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TechWaTch
AWR Software for Next Generation Universal LTE Smartphones
By Sherry Hess, VP Marketing
many challenges, not the least of which is a growing scarcity of spec- trum space and a variety of mobile ac- cess technologies worldwide. Current- ly deployed cellular standards include GSM, WCDMA (Wideband code-divi- sion multiple access), HSPA (High Speed Packet Access), CDMA (Code- division multiple access), and TD- SCDMA (Time Division synchronous code-division multiple access), and their evolutions will merge into the long term evolution (LTE) standard. Smartphones will need to continue to be multi-mode devices that support 2G, 3G and 3G+ air interface stan- dards, while adding support for 4G LTE as new networks roll out. Cellu- lar antennas and RF front-end (the RF hardware in-between the RF transceiver and the antenna) must, therefore, support requirements from an increasing number of standards. The Next Generation Mobile Net-
N
work (NGMN) Alliance is a mobile telecommunications association of mo- bile operators, vendors, manufacturers and research institutes with a mission
ext-generation mobile devices are entering the market every day, yet they increasingly face
to develop a common view of solutions for the next evolution of wireless net- works. In order to successfully deploy and operate mobile broadband on a global scale in the future, the NGMN has mandated the development of a single, operator-independent RF plat-
radio performance everywhere. Answering the Mandate EPCOS, a TDK company that is
a leading manufacturer of electronic components, modules and systems, and Pulse Electronics, a leading an- tenna manufacturer, answered the NGMN mandate by co-designing and optimizing a breakthrough technology called “indie”. Built on advanced EPCOS mul-
Three-feed antenna system from Pulse.
form that supports all NGMN operator frequency bands. An operator-independent RF
platform will benefit network opera- tors by providing easier access to mul- tiple markets, compatibility with mul- tiple OEM designs, and the platform’s support for network operators world- wide. Mobile device users will benefit from smartphones that offer excellent
ti-feed RF front-end technology and cutting-edge antenna technology from Pulse, indie is the world?s first operator-independent RF hardware platform for global LTE smart- phones. It enables for the first time global roaming and downlink inter- band carrier aggregation across LTE mobile devices. indie is a universal platform with a 16-band antenna that supports all widely used fre- quency bands worldwide and an ad- vanced multi-feed RF front-end with a single hardware configuration can be used to serve the majority of oper- ators with the same hardware config- uration and no modifications. indie’s unusual design offers an
enhanced user experience with seam- less global LTE roaming, better radio performance, increased download da- ta rates, improved battery life and fewer dropped calls.
REFLOW SOLDERING SYSTEMS
CONDUCTION + CONVECTION HEAT
Reflow Soldering & Curing Applications include:
• BGA Reballing • BGA Packaging Falcon 5/C • Die/Heat Sink Bonding
• High Density Packaging/Substrates • Laminated Power Components
• Laser Diode Reflow • Lead Frames • Microwave Hybrids, Fluxless Au/Sn Reflow • Extremely Low O2 ppm Capability w/low N2 Consumption SIKAMA INTERNATIONAL, Inc. 118 E. Gutierrez Street • Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2314 U.S.A.
Tel: 1-805-962-1000 • Fax: 1-805-962-6100 •
sales@sikama.com •
www.sikama.com See us at SMT Hybrid Pkg. Booth 7-537
The Design Challenge The EPCOS and Pulse design
teams chose AWR’s Microwave Of- fice®
RF design software for the de-
sign of a three-feed antenna system and RF front-end module architec- ture to support global roaming in LTE networks and downlink inter- and intra-band carrier aggregation. Microwave Office has allowed indie designers to explore alternative de- sign possibilities that resulted in the elimination of the region-specific du- plexer matching that is necessary in single-feed architectures. In its place they were able to develop a three- feed architecture that enables uni- versal operator-independent applica- bility. Moreover, this new architec- ture improves system performance by up to 2dB and facilitates wireless local area network (WLAN) interop- erability, delivering better intermod- ulation linearity.
Common Design Platform The unified data model at the
core of the Microwave Office’s unique high-frequency design environment offers an intuitive, open and interop- erable platform, enabling powerful and innovative technologies to inte- grate with best-in-class tools for each part of the design process. The Mi- crowave Office design suite encom- passes all the tools essential for high- frequency IC, PCB and module de- sign, including linear circuit simula- tors, non-linear circuit simulators, electromagnetic (EM) analysis tools, integrated schematic and layout, sta-
tistical design capabilities and para- metric cell libraries with built-in de- sign-rule check (DRC). Key to the success of the design
of indie was the ability of the Pulse and EPCOS design teams to collabo- rate on the antenna design and the RF front-end module design using the single common platform provided by Microwave Office. Pulse used AWR’s software to
create circuit simulations of the an- tenna system and the matching cir- cuits, as well as a general documen- tation platform. EPCOS used the software for
the circuit simulations of the front- end module, including couplers,
May/June, 2012
RF front-end module from EPCOS.
switches, duplexers, filters and di - plex ers, as well as for the modeling of the nonlinear passive duplexer.
Ease of Use Microwave Office made it possi-
ble to accurately predict the perform- ance of the antenna system together with the RF front-end module. The ease-of-use of the design software en- abled easy setup of a single schemat- ic for the testing of a large number of carrier aggregation pairs within the antenna and front-end module simu- lation. Without detailed circuit simu- lation it would not have been possi- ble to design and optimize the per- formance of the new RF hardware platform and to show that the indie platform provides significant bene- fits over traditional approaches. The accuracy of AWR’s circuit simulation showed that the front-end module’s performance compared well to real- world measurements. The online user-defined nonlinear models were flexible and easy to implement, and the quality of library components provided models that matched well with measurements. Using Microwave Office as a
“backbone” for the circuit simulation of both the antenna and the RF front- end module resulted in the design of the first universal RF hardware on the market. The product has been so successful it was nominated for a prestigious 2012 Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) As- sociation Global Mobile Award as
Best Technology Breakthrough. Contact: AWR Corporation,
1960 E. Grand Avenue, Suite 430, El Segundo, CA 90245 % 310-726-3000 fax: 310-726-3005 E-mail:
info@awrcorp.com Web:
www.awrcorp.com r
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