Ethertronics Claims RF Chip Provides 30 Percent Spectral Efficiency Improvement

By Doug Lung
published

LTE network operators now have a way boost data bandwidth and reliability without adding new spectrum. Ethertronics says its new EtherChip EC459 “Plug and Play” RF chip improves spectral efficiency by 30 percent. The EC459 uses Ethertronics' “Active Steering” technology and is, Ethertronics claims, “is the world’s first device integrating high-performance RF switching and a full-featured microprocessor on a single device.” It includes Ethertronics’ proprietary algorithm, and communication and control conduits to enable Active Steering, maximizing throughput and reliability in 3G and 4G (LTE and LTE-Advanced) wireless devices. The device is suitable for use in wireless phones, tablets, notebooks, machine to machine and other devices.

Vahid Manian, chief operating officer of Ethertronics, explains, “Recent trials with Tier One carriers in the U.S. and Europe established that our Active Steering solution is capable of achieving significant spectral efficiency gains of 30 percent on LTE networks. Our new EC459 is the vehicle for delivering these major spectral efficiency gains as well as a host of other important benefits – from better connectivity to increased download speeds, an improved mobile user experience and more. By combining our EC459 device with an advanced Ethertronics antenna architecture, we are able to provide OEMs with an easy-to-integrate, plug-and-play solution for their devices. What this means is that OEMs don’t need to task their existing operating system or apps processor since EC459 does the job for them. Not only does EC459 help with execution and decrease time to market, but it drives a whole new era of high-performance devices providing maximum connectivity and performance.”

The Active Steering algorithm samples and switches the antenna between multiple radiation patterns, selecting the best one for the environment the phone is in.

The device has an operating frequency range of 100 MHz to 3,000 MHz, covering part of the FM band and all of the UHF TV spectrum. The EC459 supports Bluetooth, GSM/WCDMA/LTE, WiFi, RFID and GPS. Minimal power is required. The device is available now. Additional information is available at http://www.ethertronics.com/products/rfics/.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.