1999-10-09 , E/IC-1078/46
Product News From Philips Semiconductors

In advance of 3rd Generation (3G) systems, Philips Semiconductors is delivering mobile data technology that will enable high-speed data transfer over GSM phones, opening up new possibilities for mobile Internet and personal multimedia services.

Philips Semiconductors, the largest European semiconductor manufacturer, today announced its new GSM GPRS Chipset. This chipset, which is based on recently acquired VLSI Technology's OneC™ baseband controller - the industry's most highly integrated GSM solution - will be at the heart of a new generation of mobile phones that utilize the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) for high speed data transfer. The radio part of this comprehensive GPRS solution is provided by a new dual-band RF chipset developed by Philips Semiconductors.

"This new OneC based GPRS chipset is a major milestone to the quick introduction of GPRS mobile phones," said Andreas Malzach, Cellular Sector Marketing Manager for Philips Semiconductors. "It provides an ideal solution to link today's voice-oriented products to the evolving GPRS applications, thanks to OneC's cost efficiency and common platform approach for GSM and GPRS."

GPRS will enable data to be transferred across the wireless domain at much faster rates, allowing improvement of several data communications applications, such as fax, e-mail and paging. It also represents the first step towards 3G products. In combination with WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), GPRS will enable even more efficient applications such as web browsing, MP3 or video. Minimum configurations will begin with Class 2 (2RX, 1TX), application dependent. Later services will utilize class 10/12 (4RX, 2TX; 4RX, 4TX). GPRS trials started in July 1999 with Mitsubishi.

The baseband part of the chip-set integrating the GPRS capability is based on VLSI's OneC family - a highly integrated, customizable, range of single-chip silicon solutions that gives GSM mobile phone manufacturers a powerful framework with which to quickly move their innovations into market-leading wireless products. OneC combines a highly modular architecture with a unique design flow that allows high volume mobile phone manufacturers to differentiate their products more quickly by customizing OneC's standard semiconductor design for their specific requirements. OneC, fully type approved, already builds the base of a wide range of market-leading mobile phones.

The GPRS radio part is based on Philips Semiconductors' UAA3522 low power dual-band GSM transceiver and  UAA2077 2GHz image rejecting front-end, which offer GSM mobile phone manufacturers the possibility to build cost effective, optimally sized and highly reliable GPRS products.

The GPRS OneC is compatible with current and future Philips Semiconductors' roducts, as well as third party RF solutions, and is the first product addressing the 3rd generation market. The company's next generation of chipsets will integrate new capabilities such as Bluetooth, MP3 and GPS, and will directly address 3G standards such as UMTS, W-CDMA, CDMA-2000.

Samples of Philips Semiconductors' GSM GPRS chip-set are available now, with volume production scheduled to start in Q1-2000. The current version of the OneC baseband controller is fabricated in 0.25 micron CMOS and packaged in a 180-contact FPBGA. The UAA3522 and UAA2077 GPRS radio chips are produced in the company's QUBIC process and packaged in a LQFP48 and SSOP16 package respectively. The next version of this RF part will be a single chip integrating further external components and bringing a full triple-band solution to the market.

Philips Semiconductors, a division of Royal Philips Electronics, headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is the eighth largest semiconductor supplier based on Dataquest's 1998 report (*). Headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, the company's innovations in digital audio, video, and mobile technology position it as a leader in the consumer, multimedia and wireless communications markets. Its recent acquisition of VLSI Technology (San Jose, California, USA) further enhances Philips Semiconductors' position as one of the world's leading suppliers of handset solutions for digital cellular and cordless telephone systems including GSM, CDMA, TDMA, DECT, ISM, GPRS and Bluetooth. In addition to these digital system solutions, Philips Semiconductors also produces ICs for wired and analog cordless telephony and paging. The company's activities are supported by sales offices in all major markets around the world, and by systems labs. Additional information on Philips Semiconductors can be obtained by accessing its home page at  www.semiconductors.philips.com.

* Based on Vendor Revenue from Shipments of Total Semiconductors Worldwide according to Dataquest's 1998 Worldwide Semiconductor Market Share report published in May, 1999.