LONDON — Infineon Technologies AG, has announced that a multi-standard mobile platform has been created based on Infineon-developed software-defined-radio technology. The SDR-enabled satellite-terrestrial handsets will operate with multiple cellular and satellite-based communications technologies including GSM, GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, HSDPA, HSUPA and GMR1-2G/3G.
Infineon's SDR mobile platform, called XMM SDR 200, comprises one baseband device, the X-Gold SDR 20 and one RF transceiver, a member of Infineon's Smarti family. The X-Gold SDR 20 includes power management and enables satellite-terrestrial terminals in a small form factor comparable to today's cellular-only mobile phones. First platform samples will be available in Q3 of 2009, Infineon said.
Lead customers SkyTerra and TerreStar Networks are both developing integrated satellite-terrestrial communications networks and the Infineon SDR should enable ubiquitous mobile communications coverage from anywhere in North America using phones that cost about the same terrestrial cellular-only devices.
To enable satellite connectivity in the SDR platform, Infineon will integrate GMR1-3G mobile satellite technology furnished by Hughes Network Systems.
"We are very happy to contribute our innovative SDR technology to this exciting new application of integrated satellite-terrestrial mobile devices in both SkyTerra's and TerreStar's networks," said Ronen Ben-Hamou, general manager of software defined radio mobile platforms in the Wireless Division of Infineon, in a statement. "Together with our partners we leverage the flexibility and efficiency of our SDR technology into this connected-anywhere mobile environment, enabling operators to provide very compelling multi-standard communication devices to even the most demanding end users."
"The Infineon SDR chipset is a tremendous addition to our chipset program and greatly expands the universe of devices that will be satellite enabled," said Dennis Matheson, chief technology officer at TerreStar, in the same statement. "In addition, the programmable nature of SDR technology allows for feature upgrades via software and shortest-ever turn-around times for next"generation products. We look forward to using this chipset platform to perform additional handset trials on our evolving 4G network."
