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Nujira Coolteq.L Envelope Tracking power modulators can save over 1W in an LTE terminal, enabling a single multiband, multimode PA module to transmit 20 MHz 4G signals using less power than today’s single-band 3G PAs. In September, Nujira announced that it had licensed its Coolteq.L handset technology to a Tier 1 semiconductor vendor in the handset ecosystem. The company is now developing a commercial Envelope Tracking processor IC to replace the DC-DC converter in the handset, which will transform the power consumption of 3.5G and 4G terminals.



“4G terminals will not work without Envelope Tracking,” said Tim Haynes, CEO, Nujira. “Using standard power architectures, 4G terminals will use 75% more power than today’s 3G terminals, and require up to seven PA modules to cover the whole of the allocated spectrum. With Envelope Tracking, terminals will use 30%-50% less power and require just two PAs. The case for Envelope Tracking is overwhelming, which is why we are in detailed discussions with OEMs and partners representing more than 70% of the handset market.”



Haynes continued, “Coolteq.L will replace the DC-DC converter and become the standard power architecture for the next generation of handsets, because it is the only power optimisation technology which delivers the high bandwidths and wideband capability needed for 3.5G and 4G. Nujira Coolteq is PA, baseband, frequency and modulation scheme agnostic. It can deliver significant power savings for any terminal on any 3G or 4G network.”



Cellular terminal roadmap



At MWC in February 2011, Nujira is demonstrating its second generation handset test chip to customers and partners. This second generation device has already been delivered to a Tier 1 handset OEM and covers the full 20 MHz LTE bandwidth. Based on this device, Nujira is developing a commercial Envelope Tracking processor IC for release later this year, which can be integrated into 3G, 3.5G and 4G terminals in place of the DC-DC converter. Both devices are compatible with the OpenET Terminal Interface published by the OpenET Alliance.



In Q2 2011, Nujira will release a flexible development platform to support Envelope Tracking implementation. This wideband platform, which covers all bands from 200 MHz to 2700 MHz, will allow immediate evaluation of Coolteq.L modulator IC technology with no development effort. It enables PA vendors and OEMs to measure the benefits of Envelope Tracking across multiple frequency bands, and acts as a reference environment for PA characterisation, PA development and integration of the Envelope Tracking modulators.