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Transmit, receive put on two-way RF device
Will Wade
SAN MATEO, CALIF. - Philsar Semiconductor Inc. has announced a two-way RF device that integrates the transmit and receive functions onto one chip. The company is being acquired by Conexant Systems Inc. and expects the technology to become a key part of Conexant's product suite.
"This is aimed at products that currently use only one-way RF functions," said Jeff Robillard, product marketing manager for the Ottawa-based company. Keyless entry devices for cars, remote control units for home entertainment systems, wireless sensors and PDAs can benefit from a two-way device. "Using one-way technology limits the features that can be implemented, but adding two-way capabilities increases the features an OEM can offer," Robillard said.
The single-chip, Multi-Purpose RF data transceiver (MuRF) can send data in the 1- to 10-kbit/second range and consumes 8 to 10 mW of power, which, said Robillard, is less than half the power required in a two-chip device offering both functions. The Philsar product is among the first to deliver two-way communication in one device, he said.
Systems based around discrete transmission and receive devices require several other discrete chips as well, and Robillard said that adding both to a single chip lets OEMs cut the total bill of materials by up to 50 percent. Reducing the size, cost and power consumption are key factors for adding two-way features to one-way applications.
Security a key
While new features may attract OEMs, increased security also could drive the need for two-way systems. In keyless entry devices for cars, for example, two-way chips allow for better encryption technology, which could prevent thieves from figuring out how to crack the security algorithms. "It's just a matter of time before somebody figures out how to hack those things," Robillard said.
While MuRF can be used in all those systems, Joe Rouse, director of marketing for Philsar, said that the new owners at Conexant are interested in using the technology with Bluetooth-enabled PDAs. Bluetooth is a medium-bandwidth, short-range wireless format that can link PDAs and other electronic devices to a PC or network, allowing users to move information easily between their main computer and their portable systems. Cost, power and size are key variables in the equation of how to push Bluetooth into the mainstream.
Conexant recently said it would acquire Philsar in a stock swap valued at nearly $200 million. Philsar will become a unit within the Newport Beach, Calif., company, and though Conexant has its own manufacturing plants, Philsar will continue as a fabless venture, using IBM Corp. as a foundry for its analog parts.
"It became obvious to Conexant that our technology would complete their portfolio of wireless products," Rouse said.
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