The MB86K23 mobile WiMAX baseband IC is a low-power, small-footprint device designed for the expanding mobile PC market. The device, from Fujitsu Microelectronics America Inc., supports a wide range of bandwidths, including 3.5, 5, 7, 10, and 20 MHz, along with 64QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation), 16QAM, and QPSK adaptive modulation schemes.

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The IC provides wireless access using 512/1024/2048 FFT OFDMA with integrated MAC processors. It also supports antenna diversity and beamforming and includes all the features required for WiMAX Forum Wave 2 mobile device certification.

The MB86K23 uses Fujitsu’s 65-nm low-leakage CMOS process and CoolAdjust power-gating technology, which reduces power consumption during operation by switching off power to circuit blocks that aren’t in use. Standby current for an entire WiMAX module can be reduced to 0.5 mA, enabling significantly longer battery life in mobile devices. The IC also incorporates a USB interface, so designers can develop WiMAX USB adapters in ultra-small-form factors. SPI and SDIO interfaces also are included.

The MB86K23 is the successor to Fujitsu’s MB86K21, which targeted embedded WiMAX in mobile PCs and PC cards. The new IC is 60% smaller than the MB86K21, which was certified by the WiMAX Forum and sampled in summer 2007. In addition to its low power requirements and small footprint, the MB86K23 can use software that was developed for the MB86K21, which has passed compatibility testing with many basestations.

Fujitsu introduced the MB86K23 at the 2009 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The device will be available in a 10- by 10-mm FBGA package in April.

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