Toshiba Targets 5GHz WLAN

IRVINE, Calif. -- Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) today announced that it has extended its line-up of RF gallium arsenide (GaAs) hetero-junction bipolar transistor (HBT) microwave monolithic integrated circuits (MMICs) to include a power amplifier specifically developed for use in 5GHz wireless LAN (WLAN) applications. Developed by Toshiba Corp. (Toshiba), these 5GHz WLANs are gaining popularity in Japan, the USA and Europe for use with PCs, home networks, access points, wireless TV and other electronics devices. The new power amplifier operates in the 4.9 to 5.825GHz range and is ideal for use in access points and network cards for IEEE802.11a networks and related regional wireless network standards such as HyperLAN2 in Europe and HiSWANa networks in Japan. The new GaAs HBT power amplifier, designated T1M53, enables stable, high quality wireless data transmission with its high gain of 24dB (typ.) and excellent error vector modulation (EVM) at high output power levels. In addition, it features very low power consumption of 140mA (typ.) to help extend battery life in portable electronics devices. "The move to higher frequency 5GHz wireless LAN, combined with increasing demand to transmit high quality video images with greater ease of use in home networks requires improvement in wireless transmission characteristics such as bit error rate and transmission range," said Hideki Ohto, senior manager of application engineering for Small Signal Discrete Semiconductor Devices, Toshiba Corporation. "One of the ways to extend the transmission range for 5GHz LAN is to increase the output of the power amplifier in the transmit circuit, and minimize attenuation loss. Toshiba's TIM53 helps address these issues by providing high output power and high gain, with low EVM to ensure stable wireless data transmission." "For optimal system performance, the power amp can be used in a WLAN with our recently introduced SiGe transistors, which achieve ultrahigh frequency with superior noise levels," Ohto continued. Toshiba's low noise SiGe transistors, designated MT4S102T and MT4S104T, feature the industry's lowest noise figure along with high gain, low current consumption and a very small and thin TESQ package. Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.