Ethertronics Unveils Active Antenna RF Switch Solutions With Industry's Highest Linearity for LTE Smartphones and Devices

BARCELONA, SPAIN--(Marketwired - Feb 23, 2016) - Mobile World Congress -- Ethertronics, the leader in ultra-high performance smart antenna system solutions, today announced it has expanded its portfolio of active antenna RF switches with the industry's highest linearity for LTE smartphones, devices and other Internet of Things (IoT) applications. In addition to the best linearity and small footprint, these fully integrated switch solutions support high data rates and broad frequency ranges. Available today, the EC686 and EC646 are designed to meet the market demand for smart Active Steering™ antenna systems which dramatically improve performance by increasing data throughput, reducing dropped calls and minimizing the antenna footprint needed for today's multiband LTE and LTE Advanced smartphones.

With the proliferation of worldwide mobile spectrum, smartphone manufacturers are seeking new smart antenna solutions that can efficiently handle more than 20 cellular frequency bands, in addition to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth^®. Ethertronics' new RF antenna switches provide antenna tuning and band switching which are both key elements to solving these challenges.

"Ethertronics' new active antenna RF switches, with industry leading linearity, offer unprecedented performance levels for 4G and future 5G wireless applications," said Vahid Manian, Chief Operating Officer with Ethertronics. "Either of these new RF antenna switches, combined with our advanced active antenna architecture and algorithms, provides a complete smart antenna system unmatched in the market today. Our solutions continue to enable some of the fastest growing smartphones, devices and Internet of Things applications as the world becomes more connected."

Ethertronics' new active antenna RF switches can be used in various ways. These devices, along with Ethertronics' antenna technology and algorithms, enable Ethertronics' Active Steering technology providing revolutionary link margin improvements in cellular RF links. The EC646 and EC686 can also be used to actively band switch cellular antennas to cover additional frequency bands. By combining Ethertronics' extensive antenna systems expertise, RFICs and proprietary algorithms, the devices can seamlessly adjust the characteristics of a wireless antenna including covering all 2G/3G/4G cellular, Bluetooth, GSM, ISM, RFID, Wi-Fi bands, correcting the impedance mismatch and reducing the antenna's physical volume by up to 50 percent without performance tradeoffs.

About Ethertronics' New Family of Antenna Switches

EC686 - Designed for industry leading antenna system performance with best in class R_ON for increased efficiency and performance. EC686 offers a flexible control interface, compliant with the Qualcomm MIPI protocol, SPI and GPIO. It supports a broad frequency range (100 MHz to 3000+ GHz), has excellent linearity performance (IIP3 > +80 dBm) and an ultra-low loss shuntless SP4T architecture for antenna tuning applications. The device is packaged in a compact, leadless, QFN 16-pin 2.0 x 2.0 x 0.5 mm package.

EC646 - Designed with ultra-small packaging for extremely space constrained products. It supports a broad frequency range (100 MHz to 3000+ GHz) and has an ultra-low loss shuntless SP4T architecture for antenna tuning applications with exceptional linearity performance (IIP3 +80 dBM). The device is packaged in a compact, leadless, 1.10 x 1.50 x 0.45 mm package.

Ethertronics at Mobile World Congress
Ethertronics will be showcasing its Active Steering antenna system solutions in Hall 1, Stand 1E20 at Mobile World Congress being held February 22-25 in Barcelona, Spain.

Pricing and Availability
The EC686 and EC646 are currently available for sampling and production. For additional product information, please contact etherchip@ethertronics.com.

About Ethertronics
Ethertronics is a global leader and innovator in ultra-high performance smart antenna system solutions for wireless communications. Ethertronics' Active Steering platform establishes benchmarks for speed, range, efficiency and reliability across a range of applications, from mobile phones to Wi-Fi and the Internet of Things. Ethertronics has shipped over 1.4 billion antenna systems that are being used by leading wireless handset and device manufacturers worldwide. For more information, visit www.ethertronics.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.