To speed integration of ultra-wideband (UWB) technology into a variety of consumer applications, TRDA Inc., the U.S.-based R&D arm of Taiyo Yuden Co. Ltd., has unveiled two achievements at this week's "Ultra-wideband World 2004" in San Jose, Calif. Centered around the the company's UWB bandpass filter and balun components in standard EIA case sizes, the manufacturer has developed a UWB ceramic bandpass filter in 1206 case size, and a UWB broadband balun in 0805 case size.

Article Tools

• 

The UWB ceramic bandpass filters measure just 3.2 mm x 1.6 mm x 1.15 mm, representing a 70 percent reduction in both size and mounting area compared to the world's previously smallest device (4.8 mm x 3.0 mm x 1.35 mm). The UWB balun, rated at 3.1 to 5 GHz, measures only 2.0 mm x 1.25 mm x 0.85 mm. This represents an almost 70 percent size reduction vs. the company's 1210 case size (3.2 mm x 2.5 mm x 0.85 mm) balun introduced in June 2004.

UWB requirements for passives are different from other wireless applications in that they use wide bandwidth. The design challenge of developing a broadband balun is significant because it requires converting the wide-bandwidth balanced and unbalanced signals without sacrificing key parameters such as phase imbalance, amplitude imbalance and insertion loss. Further details pertaining to the new UWB passive components, including pricing and specifications, were not available at this time.