New Tunable RF Components (TRFC) have been released by ON Semiconductor for the latest smartphones. The new TCP-30xx family of low insertion loss Passive Tunable Integrated Circuits (PTICs) and TCC-103 PTIC Controller IC enable performance tuning and counter lower antenna volume with increased frequency coverage. They also help overcome head- and hand-effect problems. The devices have a 4:1 tuning range and capacitance values from 1.2 picofarad (pF) to 8.2 pF, as a result this PTIC series is said to be a good replacement for traditional ‘fixed-match’ devices. These devices are claimed to allow for a more efficient use of the smartphone’s power amplifier by reducing the current drain and extending handset battery life. A three-times improvement in data rates in marginal coverage areas is said to be achievable with much fewer dropped or missed calls.
ON Semiconductor
