A 4-in-1 (WiFi/BT/FM/GPS) connectivity SoC with enhanced co-existence performance in 65nm CMOS

Abstract

In recent years, the increasing popularity of mobile devices, such as smart- phones and tablets, is driving the demand for integrating multiple radios on a single SoC to reduce cost, form factor and external BOM. These devices require ubiquitous wireless connectivity, which means concurrent operation with different radios. While concurrent operation of multiple radios brings excellent user experiences, there exist great challenges in dealing with radio co-existence in an SoC. For example, concurrent operation between WiFi and BT, both oper- ating in the 2.4GHz ISM band, sets additional requirements in RF front-end cir- cuits and system control. In addition, thermal effect of the integrated WiFi PA needs to be compensated to minimize its impact on the frequency-precise GPS system.