CoreHW designs custom RF Front-End ICs and RFFE subsystems for wireless and mmWave systems, integrating PA, LNA, RF switching, matching, packaging, and control from 400 MHz to 80 GHz.
400 MHz to 80 GHz
RF and mmWave design coverage across selected technologies and applications.
CMOS to GaN
Standard CMOS, CMOS SOI, SiGe, GaAs, and GaN process options.
End-to-End ASIC Support
From specification and architecture through tape-out, characterization, and qualification support.
Production Readiness
Design for test, automated characterization- and production-test development, results reporting, and industrialization support.
OVERVIEW
RF front-end design encompasses the transmit and receive circuitry connecting antennas to the RF transceiver in wireless systems, including millimetre-wave (mmWave) and beamforming architectures. It typically includes power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, RF switches, filtering and impedance-matching networks, bypass paths, related control circuits, package integration, and antenna interfaces.
For phased-array and beamforming systems, the scope also includes signal distribution, phase and amplitude control, and array calibration to enable precise beam steering and shaping.
These elements are designed to meet system requirements for link budget, receiver sensitivity, linearity, power efficiency, spectral emissions, and beamforming performance.
A custom RF front-end IC is needed when off-the-shelf solutions cannot meet critical performance, integration, or form-factor requirements. Custom design enables power-amplifier efficiency and linearity, receiver noise figure, switch insertion loss, signal routing, impedance matching, and packaging to be optimized together for the target application.
WHY COREHW
DESIGN SCOPE
CoreHW develops custom RFFE building blocks, integrated RFFE ASICs, and complete RF front-end solutions, extending to mmWave design, beamforming architectures, antenna design, and module-level integration. RF architecture, circuit performance, antenna and package integration, semiconductor technology, and system-level requirements are co-optimized to achieve the required performance and integration targets.
CAPABILITY RANGE
All achievable values depend on the selected technology, architecture, package, operating conditions, and product requirements.
APPLICATIONS
CoreHW’s RF Front-End capability is relevant where wireless performance, integration, size, power, and RF architecture need to be optimized at chip or module level.
mmWave front-end blocks, PA and LNA integration, switching, packaging, and EM correlation.
Efficient PA design, a low-noise receive path, low-loss switching, and fast TX/RX transition.
Compact front-end integration, low current consumption, integrated matching, and cost-sensitive packaging.
PA and LNA integration, antenna switching, bypass mode, small package size, and fewer external components.
PA linearity, LNA noise figure, RF switch loss, isolation, EVM, and IM3 performance.
RF and mmWave front-end blocks, high linearity, wideband RF design, and integration with larger RF systems.
Custom RF architectures, radar front-end functions, and wideband or high-frequency RF requirements.
ENGAGEMENT MODELS
CoreHW can help determine whether a custom RFFE IC or front-end module is technically and commercially justified. Typical outputs include a refined specification, architecture recommendation, process and package direction, and an initial risk view.
CoreHW can provide circuit design, RF layout, simulation, EM and parasitic extraction, verification documentation, and tape-out support for agreed RFFE blocks or integrated front-end architectures.
CoreHW can support testability requirements, test-mode definition, calibration and monitoring hooks, RF and analog test access, test-board or fixture planning, automated measurement and reporting flows, and production-test handover. Production programs can also include industrialization and ramp-up support with manufacturing and test partners where applicable.
CoreHW can support RFFE chip integration, module design, package selection, RF interconnects, matching strategy, and interface planning.
CoreHW provides lab capability for S-parameters, linearity, noise figure, output power, VSWR, and output-spectrum measurement up to 80 GHz, including temperature and supply variation. Automated result storage and report generation support characterization and documentation.
ARCHITECTURE
CoreHW develops integrated transmit architectures centred on the power amplifier and its interaction with the surrounding RF chain, package, and antenna interface. Output power, efficiency, linearity, gain control, spectral purity, and impedance matching are co-optimized, with performance characterized through metrics such as Pout, Psat, PAE, gain, compression, IM3, EVM, spectral emissions, and supply current.
CoreHW develops integrated receive architectures cantered on the LNA and its interaction with the surrounding RF signal chain. Noise figure, gain, linearity, blocker tolerance, dynamic range, power consumption, matching, and stability are co-optimized together with RF switches, bypass paths, filters, and transceiver interfaces.
CoreHW develops RF switching architectures as an integral part of the RFFE signal path, supporting flexible routing between transmit, receive, bypass, and antenna interfaces. Topologies range from SP2T and SP3T switches to DP2T, DP3T, and complex multi-throw configurations, with insertion loss, isolation, linearity, power handling, switching speed, and RF leakage co-optimized for system-level performance.
CoreHW develops operating-mode and control architectures that coordinate the complete RF front end across power-down, sleep, receive, transmit, bypass, calibration, and test states. Bias sequencing, RF signal routing, switch timing, tuning, test access, and control logic are defined at system level to ensure deterministic transitions and predictable behaviour across normal operation, validation, and production test.
CoreHW develops RF matching and filtering as an integral part of the complete front-end architecture. Integrated and external passives, baluns, transformers, RF interconnects, package transitions, and layout parasitic are considered together, with EM and extracted models used to optimize performance across IC, package, and module boundaries.
DESIGN PROCESS
CoreHW’s RF Front-End methodology is based on joint specification work, architecture selection, subsystem design, simulation, EM and parasitic extraction, lab correlation, and documentation.
