This article is compiled from eeweb
Radio is challenging at any level, but with the advent of 5G, the bandwidth will become larger, the frequency will be higher, the total radiated power will be higher, and the number of antennas will increase exponentially. While reducing size, weight, and total power consumption requirements, optimizing the performance of these devices is a daunting task. In an interview with EEWeb, Nitin Sharma, general manager of ADI’s wireless communications business unit, explained the company’s latest radio platform for the 5G O-RAN ecosystem, which aims to shorten the time to market and meet the evolving needs of 5G networks.
Sharma said: “O-RAN presents a unique set of challenges on the road to success. The interdependence between ecosystem participants is different from the traditional market structure. A single supplier is not enough. On the contrary, they We must consider co-innovation and taking collective risks, and work to reduce or eliminate them. Successful deployment depends on the close collaboration and openness between participants in the entire ecosystem. At ADI, we are committed to the development from system integrator to PA supplier The entire ecosystem to ensure end-to-end interoperability and optimal efficiency. By working together to improve overall system performance, this helps our customers quickly create outstanding O-RUs.”
5G radio platform
ADI’s radio platform includes all the core functions required for a 5G radio unit that meets O-RAN requirements, including baseband ASICs, software-defined transceivers, signal processing, and power supplies. The advanced radio platform is designed to significantly improve performance and form factor to solve the key power and cost challenges faced by next-generation networks, while shortening the customer’s design cycle.
5G brings new changes to the mixed frequency band, such as the possibility of aliasing or signal interference in the C-band. “If you think back to the sampling criteria of the Nyquist signal, the Nyquist zone subdivides the spectrum into areas evenly spaced at Fs/2 intervals. Each Nyquist zone contains a copy of the spectrum of the desired signal Or its mirror image. According to the theorem, signals lower than and higher than the sampling rate, equal numbers of signals, are displayed superimposed on each other at the ADC output.” Sharma said. “That’s why this is important: A common receiver architecture found in base station radios is based on an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with a sampling frequency of approximately 3 GHz to 4 GHz (using 2949.12 MHz is a convenient rate). It turns out that when using devices based on these ADCs, the C-band frequency and some of the most commonly used FDD frequency bands interfere with each other. This is a difficult problem (that is, an expensive problem). ADI has adopted a method to avoid this problem The radio architecture greatly simplifies the necessary filtering.”
O-RAN architecture. (Source: https://www.o-ran.org/)
In view of the high-performance requirements of 5G, Sharma pointed out that all components have become critical in these radio units. “Usually, software-defined transceivers will set the benchmark for the system, but power, synchronization and clock, PA, antenna and PHY baseband will affect the overall performance. With the 8T8R radio platform, we are improving the O-RU compatible with O-RAN SWaP+C (size, weight, power + cost) index.” Sharma pointed out. ADI works closely with PA partners to improve the linearity and efficiency of the device. We also work with system integrators and test equipment developers to optimize PHY interoperability. Combine it with ADI’s high-efficiency, high-performance chip solution portfolio, which is a real example of the collaborative work of the O-RAN ecosystem. “
ADI’s reference platform will enable designers to use the following technologies to create O-RAN-compliant radios:
ADI’s next-generation transceivers have advanced digital front-end signal processing (DFE), support GaN PA digital predistortion, crest factor reduction, channel digital up-converter and channel digital down-converter.
A low PHY baseband ASIC that can provide 7.2x compatible solutions for LTE, 5G and NBIoT, including IEEE1588 precision time protocol and eCPRI interface.
Complete clock and power chain solutions.
Sharma concluded: “In the course of multi-generation product iterations, ADI’s wireless technology roadmap has expanded the performance and functionality of our market-leading software-defined transceivers. We have successively integrated important parts of the signal chain. On the basis of successive generations On the previous page, we expanded the number of channels, increased bandwidth, and added important digital functions, all of which can reduce size, weight, and power consumption.”
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