New RF Metrics For The Smartphone-Centered World

A decade ago, "cell phones" were all about voice communication, an extension of the home phone for those who needed to be on the go. Global roaming was minimal at best, with multiple communications standards worldwide: GSM, TDMA and CDMA, primarily, with many devices carrying backward compatibility to AMPS. To match these applications, RF power amplifier (PA) performance was all about peak power capability. Performance at 3.4 V was the key metric as it drove output power capability and, as a result, a handful of parameters based on modulations characteristics were evaluated along with the key product differentiator, power added efficiency (PAE). Essentially, suppliers and customers alike utilized "static" measurements and kept evaluations very straightforward.

As seen in the January 2011 edition of Microwave Journal. Reprinted with permission.