Advances in Analog and RF IC Design for Wireless Communication Systems

Chapter 1

Wireless Infrastructure

Gabriele Manganaro^a and Domine Leenaerts^b,    ^aAnalog Devices, Boston, USA, ^bNXP Semiconductors, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Introduction

Wireless communication is today one of the most important ways to transport voice, video, and data using radio-frequency (RF) or microwaves. In fact, since 2002, more phone calls are made via a wireless link rather than a wired link. Even more striking, according to recent statistics on a global scale, today there are already more mobile phone subscriptions than people with access to electricity or access to safe drinking water. The modern mobile handheld terminal, the smartphone, is a clear example of it; it transports voice via a GSM, or W-CDMA cellular communication pipe ...