Qorvo introduces a new high reliability fully integrated automotive eCall switch

     Qorvo announced the launch of the first integrated wideband antenna routing switch to support Automotive emergency Calling (eCall), which includes two versions: QPC1251Q for eCall and QPC1252Q for Dual-card Dual-Pass (DSDA) eCall. This low-loss, high-linearity switch switches the primary cellular link to other antennas in the vehicle, ensuring a reliable connection to life-saving services in the event of an accident. eCall has been offered in cars by U.S. automakers since 2008, and since 2018 all cars sold in the European Union have been required to have the safety feature.

     Qorvo offers two versions of the new AECQ-class switch: QPC1251Q for eCall; The QPC1252Q is suitable for dual-card Dual-pass (DSDA) eCall. Both switches can save up to 50% of board space compared to traditional separate switch designs and have a hot switching capability of up to +29 dBm for all remote communication control unit (TCU) configurations. In addition, they reduce insertion losses by up to 1 dB, thereby maximizing the effective power delivered to the external eCall antenna array. Even in signal-limited areas, heat can be sufficiently reduced to enable better cellular and 5G connectivity.

     The QPC1251Q/1252Q both feature a small pin-to-pin design with 2DID traceability to meet challenging TCU requirements. Oems and Tier 1 suppliers need only one switch to implement a complete eCall antenna routing solution that supports DSDA and non-DSDA applications. Competing products require more than four separate switches, and matching and TCU board layout can take months of man-hours.

     Gorden Cook, General Manager of Qorvo's Transmission Business unit, said: "In today's advanced 5G TCUs, innovative DSDA and non-DSDA antenna configurations are required to meet eCall requirements. "These new eCall products demonstrate Qorvo's deep knowledge of automotive and cellular 4G and 5G NAD solutions, and we not only have deep system-level expertise, but also the ability to deliver best-in-class integrated solutions to address the eCall antenna routing challenge."

     Roger C. Lanctot, Director of Automotive Connected Mobility at Strategy Analytics, said: "A stable, reliable and simple antenna system is the key to enabling an automated automotive emergency collision notification system. To save lives and meet regulatory requirements, these systems are quickly becoming standard equipment for connected vehicles."

     Qorvo offers a wide range of V2X, Wi-Fi, SDARS, UWB, eCall, LTE and 5G automotive solutions. These solutions have been developed in close collaboration with multiple chipsets used by leading module manufacturers and are designed to support longer vehicle life cycles. In addition to meeting ISO/TS 16949 certification requirements, Qorvo performs AEC-Q100 and AEC-Q200 testing to ensure that products meet stringent automotive industry requirements. For more information about Qorvo automotive RF solutions, including Qorvo's Connected Car For Dummies® ebook, click here.