Alereon Teams with Teradyne for Ultrawideband RF Test Solutions
Teradyne Inc. (NYSE:TER) and Alereon, Inc., a leading developer of Wireless USB and WiMedia ultrawideband (UWB) wireless chipsets, have teamed up to create test solutions using Teradyne RF test technology to characterize the operational performance of Alereon’s latest UWB devices. The Alereon AL4000 Family chipsets provide complete solutions for UWB applications from the antenna to the drivers, supporting data rates up to 480 Mbps. Teradyne’s RF ATE helped enable Alereon’s 2006 production ramp of over 10,000 units, with shipments to more than 50 customers in the last six months.
“Teradyne continues to advance their RF roadmap in both performance and cost of test,” said Eric Broockman, CEO, Alereon. “They have worked closely with us since 2005 to ensure we could achieve our initial production ramp last year. Teradyne’s large installed base at test development centers and subcontractors puts the resources in place to give us a strategic advantage in meeting our time-to-market goals.”
UWB is a revolutionary radio technology that uses much wider bandwidths to create greater channel capacity and improved performance. The Alereon AL4000 Family WiMedia PHY chipset provides a complete solution for use with any compatible WiMedia or Wireless USB Media Access Controller (MAC). In production since June 2006, the AL4000 PHY is shipping today to an expanding customer base for use on consumer products like digital cameras, MP3 players, and cell phones.
“Companies like Alereon continue to push the technology envelope with new wireless solutions that expand the applications for consumer end products,” said David Trounson, general manager, Semiconductor Test Wireless Business Unit, Teradyne. “Teradyne’s goal is to deliver higher test efficiency that results in the lowest cost and highest throughput to meet aggressive production requirements. Working with Alereon on the launch of the AL4000 product line and continuing to introduce new RF/Microwave instrumentation to the FLEX(TM) test platform reinforces our commitment to provide solutions for ultrawideband device test as this industry enters its next growth phase.”
Teradyne’s RF/Microwave options cover the broadest range of RF semiconductor test applications in the marketplace and enable the lowest cost of test through scalable multisite test. Users also have the ability to perform functional test via modulated signal generation and analysis functionality for mainstream wireless protocol standards. According to Gartner Dataquest, Teradyne continues as the market leader for RF/wireless test solutions with over 50% market share covering systems that test RF semiconductors for the wireless device market. Teradyne’s FLEX Test Platform, which just surpassed its 1000th unit shipment, advances test technologies in an architecture designed for high efficiency multsite test. A broad range of single board, high performance, high density analog (AC and DC) and digital instruments replicate the device-operating environment for test and lets users apply the best test strategy for high performance digital or high precision analog at package or probe.
About Alereon, Inc.
Alereon, Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company using revolutionary ultrawideband (UWB) radio technology to develop high-bandwidth, low-power, low-cost Wireless USB and WiMedia UWB chipsets that are ideal for today’s portable products, like digital cameras, mp3 players and cell phones. Our mission is to replace the complex tangle of wires that interconnect today’s electronic devices with wireless links. For more information, visit http://www.alereon.com
About Teradyne
Teradyne (NYSE:TER) is a leading supplier of Automatic Test Equipment used to test complex electronics used in the consumer electronics, automotive, computing, telecommunications, and aerospace and defense industries. In 2005, Teradyne had sales of $1.08 billion, and currently employs about 3,900 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.teradyne.com.
Teradyne(R) and FLEX are trademarks or registered trademarks of Teradyne, Inc. in the US and other countries.
Source for this article: http://www.alereon.com/press-room/