May 11, 2015, Seoul, South Korea – As global air traffic control (ATC) and aircraft-to-aircraft communication requirements become increasingly stringent, aircraft operating in the United States, Europe, and other countries will need to be equipped with more precise tracking and communication systems.

Freescale Semiconductor (www.freescale.co.kr, Korea Representative Director Yeonho Hwang) has expanded its L-band portfolio with two RF power transistors featuring excellent system function integration and broadband high-output performance to support trend-setting responses for avionics customers. Freescale's new AFIC10275N and AFV121KH products provide solutions capable of meeting the demanding standards of major global ATC system manufacturers.

Paul Hart, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Freescale’s RF Business Unit, stated, “The latest Airfast transistors provide efficient solutions to the ATC market and further widen the gap between Freescale and its competitors,” adding, “The AFIC10275N’s exceptional level of integration demonstrates that Freescale is closely addressing the avionics market and its specific requirements.”

Size and weight reduced with AFIC10275N

Size, weight, and power are key parameters in avionics applications. The AFIC10275N is the industry's first RF power integrated circuit supporting the 978-1090 MHz band, enabling customers to make power amplifier (PA) transistors much smaller and lighter to meet these market standards. The AFIC10275N integrates two amplification stages into a plastic package to deliver 250W with 31dB gain and 64% drain efficiency. Additionally, built-in temperature and RF sensing capabilities reduce the number of required external components. The AFIC10275N is offered as a solution featuring a reference circuit that reduces cycle times and development costs for customers.

AFV121KH, power increase per device

The AFV121KH transistor provides 1kW of power with 59% efficiency and over 1.2kW with 51% efficiency in the 960-1215MHz band, and can provide even higher power when tuned for 1030MHz narrowband performance. As power increases, customers can reduce the number of components, resulting in significant cost savings.

Supply status and support

The AFIC10275N is currently in mass production. The AFV121KH is currently being supplied as a sample and is scheduled for mass production in the third quarter of 2015. Freescale supports new Airfast RF power solutions for avionics by providing international application support, small reference designs, and ADS and AWR tools.