Maurice - Re:" RF analog market is at $800
million in sales and growing at a rate of 30-50%. Is Intel interested in ..."
Intel has an arrangement with Qualcomm, announced about three months ago, to develop a controller chip (I think it may be a Qualcomm design) and manufacture this chip for Qualcomm's use in their hand-held CDMA digital cellular phones.
Also, about two years ago, I recall Intel advertising for wireless communications engineers for opportunities in the Phoenix/Chandler Arizona area. I don't quite know what has come of that program, if anything.
Several years ago (like 15 - 20), Intel did have a telecom group and it produced several codec chips (A-Law and Micro-LAW: 2910/11/12) plus an early version of a DSP chip (the 2920) for the telecom market. In fact, Ted Hoff, the inventor of the microprocessor was the manager of this group in its early years. I don't believe this program exists anymore.
As for pure RF circuits - Analog circuit design has not been one of Intel's areas of concentration (except for A-D converters in many of their microcontrollers). And , RF analog design is a technology/art all unto itself. My guess is that Intel will leave the pure RF (transmission, up and down converters,scalars, etc.) to the analog experts - Anadigics, Analog Devices, and Ga-As vendors.
However, as Intel's fab technology pushes into the near giga-Hertz range (2 to 5 years out), they may have an opportunity that they currently do not enjoy.
Paul |
