RadioVerse chip looks to drive FPGAs out of 5G radios

9 décembre 2021

Par Nick Flaherty

Analog Devices is aiming to cut FPGAs out of 5G radio design with its latest software-defined system-on-chip.

The RadioVerse SoC provides zero-IF RF signal processing with expanded digital functionality and RF capacity that improves 5G RU performance and energy efficiency.

The ADRV9040 is the first in the new RadioVerse SoC series and offers eight transmit and receive channels of 400MHz bandwidth across a tunable range from 650 MHz to 6GHz. The 13W chip integrates carrier digital up-converters (CDUC), carrier digital down-converters (CDDC), crest factor reduction (CFR) and digital pre-distortion (DPD). This expanded signal processing can eliminate the need for a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) says ADI, reducing thermal footprint, and total system size, weight, power, and cost.

The DPD algorithms in the chip were developed using advanced machine learning techniques and are optimised in close collaboration with major power amplifier (PA) vendors to ease the design burden and deliver best-in-class wide bandwidth performance. The algorithms are fully tested and validated across 4G and 5G use cases, including various PA technology types such as gallium nitride (GaN). In addition, the ZiF radio architecture simplifies RF filtering and signal chain components, reducing RU cost and development time for band and power variants designs.

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“Samsung and ADI have long worked together to support the swift deployment of 5G in the global market,” said Dong Geun Lee, Vice President and Head of Hardware R&D Group, Network Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are excited for the successful launch of ADI’s new SoC, as we expect this cutting-edge technology will bring better 5G experience to consumers. We look forward to expanding our engagement with ADI.”

Demand for power efficient RUs is expanding rapidly as global network operators race to deploy 5G infrastructure. With the exponential growth of wireless demand, energy efficiency is a key metric for operators as they seek to reduce their carbon footprint while expanding network capacity. The new RadioVerse SoC series requires very low power compared to alternatives and implements advanced algorithms that deliver optimal RU system efficiency.

“RadioVerse SoCs are designed to optimise the full radio solution rather than just a single component or interface,” said Joe Barry, Vice President of Wireless Communications at Analog Devices. “Each successive generation has provided expanded capabilities, bandwidth and performance, while improving overall RU efficiency. This new RadioVerse SoC series takes a big step forward by delivering multiple advancements in signal processing to meet the demanding needs of 5G.”

www.analog.com/ADRV9040

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