Skyworks Solutions has launched SkyBlue™, a new technology that enhances both the power capability and efficiency in LTE amplifiers and front-end solutions. Designs utilizing SkyBlue™ technology not only deliver twice the power of envelope and average power tracking systems available on the market today, but across much broader power ranges. These efficiencies can be more than 15-20 percent in medium to high power ranges where an LTE system operates. Further, these efficiency and power enhancements are achieved with a much simpler implementation when compared to envelope tracking, making it easier for OEMs worldwide to deploy. The end result is envelope tracking-like system efficiency with the simplicity of average power tracking. In the first half of 2016, Skyworks will commence shipments of products leveraging SkyBlue™ with a tier one customer.
While average power tracking is currently the most popular method to achieve higher power and efficiency gains in LTE amplifiers, Skyworks believes SkyBlue™ will quickly replace this technology as it delivers industry-leading performance in a straightforward design. Customers and OEMs can use their existing infrastructure to implement SkyBlue™, enabling some of the highest performing platforms with the shortest times to market when compared to competing envelope tracking alternatives which are more difficult to calibrate.
SkyBlue™ not only eliminates the complex calibration required for envelope tracking systems, but maintains efficiency at several backed off power levels with no significant impact to efficiency, even when compensating for varying losses in multiband devices. Further, SkyBlue™ has demonstrated Class 2 operation (26 dBm antenna power compared to 23 dBm antenna power in Class 3 operation), which results in much wider cell coverage within existing networks. SkyBlue™ will be particularly critical in helping meet emerging requirements for additional front-end output power demanded by carrier aggregation and high power user equipment (HPUE) demands for cell edge improvements by TDD carriers.
Skyworks plans to leverage SkyBlue™ throughout its next generation of highly integrated SkyOne®, SkyOne®Ultra and SkyLiTE™ product families, as well as its multimode, multiband power amplifiers covering all application segments.
