Cell-phone handsets typically incorporate gallium-arsenide (GaAs) power amplifiers (PAs) that use between a third of a watt and 3.5 W during transmission, accounting for  30% to 70% of all the power used during transmit. Yet Amalfi Semiconductor’s AM7802 transmit module incorporates CMOS PAs that provide greater efficiency and up to 40% more talk time than competing solutions.

The dual-band (850/900 and 1800/1900 MHz) GSM/GPRS device targets the entry-level and ultra-low-cost (ULC) handset segment, which has had sustained growth during the recent economic downturn. It integrates two PAs, a controller, the transmit/receive switch, filters, and all matching components into a 30 mm2 package, giving manufacturers the smallest, most integrated transmit module in the industry. Also, it saves printed-circuit board (PCB) space, reduces cost, and provides a more flexible design layout, leading to smaller phones.

The AM7802 uses Amalfi’s proprietary AdaptiveRF CMOS architecture, which delivers a power-added efficiency (PAE) of 48%—much higher than equivalent GaAs designs. It can operate at voltages down to 2.7 V, enabling handsets to operate longer and extract up to 10% additional talk time from typical lithium-ion batteries. The AM7802 also can stand 1.5-kV electrostatic discharge (ESD) on all pins, reducing susceptibility to damage during manufacturing.

Amalfi’s Stratos AM8802 and AM8802D CMOS PA modules use the same technology as the AM7802. Samples of the AM7802 and the PAs are available now with full production available in the fourth quarter of 2009.