Ericsson F3507g Mobile Broadband Module Teardown

Overview / Main Features

The Ericsson F3507g is a mobile broadband modem module featuring ST Microelectronics digital baseband, Dialog Semiconductor analog baseband and Infineon RF transceivers. The F3507 supports HSPA based 3G wireless data standards. The mini PCIe module features support for tri-band HSPA as well as quad band EDGE/GPRS frequencies.

Ericsson F3507g Mobile Broadband Module Main Image

Wireless Data service providers / Wireless data consumers (primarily business professionals)

Released

Per press releases, first release globally on June 2008.

Ericsson F3507g Mobile Broadband Module - Main PCB Top

Pricing - Typically, mobile broadband modules are heavily subsided by the service provides. However, it is not uncommon to see embedded 3G modems selling for upwards of $150 as an option offered by the laptop manufacturers.

Availability - assumed global

Volume Estimations

For the purposes of this teardown analysis, we have assumed a lifetime production volume of 4M units.

As a reminder, teardown volume production assumptions are primarily used for our cost analysis in terms of amortized NRE and tooling costs, especially for custom components specific to the model being analyzed (mechanical components especially). Unless assumed volumes are different by an order of magnitude, minor changes in volume (say 1 million vs. 2) rarely have a large net effect on our final analysis because of this.

Market / Sector Performance

According to a topical paper on WWAN modems titled "Mobile Broadband Shifts into High Gear with USB Modems, iSuppli estimates 13.8 million WWAN modems were shipped in 2007, growing at a CAGR of nearly 50% to reach 103.22 million shipments by 2012. These estimates include those modems shipped as PCMCIA cards, USB dongles (as in this case) or embedded modules.

The report also cites six major modem suppliers of WWAN connectivity for mobile PCs: Huawei, Sierra Wireless, Novatel, Option, Ericsson and Qualcomm. The latter 2 manufacturers are relative new-comers to the WWAN module market space.

Ericsson F3507g Mobile Broadband Module Cost Analysis

Main Cost Drivers Representing ~68% of total materials cost

ST Microelectronics - DB3210 - DBB - Digital Baseband Processor, PoP

Dialog Semiconductor - D1705BA - ABB - Analog Baseband / Power Management

Samsung Semiconductor - K5D1G12ACA-D090 - MCP - 1Gb NAND Flash + 512Mb Mobile SDRAM, PoP

NXP Semiconductors - RF3000 - RF Transceiver - ZIF, Quad-Band GSM/EDGE

Infineon - PMB2525 - A-GPS Baseband / RF Front-End - Single Chip, w/ Integrated PLL, PM, Correlator Engine & Host Control Interface, 0.13um RF CMOS

Infineon - PMB5701 - RF Transceiver - Tri-Band, WCDMA / HSDPA, 130nm RF CMOS

Infineon - PMB5701 - RF Transceiver - Tri-Band, WCDMA / HSDPA, 130nm RF CMOS

Skyworks - SKY65311-21 - PAM - Quad-Band GSM/EDGE

Unitech - 8-Layer - FR4/RCF HDI, 2+4+2, Pb Free, Halogen Free

Total BOM Costs $40.54

What Is Not Included in our Cost Analysis

The total materials and manufacturing costs reported in this analysis reflect ONLY the direct materials cost (from component vendors and assorted EMS providers), AND manufacturing with basic test. Not included in this analysis are costs above and beyond the material manufacture of the core device itself - cost of intellectual property, royalties and licensing fees (those not already included into the per component price), software, software loading and test, shipping, logistics marketing and other channel costs including not only EMS provider and the OEM's margin, but that of other resellers. Our cost analysis is meant to focus on those costs incurred in the manufacture of the core device and exceptionally in some circumstances the packaging and literature as well.

Manufacturing Notes

Country of Origin / Volume Assumptions

Based on markings, the unit was assembled in China. Furthermore, we have assumed that custom mechanicals (plastics, metals, etc. were also sourced in China.

Country of origin assumptions relate directly to the associated cost of manufacturing, where calculated by iSuppli. In the cases of 'finished' sub-assemblies (such as RF shields), we do not calculate internal manufacturing costs, but rather assess the market price of the finished product in which case country of origin assumptions may or may not have a direct effect on pricing.

Remember also that labor rates are applied directly only to hand inserted components and systems in our bill of materials, and although regional assumptions do, these new rates do not have a direct effect on our modeled calculations of placement costs for automated SMD assembly lines. ""Auto" inserted components (such as SMT components) placement costs are calculated by an iSuppli algorithm which allocates a cost per component based on the size and pincount of the device. This calculation is affected by country or region of origin as well.

Design for Manufacturing / Device Complexity

The total component count for the Ericsson F3507g mobile broadband module is 482. This level of component complexity places the F3507g within the norms of similar HSPA broadband modems and about half as much as one would expect to see in a mobile handset

Component counts have a direct bearing on the overall manufacturing cycle times and costs, and also can increase or decrease overall yields and re-work. Our calculations of manufacturing costs factor counts and more qualitative complexities in the design. The cost of manufacturing is also, to some extent, decreased in this case because of assumed labor rate applied for China.

Note that manual labor has a much smaller effect on auto-insertion assembly lines (for the Main PCB, for example), where manufacturing costs are much more capital equipment intensive and driven by these investment costs.

Ericsson F3507g Mobile Broadband Module - Main PCB Bottom

Design Notes

The core of the Ericsson F3507g design revolves around the ST Micro DBB with integrated memory and Dialog Semi ABB and power management IC. Ericsson also employs Infineon RF transceivers and aGPS solutions to round out the major components. The power amplifier section is primarily a Skyworks solution typical of Ericsson based designs.

Here is a summary of the major components used in the Ericsson F3507g design:

Main PCB

Digital Baseband / Memory

• DBB - ST Microelectronics - DB3210
• MCP -Samsung Semiconductor - K5D1G12ACA-D090

Analog Baseband / Power Management

• ABB - Dialog Semiconductor - D1705BA
• Regulator -Texas Instruments - TPS61030RSA

RF Transceiver

• RF Transceiver - Infineon - PMB5701 (Quantity 2)
• RF Transceiver - NXP Semiconductors - RF3000

GPS

• A-GPS Baseband / RF Front-End - Infineon - PMB2525

User Interface

• USB On-the-Go Transceiver - NXP Semiconductors - ISP1508AET

PA

• PAM - Skyworks - SKY65311-21 (Quad-Band GSM/EDGE)
• PAM -Skyworks - SKY77174-14 (WCDMA/HSDPA 2100, 1950.0MHz)
• PAM - Skyworks - SKY77175-3 (Dual-Band, WCDMA/HSDPA 850/1900, 836.5/1880.0MHz)