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New TI Mixed-Signal Process Technology Drives Higher Levels of Integration in Wireless Telephone Handsets

Key Features of TI's LinEPIC III Mixed-Signal Process

TI's Integration Strengths Enable Optimized Solutions for Wireless Systems

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DALLAS (Aug. 31, 1998) -- The ever-shrinking wireless telephone handset can soon be lightened by as many as 15 to 20 components, thanks to a new mixed-signal process technology announced today by Texas Instruments (TI), the world leader in analog/mixed-signal and DSPs. The LinEPIC* III™ manufacturing process enables the integration of the entire battery management and analog baseband sections, two of the four major system blocks** needed for digital cellular and personal communications systems (PCS) telephones. Consumers and service providers will benefit from the smaller form-factor handsets with increased battery life and longer talk and standby times.

"LinEPIC III demonstrates TI's commitment to driving integration to higher levels cost-effectively in wireless systems," said Gilles Delfassy, worldwide director of the Texas Instruments Wireless Communications Business Unit and Texas Instruments vice president. "Along with our other options for integration, LinEPIC III offers wireless phone manufacturers tremendous flexibility in finding the right balance of features, cost, space and power consumption in their systems. LinEPIC III is also a great example of how TI is pioneering new analog and mixed-signal technologies."

Diverse Elements Combined by a Single Process

Of the two sections of wireless phones targeted for integration by LinEPIC III, the battery management section serves to control and conserve power distribution in the system. The other section, the analog baseband section, performs analog signal processing, filtering and conversion that enables the phone's digital signal processor (DSP) to communicate with the microphone, speaker and radio-frequency section of the phone.

In the typical digital cellular or PCS phone handset today, these two sections together require up to 20 integrated circuit and discrete components. The LinEPIC III process is capable of integrating all of these components into a few devices, or even a single device, depending on design requirements.

Based on other successful TI processes, LinEPIC III features enhancements designed specifically for wireless integration. Operational voltage levels of different transistors range from 2.4 to 20 volts for optimum use with logic, battery inputs and external charging devices. Ten-volt bipolar transistors provide accurate bandgap references for battery management. A variety of polysilicon resistors are available for use in mixed-signal applications, while poly-poly capacitors enable design of high-resolution coding-decoding devices (voice and radio-frequency codecs), analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and filters.

TI's Wireless Process Strategy

LinEPIC III is one of several TI processes designed to bring higher levels of integration in wireless systems. Other process developments target different combinations of the battery management and audio baseband functions, together with the high-speed digital baseband section of the phone, comprising the digital signal processor (DSP) and microcontroller, and the radio frequency (RF) section for signal transmission and receiving. TI is currently engaged with customers who are using the LinEPIC III process for high volume applications requiring a high degree of customization, and it plans to transition the process to catalog components based on market demand.

"TI's strength in process technology is a key factor behind its leadership in the wireless industry," concluded Delfassy. "LinEPIC III is one of several important process developments that will help keep TI's wireless customers ahead in the market with next-generation products."

More information regarding TI's Wireless Communications Business Unit and its products, services and capabilities is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ti.com/sc/docs/wireless/home.htm

Trademarks:
LinEPIC III is a trademark of Texas Instruments Incorporated.

* EPIC stands for Enhanced Performance Implanted CMOS. LinEPIC is a mixed-signal version of the TI digital CMOS process known as EPIC.

** The four major system blocks needed for a digital cellular phone are: the digital baseband, the analog baseband, the battery management block and the RF block.