RF Component Industry Review: January - March 2012

lobal shipments of cellphones dropped sequentially from Q4 ’11 on seasonality and weaker demand in Asia, contributing to a small decrease in sales and a modest decrease in profits for RF and wireless component suppliers overall. Merger & acquisition activity increased, but start-up funding and IPOs remained challenging for RF and wireless component suppliers. On the positive side, most suppliers of components for LTE and 802.11ac Wi-Fi are well positioned to take advantage of growth in these segments of the market.

1 Executive Summary
2 Summary and Analysis of Significant Developments
2.1 Financial Highlights
2.2 Product, Market, Technology Highlights
2.3 Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures
2.4 RF Startup Funding & IPOs
3 Company Results
3.1 Financial
3.1.1 SuVolta Raises $17.6 Million
3.1.2 Cree Q2 FY `12
3.1.3 TSMC Q4 and FY `11
3.1.4 Intel Q4 and FY `11
3.1.5 Skyworks Q1 FY `12
3.1.6 ST-Ericsson Q4 and FY `11
3.1.7 TI Q4 and FY `11
3.1.8 RFMD Q3 FY `12
3.1.9 Silicon Labs Q4 and FY `11
3.1.10 Cypress Q4 and FY `11
3.1.11 Freescale Q4 and FY `11
3.1.12 Maxim Q2 FY `12
3.1.13 Microsemi Q1 FY `12
3.1.14 Broadcom Q4 and FY `11
3.1.15 CEVA Q4 and FY `11
3.1.16 Fujitsu Q3 FY `11
3.1.17 Murata Q3 FY `12
3.1.18 Renesas Q3 FY `12
3.1.19 Seiko-Epson Q3 FY `12
3.1.20 Sumitomo Electric Q3 FY `11
3.1.21 TDK Q3 FY `12
3.1.22 DSP Group Q4 and FY `11
3.1.23 Entropic Q4 and FY `11
3.1.24 Infineon Q1 FY `12
3.1.25 Qualcomm Q1 FY `12
3.1.26 Cavium Q4 FY `11
3.1.27 EoSemi Raises $2.3 Million
3.1.28 MediaTek Q4 and FY `11
3.1.29 NDK Q3 FY `12
3.1.30 Atmel Q4 and FY `11
3.1.31 TriQuint Q4 and FY `11
3.1.32 UMC Q4 and FY `11
3.1.33 Melexis Q4 and FY `11
3.1.34 MStar Q4 and FY `11
3.1.35 Nordic Q4 and FY `11
3.1.36 NXP Q4 and FY `11
3.1.37 RDA Q4 and FY `11
3.1.38 Sequans Q4 and FY `12
3.1.39 Taiyo Yuden Q3 FY `12
3.1.40 Hittite Q4 and FY `11
3.1.41 Sony Q3 FY `12
3.1.42 NetLogic Q4 and FY `11
3.1.43 Nvidia Q4 and FY `12
3.1.44 Black Sand Raises $10 Million in Third Round
3.1.45 TowerJazz Q4 and FY `11
3.1.46 CSR Q4 and FY `11
3.1.47 ANADIGICS Q4 and FY `11
3.1.48 Analog Devices Q1 FY `12
3.1.49 Avago Tech Q1 FY `12
3.1.50 InterDigital Q4 and FY `11
3.1.51 Marvell Q4 and FY `11
3.1.52 Spreadtrum Q4 and FY `11
3.1.53 u-blox FY `11
3.1.54 RF Monolithics Q2 FY `12
3.2 Contracts
3.2.1 RFaxis CMOS PA Front End in AirMicro's ZigBee
3.2.2 Sigma Designs Ref Design Using Quantenna Wi-Fi
3.2.3 CSR Bluetooth in NEC CASIO Smartphone
3.2.4 ANADIGICS PA in Galaxy Nexus
3.2.5 WiSpry MEMs Tunable Antenna Match in Samsung Phone
3.2.6 Intel Licenses Tuner Technology to Plessey
3.2.7 Mio PNDs Use CSR
3.2.8 Sigma Designs STB Ref Design
3.2.9 Timex Training Watch Uses CSR GPS
