SiGe Semiconductor Licenses Kaben Research Fractional-N Synthesizer IP

"Synthesizer IP improves performance and shortens wireless SoC development."

Ottawa, ON - May 13, 2003 - Kaben Research Inc., a developer of mixed-signal, intellectual property (IP) blocks for wireless manufacturers, announced today that SiGe Semiconductor has licensed Delta-Sigma (DS) Fractional-N Synthesizer IP provided by Kaben Research.

SiGe Semiconductor has licensed Kaben Synthesizer IP for use in its GPS IC product line.   "Designing a DS fractional-N synthesizer would have taken years to develop in-house," said Jeff Robillard, product line manager, SiGe Semiconductor. "Using the DS synthesizers from Kaben Research reduces development time, allowing us to meet the compressed design cycle and delivery windows characteristic of today's market conditions."

DS synthesizers solve several problems faced by radio systems designers.  ICs based on these synthesizers feature small frequency step sizes, as well as reduced phase noise and spurious tones. The synthesizers also add flexibility in frequency planning.

DS synthesizers are now commonly used to reduce the number of analog components in a system when used in a direct modulation architecture. Direct modulation is appropriate in standards that require FSK modulation such as Bluetooth. This allows the baseband digital data to be directly converted to the transmit frequency by having the synthesizer output the modulated frequency. This eliminates many analog components such as mixer stages that would normally be used to upconvert or modulate the transmitted signal.

Tom Riley, recognized as one of the early pioneers in DS Fractional-N synthesizers and CTO for Kaben Research said, "It has taken many years to bring DS synthesizers to today's level of predictable performance."

"Kaben's DS Synthesizer IP block enables SoC manufacturers to achieve the desired system performance in a reduced time frame." said Seste Dell'Aera, Kaben's VP Marketing. "This mature technology can be licensed for integration into wireless systems such as Bluetooth, cable modems, and WLAN 802.11a/b/g."

About Kaben   
Kaben Research is an IP company focused on design, development, and licensing of mixed-signal building blocks that are key to creating future SoC products. The company delivers high-performance, proven IP blocks to SoC manufacturers in the wireless communications market that significantly reduce risk, cost, and time to market. For more information, please visit www.kabenresearch.com.

About SiGe Semiconductor
SiGe Semiconductor is a leading global supplier of analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for next-generation wireless, cable telephony and high-speed optical systems. Drawing on the unique advantages of silicon germanium technology, the company designs and delivers integrated circuits with unparalleled performance and power efficiency. SiGe Semiconductor's components can be found in BluetoothTM-enabled portable devices, GPS and telematics systems, IEEE 802.11a/b/g WLANs, 2G, 2.5G and 3G cellular handsets, cordless telephones, cable telephony equipment, and optical network interfaces. For more information, please visit www.sige.com.