Analog Devices’ New Multi-Channel, Mixed-Signal RF Converter Platform Expands Call Capacity and Data Throughput for Wireless Carriers

Analog
Devices, Inc. (ADI) today introduced a mixed-signal front-end
(MxFE™) RF data converter platform that combines high-performance analog
and digital signal processing for a range of wireless equipment such as
4G LTE and 5G millimeter-wave (mmWave) radios. ADI’s new AD9081/2 MxFE
platform allows manufacturers to install multiband radios in the same
footprint as single-band radios, which as much as triples call capacity
available in today’s 4G LTE base stations. With a 1.2 GHz channel
bandwidth, the new MxFE platform also enables wireless carriers that are
adding more antennas to their cell towers to meet the higher radio
density and data-rate requirements of emerging mmWave 5G.

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Analog Devices’ New Multi-Channel, Mixed-Signal RF Converter Platform Expands Call Capacity and Data Throughput for Wireless Carriers (Photo: Business Wire)

By shifting more of the frequency translation and filtering from the
analog to the digital domain, the AD9081/2 provides designers with the
software configurability to customize their radios. The new
multi-channel MxFE platform meets the needs of other wide-bandwidth
applications in 5G test and measurement equipment, broadband cable video
streaming, multi-antenna phased array radar systems and low-earth-orbit
satellite networks.

• View the AD9081/2 product overviews:
  https://wcm.corpnt.analog.com/en/products/ad9081.html#product-overview
  and https://wcm.corpnt.analog.com/en/products/ad9082.html#product-overview
• Learn more about ADI’s MxFE portfolio: https://www.analog.com/en/products/analog-to-digital-converters/integrated-special-purpose-converters/mixed-signal-frontends.html
• Learn more about RF data converters: https://www.analog.com/en/applications/technology/rf-converters.html

“Cell towers are nearing saturation based on the number of antennas they
must support, and our customers want lighter weight, multiband radios
that fit into today’s radio form factor,” said Kimo Tam, general
manager, High-Speed Mixed-Signal group, Analog Devices. “They are also
asking for software-defined RF platforms with the configurability and
scalability to enable one platform to be used across multiple
geographies and use cases.”

The AD9081 and AD9082 MxFE devices integrate eight and six RF data
converters, respectively, which are manufactured using 28 nm CMOS
process technology. Both MxFE options achieve the industry’s widest
instantaneous signal bandwidth (up to 2.4 GHz), which simplifies
hardware design by reducing the number of frequency translation stages
and relaxing filter requirements. This new level of integration
addresses the space constraints of wireless device designers by lowering
chip count and yielding a 60 percent reduction in printed-circuit-board
(PCB) area compared to alternative devices.

The MxFE platform processes more of the RF spectrum band and embeds DSP
functions on-chip to enable the user to configure the programmable
filters and digital up and down conversion blocks to meet specific radio
signal bandwidth requirements. This results in a 10X power reduction
compared to architectures that perform RF conversion and filtering on
the FPGA, while freeing up valuable processor resources or allowing
designers to use a more cost-effective FPGA.

About Analog Devices
Analog Devices is a leading global
high-performance analog technology company dedicated to solving the
toughest engineering challenges. We enable our customers to interpret
the world around us by intelligently bridging the physical and digital
with unmatched technologies that sense, measure, power, connect and
interpret. Visit http:www.analog.com.

MxFE is a trademark of Analog Devices, Inc.

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journal, at: http://www.analog.com/analog-dialogue.html

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