2.5 GHz power amplifier in a 1.52 mm² CSP
The Maxim Integrated MAX2244EBL is a 2.5 GHz power amplifier in a 9-ball WFBGA/CSPBGA package (9-UCSP, 1.52x1.52 mm). It is designed for RF front-end duty in Bluetooth and cordless phone applications, delivering the gain and linearity needed to push a 2.4 GHz ISM-band signal to the antenna. The 9-ball CSP footprint is tiny — about the size of a grain of rice — which saves board area but demands a well-controlled reflow profile and a clean stencil aperture.
Active lifecycle, RoHS non-compliant — plan accordingly
That means no last-time-buy scramble for new designs, and the supply channel remains open through standard distribution. One important compliance catch: this part is RoHS non-compliant. If your BOM requires full RoHS/REACH conformance for EU or California markets, the MAX2244EBL will not pass. For designs that can accept lead-bearing solder (e.g., certain industrial, military, or high-reliability builds where tin-whisker risk is a concern), the non-RoHS status is a feature, not a bug.
Package and mounting
There is no exposed thermal pad — heat dissipation goes through the balls and into the board copper. For rework, pre-bake the board if it has been exposed to moisture (MSL level is not stated, but CSPs typically run MSL 1 or 3). A hot-air station with a fine nozzle can lift the part cleanly if the board is preheated to 100–120 °C to reduce thermal shock. The 1.52 mm body means the stencil aperture for the balls is around 0.25–0.30 mm; a misalignment of 0.1 mm can cause opens, so good alignment marks on the board are essential.