WiMAX looks to be emerging as the wireless broadband protocol of choice in the US and abroad. If only there were some way to fix the ridiculous power drain imposed by the WiMAX transmitter. Oh wait! There is a way! Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. developed a technology to kick WiMAX transission amplifier efficiency into high gear! With 70% of total power going to the transmission amplifier, it makes sense to make it as efficient as possible.
The new tech trumps the current amplifier efficiency of 10-20% by more than double – with amplifier efficiency now reaching 40% efficiency. Higher efficiency means less juice is wasted as heat and results in longer battery life – in this case, to the tune of 1.5 times longer than current transmission amplifiers can achieve.
Unfortunately, the laboratory tests were setup using a digital predistortion system (DPD) designed for WiMAX base stations so results cannot be directly applied to mobile handsets. Still, this could mean that WiMAX in future mobile devices could get a significant boost in battery life – hopefully by the time Fujitsu wants to commercialize the tech in 2008.
Via: techon