TI AND LOW-POWER WIRELESS • “In 2009, TI will release a new wireless audio technology designed to provide a robust solution for wirelessly transmitting high-quality audio,” says Emmanuel Sambuis, marketing manager for TI’s low-power RF products. “Compared to existing wireless audio solutions, this technology will provide excellent performance in terms of robustness, audio quality, audio latency, and flexibility.”
While Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) is an emerging technology, it’s not among the innovations TI plans to consider for this novel solution. “The TI RF business group includes all low-power wireless developments/technologies, such as ZigBee, proprietary, RF4CE (radio frequency for consumer electronics), BT (Bluetooth), BTLE, etc. The wireless audio technology we mentioned is not BLTE,” says Sambuis.
SYSTEM-IN-PACKAGE AT LINEAR • Linear Technology has a strong tradition of standing by its roots and honing its amplifiers and data converters— while making those basic building blocks less sensitive to layout issues (to the extent that the laws of physics allow). Those trends came together in a natural way last year.
“SiP (system in package) technology is commonly used in consumer applications ranging from USB memory sticks to RF modules in wireless handsets. Recently, Linear applied it in the LTM9001 µModule Receiver Subsystem, which integrates a 16-bit, 130-Msample/s ADC with a fixedgain amplifier, anti-aliasing filter, and bypass capacitance,” says Todd Nelson, manager of Linear’s signal-chain module development.
The placement of supply bypass capacitors represents a simple example. With SiP technology, the internal bypass capacitors can be much closer to the die than in a discrete design, yielding a much smaller “ac footprint.” This ultimately reduces the risk of collecting noise from unintended sources and raises the noise floor. The result is consistent with Linear’s traditional philosophy, but also with new trends that are common across the analog chip industry.