Lower cost wireless comms systems which operate in unlicensed radio bands could be transformed in terms of performance and cost with chip technology originally developed for the mobile phone market.
Freescale Semiconductor is one supplier which believes it is time to diversify its RF semiconductor activities outside of the mobile phone infrastructure business.
“There hasn’t been a 
lot of innovation in 2.45GHz ISM (industrial, scientific and medical) band market so we’re bringing innovation from the cellular market,” said John McCaffrey, product manager RF division at Freescale, speaking at the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium in San Francisco this week.
The firm introduced transistors designed for the HF/VHF frequency band (10-450MHz) and the 2.45GHz ISM (industrial, scientific and medical) band. These includes a 300W 50V 
LDMOS (laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor) transistor operating at up to 450MHz with a gain of 27dB at 68 per cent efficiency in an over-moulded plastic package.
McCaffrey said these are plastic packaging techniques, originally pioneered in the mobile phone market, which will have cost benefits in other markets.