TOHOKU UNIVERSITY

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Mitsubishi Electric and Tohoku University Develop 5GHz/60GHz Dual-Band Receiver Front-End Si-CMOS IC for Wireless Communication

Contributions to highly dependable and high-speed communications

TOKYO, October 3, 2014 - Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) and Tohoku University announced today their development of a 5GHz/60GHz dual-band receiver RF front-end Si-CMOS IC for a highly dependable and high-speed wireless communication system that Tohoku University has proposed as the "Dependable Air." Technical details of new Si-CMOS IC will be announced during European Microwave Week 2014 from 5-10 October 2014.

5GHz/60GHz dual-band receiver RF front-end Si-CMOS IC
5GHz/60GHz dual-band receiver RF front-end Si-CMOS IC

Wireless communication is greatly dependent on high dependability and high speed. But since high-speed wireless communication normally uses millimeter-scale radio waves, communication can be established only in line of sight. In the 5GHz band used for wireless LANs, however, communication is possible over the horizon. Tohoku University is proposing its Dependable Air with wireless handsets that use multiple standards (heterogeneous) to conduct seamless handovers according on the environment.

Mitsubishi Electric's new RF front-end IC is a miniaturized multiband model that uses the 5GHz and 60GHz bands. Size was reduced about 30% by sharing parts of the 5GHz and 60GHz RF front-ends.

Circuit configuration of new RF front-end IC
Circuit configuration of new RF front-end IC

Mitsubishi Electric also reduced the extent of trial IC manufacturing by introducing electro-magnetic simulation of performance effects in millimeter-wave bands for assembled ICs.

Assembled millimeter-wave IC Electro-magnetic simulation result
Assembled millimeter-wave IC Electro-magnetic simulation result

5GHz/60GHz dual-band receiver module
5GHz/60GHz dual-band receiver module

Going forward, Mitsubishi Electric plans to pursue standardization of this wireless communication, including IEEE802.11 and other standards, as well as develop RF-IC business for millimeter-wave communication devices.

5GHz/60GHz dual-band receiver RF front-end Si-CMOS IC

The Dependable Air by Tohoku University is supported by the CREST funding program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency. Under the CREST project named "Fundamental Technologies for Dependable VLSI System" (research supervisor: Dr. Shojiro Asai), research into the "Development of Dependable Wireless Systems and Devices" (principal investigator: Prof. Kazuo Tsubouchi, Tohoku University) is being carried out.

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Contact:

Tohoku University Research Institute of Electrical Communication
Research Center for 21st Century Information Technology
Visiting Professor Kazuo Tsubouchi

Advanced Wireless Information Technology
Associate Professor Suguru Kameda
Tel: +81-22-217-6121
Email: kamedariec.tohoku.ac.jp
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