Analog EDGE Handset Solution

Analog Devices has announced a complete chipset solution -- from digital baseband through RF power amplifier --enabling wireless equipment suppliers to create their own handsets for the EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) standard.

The new platform is based on ADI's Blackfin processor, which provides the signal processing performance and low power consumption required for advanced portable devices. In addition to the digital baseband processor, the Blackfin SoftFone for EDGE includes a high-performance mixed-signal analog baseband chip with integrated power management, an Othello direct-conversion RF transceiver with polar modulator and dual-mode power amplifier.

"This chipset spans the microphone-to-antenna signal chain and demonstrates how we can leverage Analog Devices' broad portfolio of signal processing technology to create complete solutions," said Christian Kermarrec, vice president, RF and wireless systems, Analog Devices. "North American operators Cingular, AT&T Wireless, T-Mobile and other regional carriers have announced their intention to deploy EDGE during 2003 and have infrastructure already installed in most markets to support the standard. Our complete chipset enables manufacturers to develop phones quickly, providing the high speed data and voice access that cellular users want."

Analog Devices' Blackfin SoftFone for EDGE Platform offers a number of benefits not currently available, including a scalable clock speed up to 247 MHz to implement voice codec, RF signal equalization algorithms and multimedia processing; full support of quad-band and Class 12 EGPRS operations; peripheral interfaces, including USB, IR, Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia Card (MMC) and serial and parallel ports for color displays, monochrome displays and cameras.

TTPCom of Cambridge, UK has developed the EGPRS protocol stack software which fully complements the ADI chipset. TTPCom's software - which is undergoing infrastructure and operator testing today - supports full multi-slot class 12, builds upon a proven GPRS solution and is compatible with TTPCom's comprehensive applications suite."

Posted to the site on 14th March 2003