Financial Releases
RFMD(R) Announces POLARIS(TM) 3 TOTAL RADIO(TM) Transceiver Solution
BARCELONA, Spain, Feb 12, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- RF Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: RFMD), a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance radio systems and solutions for applications that drive mobile communications, today announced it will showcase its POLARIS 3 TOTAL RADIO solution at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona. RFMD's POLARIS 3 solution features the Company's innovative antenna-to-baseband TOTAL RADIO implementation, which effectively solves customer challenges related to the cost, development and deployment of EDGE handset platforms.
POLARIS 3 integrates full quad-band GPRS/EDGE RF transmit/receive paths, the transmit switch, receive SAW filters and associated matching components in a TOTAL RADIO implementation that optimizes all combined functions - from antenna to baseband - for improved transmit efficiency and increased receive sensitivity. The TOTAL RADIO implementation of POLARIS 3 eliminates the sourcing and placement of external RF components, which greatly reduces RF complexity, lowers platform implementation costs and improves overall handset performance. POLARIS 3 also leverages RFMD's next-generation open-loop, large signal polar modulation architecture, which is the industry's most efficient transmit architecture. When combined with the optional DC to DC converter (announced separately today), POLARIS 3 offers additional improvements in backed off efficiency and optimizes energy consumption over an extended battery voltage discharge profile.
Bob Bruggeworth, RFMD president and CEO, said, "RFMD's ultra-compact POLARIS 3 solution enables handset manufacturers to quickly and cost-effectively develop and deploy feature-rich EDGE handset platforms across multiple tiers. By providing an antenna-to-baseband TOTAL RADIO solution, POLARIS 3 solves customers' complex RF challenges while fully satisfying their aggressive integration requirements and exceeding their performance specifications. We expect POLARIS 3 to drive market share gains for RFMD as it ramps at multiple customers."
The highly integrated POLARIS 3 solution incorporates other innovative technologies that drive direct customer benefit, including:
RFMD Self Shielding Technology
POLARIS 3 features RFMD's internally developed self shielding technology process, which eliminates the need for custom external shields by integrating RF shielding into the RFIC or module. RFMD's self shielding technology reduces volume requirements by 30% to 50% while also lessening sensitivity to board placement. By reducing sensitivity to placement, and eliminating the associated risk of circuit retuning, RFMD's self shielding technology accelerates handset time-to-market and reduces the costs of RF implementation in mobile devices.
DigRF
With the introduction of DigRF 2.5G in its industry-leading EDGE transceivers, RFMD continues its pioneering role in the implementation of digital interfaces. The use of DigRF 2.5G reduces RF complexity and shortens radio and baseband integration time by utilizing an industry-standard digital interface.
Total Radiated Power
POLARIS 3 implements unique circuit techniques that improve total radiated power (TRP) performance. TRP is the measure of a mobile device's radiated output power. TRP is a function of the output power of the power amplifier, the antenna's radiation efficiency and the power amplifier's sensitivity to antenna mismatch. Antenna mismatch occurs in all handsets and is more predominant in multi-band "worldphones" because of the increase in the number of bands supported by the antenna. RFMD's TRP improvement techniques implemented in POLARIS 3 improve network efficiency, network coverage and data throughput rates while reducing the frequency of dropped calls.
Unique Calibration Techniques
POLARIS 3 incorporates internal factory calibration circuits and algorithms that speed phone calibration and improve customer end-of-line factory throughput. In addition, the POLARIS 3 solution features auto-calibration routines that automatically optimize the cellular radio during use to improve overall handset performance.
RFMD will showcase its POLARIS 3 TOTAL RADIO solution at the 2007 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 12-15, 2007, in Hall 8, Stand 8B79.
About RFMD: RF Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: RFMD) is a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance radio systems and solutions for applications that drive mobile communications. RFMD's power amplifiers, transmit modules, cellular transceivers and system-on-chip (SoC) solutions enable worldwide mobility, provide enhanced connectivity and support advanced functionality in current- and next-generation mobile handsets, cellular base stations, wireless local area networks (WLANs) and global positioning systems (GPS). Recognized for its diverse portfolio of state-of-the-art semiconductor technologies and vast RF systems expertise, RFMD is a preferred supplier enabling the world's leading mobile device manufacturers to deliver advanced wireless capabilities that satisfy current and future market demands.
Headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., RFMD is an ISO 9001- and ISO 14001-certified manufacturer with worldwide engineering, design, sales and service facilities. RFMD is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol RFMD. For more information, please visit RFMD's web site at www.rfmd.com.
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, representations and contentions and are not historical facts and typically are identified by use of terms such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue" and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. You should be aware that the forward-looking statements included herein represent management's current judgment and expectations, but our actual results, events and performance could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. We do not intend to update any of these forward-looking statements or publicly announce the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements, other than as is required under the federal securities laws. RF Micro Devices' business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including variability in quarterly operating results, the rate of growth and development of wireless markets, risks associated with the operation of our wafer fabrication facilities, molecular beam epitaxy facility, assembly facility and test and tape and reel facilities, our ability to attract and retain skilled personnel and develop leaders, variability in production yields, our ability to reduce costs and improve gross margins by implementing innovative technologies, our ability to bring new products to market, our ability to adjust production capacity in a timely fashion in response to changes in demand for our products, dependence on a limited number of customers, and dependence on third parties. These and other risks and uncertainties, which are described in more detail in RF Micro Devices' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any of these forward-looking statements.
RF Micro Devices® and RFMD® are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
RF Micro Devices, Inc.
Douglas DeLieto, Vice President, IR, 336-678-5091
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Brian K. Cockman, Public Relations, 336-678-8945