Altair Semiconductor, Aeroflex announce joint LTE collaboration

HOD HASHARON, ISRAEL and STEVENAGE, UK: Altair Semiconductor, a 4G chip company developing the world's most advanced mobile semiconductors for handheld devices, and Aeroflex, the leading global provider of Long Term Evolution (LTE) test equipment, have announced a joint LTE collaboration.

Through the collaboration, Altair and Aeroflex will perform interoperability testing (IOT) to enable joint customer development and testing on a pre-tested and qualified User Equipment (UE) test setup. Following an intensive evaluation period Altair has ordered multiple 7100 LTE digital radio test sets from Aeroflex, with the first delivery in January 2010.

For several months, Altair and Aeroflex have collaborated on IOT of their respective products -- Aeroflex's 7100 digital radio test set, and Altair's recently announced FourGee LTE USB ExpressCard UE. Altair's LTE data card has also undergone extensive IOT with additional partners and vendors and is currently being used in various field activities.

"Altair's collaboration with Aeroflex is not only beneficial for both organizations but, more importantly, brings tremendous value to our customers and partners," said Eran Eshed, co-founder and vice president of marketing and business development for Altair Semiconductor.

"Companies developing products based on Altair's LTE chips and software and using Aeroflex test equipment will find using the Aeroflex 7100 extremely useful and easy. We had already done all of the prep work to ensure a seamless integration. As LTE expands on a global scale, we look forward to further expanding our collaboration with Aeroflex."

Altair's FourGee LTE USB ExpressCard UE is one of the industry's first Category-3 data card solutions. Based on Altair's FourGee-3100/6200 baseband/RFIC LTE chipset, the ExpressCard is an ideal test and IOT UE platform for system vendors and carriers involved in the development, trialing, and deployment of LTE systems.

The FourGee LTE USB ExpressCard UE is also a reference design for terminal manufacturers working to develop commercial products based on the FourGee family of LTE chips.

"Aeroflex is proud to have the endorsement of Altair for our new 7100 LTE digital radio test set. Altair is a technology leader in LTE. We've worked closely together to prove Altair's and Aeroflex's new LTE products. We are very pleased with the success," said Ryan Panos, vice president of global sales, Aeroflex Test Solutions. "We look forward to continued collaboration with Altair in the future."

Altair and Aeroflex will be at GSMA 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, February 15-18, 2010. Aeroflex will be demonstrating the Altair FourGee device with the 7100 LTE digital radio test set.

Aeroflex will also demonstrate the seamless integration and testing capability of the 7100 digital radio test set combined with the Aeroflex TM500 Test Mobile. The Aeroflex TM500 Test Mobile family has established itself worldwide as the "gold standard" reference mobile for cellular infrastructure equipment manufacturers.