Low cost design techniques for rf circuits in consumer electronics

In today´s consumer electronics market there are increasing pressures to cut manufacturing cost in mature designs, enabling longer and more profitable product lifetimes. The natural tendency for any designer is to over-engineer their product to reduce design risk and improve production yield, but this approach inevitably leads to higher cost. This paper investigates lost cost design solutions suitable for RF circuits and suggests practical solutions implemented in a selection of consumer products. Against a background of market driven forces for reducing component cost, examples are shown of good and bad RF design and how these can affect product viability. Some cost estimates are shown for CT2 and GSM communication products, demonstrating design progression over the past few years