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Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe

Fujitsu announces Mobile WiMAX™ chip-set optimised for small embedded modules

Langen, Germany, 16th June 2008 —  Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe (FME) today announces a Mobile WiMAX™ chip-set optimised for small embedded modules targeting mobile WiMAX devices such as smart phones and PDAs.

The chip-set includes a baseband device (MB86K22), an RF device (MB86K52) and a dedicated power management device (MB39C316), which are the essential components required for competitive WiMAX modules. The chip-set was designed so that the size of a resulting WiMAX module will be 12 x 12mm. The idle current, which has a direct impact on the battery life, achieves less than 0.5mA, thus helping the development of desirable mobile WiMAX terminals.

Mobile WiMAX, next-generation wireless technology, will become reality this year in EMEA, the USA and Taiwan, followed next year by Japan. The initial service available in the market will be PC-based mobile broadband access. At the same time, terminals such as handsets, smartphones, PDAs, portable games and navigation systems are strongly expected to aid the rapid and successful growth of mobile WiMAX technology.

With this chip-set, module vendors can offer competitive products with the necessary features for mobile WiMAX in a small form factor. Matured software stacks have been proven in the previous generation, while power management schemes have also been optimised to a comparable level. Mobile WiMAX terminal manufacturers can therefore focus their engineering effort on developing desirable user interfaces and services.

"This highly integrated WiMAX chip-set features the low power and small form factor essential to the development of attractive mobile WiMAX terminal products," said Manfred Mettendorff, Senior Manager Marketing, Business Unit Communications – Wireless ASSP, Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe. "Fujitsu has assumed a global leadership position in moving WiMAX into deployment, and we are now ready to work with module vendors to meet market requirements."

MB86K22, a fully integrated baseband device, is fabricated in Fujitsu’s own 65nm advanced CMOS low-leakage process technology, and achieves a 36% reduction in operating-power consumption. With power gating technology, which shuts down the power supply in the unused blocks inside the device, the entire mobile WiMAX module will consume only 0.5mA, which results in longer battery life.

MB86K52, an RF device based on CMOS process technology, supports 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz – almost all of the frequencies set by the WiMAX Forum® – helping mobile WiMAX terminal manufacturers to introduce global WiMAX devices. It supports MIMO technology, one of the essential features for mobile WiMAX Wave 2 equipment.

MB39C316, a power management device, eliminates all of the complex and time-consuming design issues associated with power management, by accommodating a single battery cell thereby minimising the peripheral components outside the module. It will control and manage the module’s power schemes at the system level, achieving the lowest power consumption at each operation.

Samples of the devices will be delivered to major module manufacturers starting August 2008.

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About Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe

Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe (FME) is a major supplier of semiconductor products. The company provides advanced systems solutions to the automotive, digital TV, mobile telephony, networking and industrial markets. Engineers from design centres dedicated to microcontrollers, graphics controllers, mixed-signal, wireless, multimedia ICs and ASIC products work closely with FME's marketing and sales teams throughout Europe to help satisfy customers' system development requirements. This solutions approach is supported by a broad range of advanced semiconductor devices, IP and building blocks.
For more information, please see: http://emea.fujitsu.com/microelectronics