MIPI Alliance Advances Radio Frequency Interface Technology in Mobile Devices

New DigRF and RFFE Specifications Address Growing System Complexity

Piscataway, NJ, January 18, 2012 – MIPI Alliance today announced two specifications targeting the digital modem and the front-end radio portions of a mobile device. The DigRF v4 v1.10 specification defines the interface between one or more baseband ICs and radio frequency (RF) ICs, and delivers increased bandwidth for data-intensive HSPA+/LTE architectures. The RFFE v1.10 specification defines a standardized control architecture for RF front-end devices, and offers a low-complexity solution for multi-mode, multi-band and multiple antenna configurations. Both specifications expand on previous versions by addressing today’s complex multi-radio wireless systems. For more information, go to www.mipi.org/DigRF_RFFE

“MIPI Alliance takes a unique approach with RF interface technology, realizing there are distinct requirements for both digital and front end aspects,” said Joel Huloux, Chairman of the Board, MIPI Alliance. “This focused effort results in tailored specifications that meet market needs and ease deployment. Both the DigRF v4 v1.10 and RFFE v1.10 specifications deliver on these objectives.”

DigRF Delivers One High Speed Interface for Multiple Applications

Flexible and efficient, the DigRF v4 interface supports next-generation technologies including HSPA+, LTE, Mobile WiMAX, and existing 3GPP standards including 2.5G and 3.5G. A large data rate and scalability also enables it to cover other non-3GPP air interfaces. DigRF v4 leverages high-speed serial technology and delivers optimized power efficiency via multiple speed modes and fast cycling between active and power-saving operation.

DigRF v4 is based on the MIPI Alliance M-PHYSM physical layer specification. The specification enables a single, integrated Link between a baseband IC and RFICs, with options for additional RFICs and BBICs using separate links.

DigRF v4 provides interoperability at the interface level, and allows for a common physical layer. Using one common high speed interface for these numerous applications reduces design resources and speeds time-to-market.

“Standardized MIPI interfaces are critical in helping designers meet the increased data throughput requirements for mobile terminals targeting 4G applications,” said John Koeter, vice president of marketing for IP and systems at Synopsys. “As a contributing member of the MIPI Alliance, Synopsys continues to support the MIPI ecosystem by providing high-quality, silicon-proven DesignWare MIPI IP solutions that support the latest MIPI DigRFv4 v1.10 specifications, enabling designers to integrate the MIPI interface into their designs faster and with lower risk.”

“We are seeing significant customer demand for the DigRFv4 interface and as a leading provider of these solutions, we are very happy with the continued refinement of MIPI’s DigRFv4 specifications,” commented C. Srinivasan, VP Engineering at Cosmic Circuits.

Companies contributing to the development of the DigRF v4 Version 1.10 specification include: Arasan Chip Systems Inc., Cadence Design Systems, Inc, Fujitsu Limited, Intel Corporation, Motorola Mobility, Inc., Nokia Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Research In Motion, ST-Ericsson, and Synopsys, Inc.

RFFE Encompasses Simple to Complex Master/Slave Configurations

RFFE v1.10 offers a consistent, flexible method for controlling RF front-end devices, including power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, filters, switches, power management modules, antenna tuners and sensors. It supports point-tomultipoint connectivity, controlling simple to complex RF systems.

The specification offers extensibility, ranging from one Slave on a single bus to many Slaves on a single bus or distributed on multiple buses. This optimized Master and Slave implementation offers simplicity without sacrificing a broad set of features. Leveraging one common control interface for numerous configurations also reduces design time and improves time-to-market.

“As a contributing member to the MIPI Alliance on ET interface standards, we are excited to see the progress being made on the RFFE v.1.10 digital interface,” says Vikas Vinayak, CEO of Quantance, an industry leader in ultra-fast ET power supplies. “There is clearly wireless industry momentum toward standardizing both the ET control and ET envelope interfaces within the MIPI Alliance, and we a proud to be a part of the effort.”

Companies contributing to the development of the RFFE v1.10 specification include: Analog Devices Inc., Fujitsu Limited, Nokia Corporation, NXP Semiconductors, Panasonic Corporation, Peregrine Semiconductor, Qualcomm Incorporated, RF Micro Devices, Skyworks Solutions, Inc., ST-Ericsson, Texas Instruments, Inc., and WiSpry Inc. were the primary contributors. Other companies have provided support and suggestions.

About MIPI Alliance

MIPI Alliance is a global, collaborative organization comprised of companies that span the mobile ecosystem and are committed to defining and promoting interface specifications for mobile devices. MIPI Specifications establish standards for hardware and software interfaces which drive new technology and enable faster deployment of new features and services. For more information, visit www.mipi.org.