE = 28%, Idd = 95 mA, 2f0 = -25 dBm, 3f0 = -40 dBm

Rx: Loss = 1.5 dB typical

Pricing and Availability
The UPG2253T6S FEIC is shipping now. Pricing is $1.10 in quantities of
100,000. Evaluation boards are available.

For more information on the FEIC, please visit:
http://www.cel.com/parts.do?command=load&idRootPart=2085

Please contact David Cohen at david.cohen@cel.com for more information or to
arrange a detailed technical briefing.

About CEL
California Eastern Laboratories (www.cel.com) is the exclusive sales and
marketing partner for products made by the Compound Semiconductor Devices
Division (CSDD) of NEC Electronics Corporation. NEC is world famous as a
leader in manufacturing quality and reliability.

SOURCE California Eastern Laboratories

David Cohen, +1-408-919-2290, david.cohen@cel.com