Quantance intros third generation, single-chip, envelope tracking solution

SAN MATEO, USA: Quantance Inc., manufacturer of ultra-fast, 4G envelope tracking (ET) power supplies, announced the Q845 ET power supply that enables power amplifier (PA) efficiency to reach theoretical limits and dramatically increases PA peak transmit power.

This single-chip product is the third generation implementation of the company's qBoost technology, which provides the response time equivalent of a 400MHz switcher for ET systems, over 100 times faster than any other mobile ET power supply solution available today. This ultra-fast performance, along with a more streamlined architecture and a tiny chip footprint, sets a new industry standard for size, cost and integration simplicity.

The Q845 plans compatibility with upcoming standards-based ET control and envelope interfaces. This compatibility enables the Q845 to be openly and seamlessly integrated into any 4G/LTE baseband and transceiver chipset platform targeted for use in tablets, smartphones, data cards and other mobile high-speed data devices.

The Q845 can be used for ET in these devices to dramatically enhance PA efficiency and increase PA peak power to ensure robust 4G/LTE operation, including faster data speeds, reduced battery current and extended data coverage.

The need for effective ET solutions in chipset reference designs has grown dramatically in the past year, in direct relation to the explosive growth in high-speed data and the mass-market deployment of LTE devices. ET solutions provide the 4G/LTE PA efficiency and transmit power improvements critical to ensure LTE performance, and many chipset providers are already planning to integrate ET solutions in their latest platforms.

"When we architected the Q845, we combined Quantance's unique patented approach to ultra fast power supply design into a smaller, more efficient package, and made sure we focused on industry standards compatibility," said Vikas Vinayak, Quantance's CEO and co-founder. "The new design will integrate nicely into baseband and chipset reference designs, enabling those companies to provide a proven ET solution that gives the best possible PA efficiency and highest PA transmit power output available in the industry today."

The Q845 uses a patented combination of switching and linear power supplies to efficiently deliver a precisely controlled voltage to the PA, thus optimizing its performance. For increased peak power and high power efficiency, Q845 operates in ET mode, changing the PA voltage instantaneously to track the modulation envelope of the transmitted signal. To maintain efficiency in mid- and low-power PA operation, the Q845 transitions seamlessly to its average power tracking (APT) mode, where the voltage is changed at a slower rate, yet still maintains the PA at its peak efficiency.

Evaluation kits are available today. Sampling begins in Q1 2012.