Skyworks Solutions has announced that their portfolio of SkyOne Ultra 2.0 and SkyLiTE 2.0 solutions are among the leading front-end modules supporting high power user equipment (HPUE) for mobile devices. HPUE is a special class of user equipment for LTE cellular networks which improve cell range and increase coverage. Skyworks’ complete RF front-end systems leverage their proprietary SkyBlue technology to deliver enhanced output power and meet HPUE certification requirements from TDD carriers. SkyOne Ultra 2.0 HPUE-compliant solutions are currently shipping at several customers while the SkyLiTE 2.0 HPUE-compliant devices will be available in 2017. According to the latest report from Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), 71 operators in 43 countries have commercially launched LTE services using the TDD mode, with the unpaired spectrum expected to enjoy growth in all regions.
With smartphones supporting upwards of 20 frequency bands and more than 30 carrier aggregation combinations, there is an increasing need for innovative front-end solutions that address high performance, cellular TDD-LTE applications. Skyworks is collaborating with carriers and OEMs to develop highly-integrated devices that solve increasingly complex RF challenges, meet the most demanding standards and provide unparalleled performance.
HPUE significantly increases TDD-LTE Band 41 coverage and is an important innovation that will benefit the global TDD-LTE ecosystem. It will further unlock the advantages of the 2.5 GHz spectrum, particularly as consumers require more capacity and faster data speeds.
SkyOne Ultra 2.0 is a highly integrated, single LTE SKU solution that solves harmonically-related carrier aggregation challenges through design while delivering the highest linear RF power as well as power added efficiency in the world. This innovative platform not only improves performance in terms of power output and system efficiency, it also delivers this performance in the most compact size commercially available, supporting 22 bands in less than 240 square millimeters.
SkyLiTE 2.0 is a highly integrated module that incorporates the amplification, switching, Wi-Fi filtering and coupler functionality required to support all major FDD/TDD bands. With the addition of external duplexers, this family of solutions provides OEMs with a scalable and reconfigurable front-end system suitable for markets worldwide.
SkyBlue is an enabling technology that delivers envelope tracking (ET)-like system efficiency, but with a far simpler implementation method when compared to traditional ET systems. Utilizing the more conventional average power tracking (APT)-like approach, SkyBlue control is very intuitive and has a very rapid learning curve relative to ET calibration requirements. Skyworks has revolutionized the design methodology to develop high power out capability while delivering best-in-class system efficiency.