TESTABILITY AND PRODUCTION
CoreHW integrates testability and production-readiness considerations into RF Front-End and RFIC development so devices can be validated, characterized, qualified, and transferred to manufacturing efficiently. Depending on the project, this can include test-mode architecture, RF and analog test access, calibration hooks, monitoring signals, status readout, production-test planning, automated measurement flows, and documentation for engineering validation and production transfer.
Production readiness is especially important in RF Front-End design because PA efficiency, LNA noise figure, switch insertion loss, output power, spectrum behavior, bias settings, antenna and matching performance, and temperature or supply variation must be measured in repeatable test flows.
PROVEN WORK
The following measured examples illustrate RF Front-End design experience across sub-GHz, 2.4 GHz ISM, Wi-Fi 6E, GPS, and 80 GHz radar applications.
INDUSTRIALIZATION
CoreHW has successfully applied its RF Front-End design and industrialization expertise to products including the CHW1010 RF switch and CHW3021 RF Front-End IC. These developments demonstrate practical experience across silicon implementation, characterization, production test, qualification, and transfer to volume manufacturing.
Product
Low-loss RF switch product supported from silicon development through qualification and volume production.
Product
Integrated 2.4 GHz RF Front-End IC with PA, LNA, antenna switch, low-current bypass mode, and 50-ohm TRX-port matching in a compact CSP BGA package.
TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES
CoreHW uses industry-standard RFIC, mixed-signal, EM simulation, PCB and module, and measurement environments from leading EDA vendors including Cadence, Synopsys, Keysight, Dassault Systèmes, and Altium. The workflow combines RF circuit simulation, system-level modeling, EM simulation, parasitic extraction, package-aware RF layout, and module integration.
CoreHW has access to a broad range of semiconductor technologies, including standard CMOS, CMOS SOI, SiGe, GaAs, and GaN, with experience across foundry and technology ecosystems including GF, TSMC, X-FAB, Vanguard, and ST.
CoreHW test systems support a broad range of RF and mixed-signal control interfaces, such as SPI, I2C, and MIPI RFFE, together with laboratory characterization across temperature, supply, and other operating conditions. Measurement capabilities include S-parameters, linearity, noise figure, output power, VSWR, and other RF performance parameters from 400 MHz to 8.5 GHz, complemented by output-power and spectrum measurements up to 80 GHz. Automated test and characterization environments can utilize MATLAB, Simulink, LabVIEW, and other suitable tools for data acquisition, analysis, and automated reporting in PDF, ASCII, and other required formats.
FAQ
RF Front-End design covers the antenna-side RF circuitry in a wireless system, typically including the power amplifier, low-noise amplifier, RF switch, filtering, matching, bypass paths, control interface, package, and antenna connection.
CoreHW designs RF Front-End blocks such as power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, low-loss RF switches, bypass paths, integrated matching networks, wideband LNAs and PAs, RF passives, and RFFE chip or module integrations.
A custom RFFE IC is useful when off-the-shelf RF components cannot meet the required combination of PA efficiency, linearity, LNA noise figure, switch loss, routing architecture, package size, integrated matching, or system-level RF performance.
CoreHW’s RF Front-End work can use standard CMOS, CMOS SOI, SiGe, GaAs, and GaN technologies. The process is selected based on frequency, output power, linearity, noise figure, switch performance, integration level, package, and cost targets.
CoreHW’s RF Front-End capability covers designs from 400 MHz to 80 GHz, with bandwidths ranging from narrowband designs of a few tens of MHz to several GHz, depending on the application and architecture.
Yes. CoreHW supports integrated matching and RF layout using custom inductors, baluns, transformers, RF connections, and package-aware interconnects where suitable for the target process and product architecture.
CoreHW supports RF Front-End control interfaces such as SPI, I2C, and MIPI RFFE for PA, LNA, switch, bypass, bias, and mode-control functions.
Yes. CoreHW can measure RFFE components over temperature, supply variation, and frequency from 400 MHz to 8.5 GHz, including S-parameters, linearity, noise figure, output power, and VSWR. Output-power and spectrum measurements up to 80 GHz are also supported.
Yes. CoreHW has integrated RF Front-End IC experience, including the CHW3021 2.4 GHz RF Front-End IC for Bluetooth®, Zigbee, Thread, and 2.4 GHz ISM applications. It integrates a PA, LNA, antenna switch, low-current bypass mode, chip-antenna support, and 50-ohm TRX-port matching in a compact CSP BGA package.
Typical deliverables may include specification support, architecture definition, RF circuit design, layout, EM and parasitic-extracted simulation, verification documentation, measurement reports, and exported measurement data, depending on project scope.
Yes. CoreHW can include testability planning in RF Front-End and RFIC development, including test modes, RF and analog test access, calibration hooks, monitoring signals, status readout, and production-test planning where required by the project.
Yes. CoreHW can support production-test definition, automated characterization, measurement reporting, and production-test handover for agreed RFFE or RFIC project scopes. This can include wafer, package, final, RF, calibration, and system-level test considerations depending on the product and manufacturing flow.
Yes. CoreHW can support the path from RFIC or RFFE design through characterization, documentation, production-test planning, and industrialization support. For high-volume production programs, CoreHW can work with industrialization and manufacturing partners.
START A PROJECT
Bring your target frequency, output-power and noise-figure requirements, linearity goals, process assumptions, package constraints, control needs, and production targets. CoreHW can help assess feasibility, define the RFFE architecture, and plan the next development step.