3.2.10 TriQuint Begins Phase II of GaN DARPA Contract
3.2.11 Samsung Using Spreadtrum TD-SCDMA Chipset
3.2.12 TriQuint Foundry Supplies to Sarda Technologies
3.2.13 Grace Industries Chooses u-blox for Personal Tracker
3.2.14 CEVA Licensed by Icom
3.2.15 Skyworks LNA-Filter for GPS Selected by Samsung
3.2.16 Swissvoice Selects DSP Group for Cordless Handset
3.2.17 Huawei Orders $6 Billion in Parts from Avago Tech, Broadcom, Qualcomm
3.2.18 AceAxis Selects NetLogic Micro DFE for LTE Base Stations
3.2.19 IPWireless Chooses Altair Semi
3.2.20 ZTE Chooses Complete Nvidia Chipset for Smartphone
3.2.21 Qualcomm Multimode Chipsets for LTE Advanced
3.2.22 Spreadtrum Chooses CSR for Smartphone Ref Designs
3.2.23 RFMD Selected for LG Smartphones
3.2.24 ST-Ericsson Baseband in Panasonic HSPA+ Smartphone
3.2.25 Entropic Chooses Qualcomm Atheros for Home Networking
3.2.26 SCI Chooses RFaxis' CMOS PA for Wi-Fi
3.2.27 Micromax Chooses Spreadtrum
3.2.28 u-blox Selected by LOSTnFOUND for Person Locator
3.2.29 Nokia Chooses MediaTek and MStar Chipsets
3.3 Joint Ventures
3.3.1 Entropic and Marvell Team for Joint MoCA 2.0 Ref Designs
3.3.2 Sigma Designs, Qualcomm Atheros Team for Wi-Fi Display
3.3.3 Spreadtrum's First LTE Baseband
3.3.4 InterDigital to Collaborate with Spectrum Bridge on White Space Radio
3.3.5 Qualcomm Life and Orange Offer M2M for Patient Monitoring
3.4 Employment
3.4.1 Analog Devices Appoints VP of Strategy and Corporate Development
3.4.2 RFMD Announces Retirement of Robert Van Buskirk
3.4.3 ST-Ericsson Senior Management Changes
3.4.4 Javelin Semiconductor Names VP of Operations
3.5 New Products
3.5.1 Broadcom MoCA 2.0 SoCs
3.5.2 RFMD ZigBee PA Modules
3.5.3 Spreadtrum Basebands
3.5.4 Analog Devices' PLL Synths for Base Stations
3.5.5 Celeno Wi-Fi for Home Gateways
3.5.6 Greenpeak ZigBee RF4CE Chip
3.5.7 Huawei Multimode LTE Baseband
3.5.8 Marvell ZigBee SoC
3.5.9 Broadcom 3G Baseband for Affordable Smartphones
3.5.10 Microsemi SiGe RF Front-end Modules
3.5.11 Neul 'White Space' Radio ICs
3.5.12 Broadcom 802.11ac
3.5.13 RFMD GaN Wideband Pulsed PA
3.5.14 Avago Tech PA for LTE Infrastructure
3.5.15 New M/A-COM Tech Products
3.5.16 Ubidyne Active Antenna
3.5.17 Avago Tech PA-FEM for 5 GHz Wi-Fi APs
3.5.18 Skyworks LNAs
3.5.19 Samsung Chooses Javelin CMOS 3G PAs
3.5.20 M/A-COM Tech PA for Point-to-Point Radios
3.5.21 RFMD PA-FEMs for UHF AMR
3.5.22 WIN Semi 0.25 Micron E/D Mode Process
3.5.23 Broadcom Microwave ODU SoC
3.5.24 Mitsubishi Electric Wideband PA
3.5.25 Fujitsu MB86L11A RF Transceiver
3.5.26 RFMD GSM / GPRS PA-Switches
3.5.27 TI Five-Radio Wi-Fi Combo Chip
3.5.28 ANADIGICS PAs for Small-Cells
3.5.29 Nujira ET for Cellphones
3.5.30 RFMD PA for 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
3.5.31 Hittite Direct Modulator for 3G & 4G
3.5.32 Renesas Multimode LTE Baseband
3.5.33 ANADIGICS Multimode, Multiband PA
3.5.34 TriQuint Compact Dual-band PA-Duplexer
3.5.35 ANADIGICS PA-Duplexers
3.5.36 Peregrine SP10T CMOS SoS Switch
3.5.37 TriQuint PA-Switch Modules
3.5.38 TriQuint Linearized 3G/4G Small Cell PA
3.5.39 CSR Indoor Navigation Chipset
3.5.40 Freescale Macrocell Base Station Baseband
3.5.41 Marvell Multimode TD-LTE Baseband
3.5.42 RFMD Improved Multimode PAs
3.5.43 Skyworks Single & Dual-band 3G / 4G PAs
3.5.44 Freescale 48 Volt LDMOS RF Power Transistor
3.5.45 Marvell Smartphone Reference Design
3.5.46 Marvell TD-HSPA+ Modem
3.5.47 Qualcomm-Atheros 802.11ac
3.5.48 RFMD Antenna Control Solutions
3.5.49 Skyworks ASMs and LTE Switches
3.5.50 Intel Multimode LTE Chipset & Baseband
3.5.51 ST-Ericsson Multimode LTE Chipset & Baseband
3.5.52 CEVA Bluetooth 4.0 LE Intellectual Property
3.5.53 Microchip PA-FEM for Wi-Fi
3.5.54 RFMD PA-Switch Module for 915 MHz AMR
3.5.55 RFMD LNA for Wi-Fi
3.5.56 Hittite Amplifiers & Mixers for 24 GHz to 46.5 GHz
3.5.57 TriQuint 30 Watt GaN PA
3.5.58 Broadcom Receiver for Digital Terrestrial TV
3.5.59 Seiko-Epson Compact HF Oscillators
3.5.60 TriQuint DC to 6 GHz Gain Blocks
3.5.61 RFMD Dual-Band PA-FEM for Wi-Fi
3.5.62 MediaTek 802.11ac Combo Chip
3.5.63 ST-Ericsson Wireless Charging IC
3.6 Mergers, Acquisitions, Other
3.6.1 Clearwire to Offer TD-LTE in US
3.6.2 Sweden Launches First FDD/TDD LTE Network
3.6.3 Entropic and Sigma to Acquire Trident Microsystems Assets
3.6.4 Mindspeed to Acquire PicoChip for $52 Million
3.6.5 Microsoft Proposes Narrow Channel Wi-Fi
3.6.6 BridgeWave Comm Raises $10.3 Million
3.6.7 Skyworks Complete Acquisition of Advanced Analogic
3.6.8 Terahertz Transmitter Record
3.6.9 MIPI Announces RF Front-End Standards
3.6.10 Microsemi to Acquire Timing Product Lines from Maxim
3.6.11 Maxim Acquires LTE Design Company
3.6.12 Semtech to Acquire Gennum for $494 Million
3.6.13 Qualcomm Acquires Pixtronix
3.6.14 Nokia Losses Softened by New Smartphone Success
3.6.15 TSMC 28 nm Capacity Limits Affect Qualcomm
3.6.16 RFaxis Ships Four-Millionth RFIC
3.6.17 Sprint to Turn Off iDEN
3.6.18 US FCC to Fund Wireless Mobility
3.6.19 Peregrine Sues RFMD & Motorola Mobility
3.6.20 Broadcom Completes Acquisition of NetLogic Micro
3.6.21 Inside Secure Goes Public
3.6.22 Toshiba PA Linearizer
3.6.23 Eye-FI Raises $20 Million
3.6.24 Verizon Embraces Small Cells for LTE
3.6.25 RIM Acquires Paratek Microwave
3.6.26 M/A-COM Tech IPO
3.6.27 T-Mobile USA Pushes for 700 MHz Interoperability
3.6.28 RFMD's One billionth PA Shipped to China
3.6.29 RDA buys Chinese IP to broaden cell phone offering
3.6.30 First Wafer-Scale 110 GHz Phased Array Transmitter
4 Companies Tracked for This Report
5 Contact the author of this report: