ICs & Semiconductors

The GRF55xx series of InGaP HBT power amplifiers from Guerrilla RF are the first of a new class of 0.5W linear power amplifiers which target all primary cellular bands spanning 615 to 4200MHz. Guerrilla RF also offers GRF56xx variants which double the series’ output power capabilities.

The linear power amplifiers are intended for 5G wireless infrastructure applications that require exceptional native linearity over temperature extremes of -40 to +85 degrees C. Each can deliver up to 26dBm of output power with better than -45dBc of ACLR performance and EVM (error vector magnitude) levels less than 1.2 per cent, without the aid of supplemental linearisation schemes such as digital pre-distortion (DPD).

The ability to beat the -45dBc ACLR (adjacent channel leakage ratio) performance metric without DPD is critical for size, cost and power-sensitive cellular applications, for example in home and commercial repeaters / boosters, femtocells, picocells and cable loss compensators found in automobiles, explained Guerrilla RF.

The first devices to be formally released are the GRF5607 and GRF5608. The span frequency ranges of 703 to 748MHz and 746 to 830MHz, respectively. They are tuned to operate within the n12, n14, n18, n20 and n28 5G new radio (NR) bands.

The ability to beat the -45dBc ACLR performance metric without DPD is critical for cellular applications like home and commercial repeaters/boosters, femtocells, and picocells, as well as cable loss compensators which are used in conjunction with automotive ‘shark fin’ antennas. In each of these use cases, the sensitivity to cost, power and size constraints prohibits the use of elaborate linearization techniques like DPD. Instead, designers must rely on the power amplifier’s native linearity to meet the stringent emissions mask requirements imposed by the latest 5G standards.

“By essentially doubling the output power, GRF is enabling customers to increase the range of their systems by up to 40 per cent,” said Jim Ahne, Guerrilla RF’s vice president of Automotive and 5G products. “Given that these new devices are pin-pin compatible with the previously released GRF55xx series, customers now have an easy path to upgrading the range capabilities of their existing repeater/booster and compensator platforms,” he added.

The GRF5607 and GRF5608 are supplied in pin-compatible 3.0 x 3.0mm, 16-pin QFN packages.

Samples and evaluation boards are available now for both the GRF5607 and GRF5608. 

https://www.guerrilla-rf.com 

A dual-band FG28 SoC, designed for long-range networks and proprietary protocols such as Amazon Sidewalk and Wi-SUN includes radios for sub-GHz and 2.4Ghz Bluetooth LE. Silicon Labs announced that the FG28 also has a built-in AI / ML accelerator for machine learning inference and its proprietary Secure Vault technology.

“The FG28 SoC addresses several key needs for our customers when it comes to developing and deploying low-power wide area networks,” said Daniel Cooley, CTO of Silicon Labs. “By including Bluetooth, it gives users an easy way to provision and deploy new devices onto the network, while the sub-Ghz band is designed to support device communications over one mile, allowing for new edge applications in areas like smart agriculture, smart cities, and neighbourhood networks like Amazon Sidewalk.”

Emerging applications require solutions that can provide a “Swiss army knife” of connectivity options, said Silicon Labs. By providing sub-Ghz connectivity using networks like Wi-SUN, the FG28 can serve as the battery-operated end node in smart cities, for example, as a tracker on refuse collection lorries to help locate them and check the last time they were emptied. Other uses are in irrigation systems across multi-acre commercial farming operations, or as livestock trackers and health monitors on sprawling ranches. Bluetooth connectivity not only allows for devices to easily be deployed on the network, but also allows for operators to connect to the device locally for diagnostics and data downloads.

Other features which open new applications for sub-Ghz devices are what is claimed to be the industry’s first integrated AI / ML hardware accelerator in a sub-Ghz SoC. This allows for machine learning inference at the edge to enable predictive maintenance warnings, monitor soil conditions for key conditions like moisture and pH levels.

There is also 1024kbytes of flash storage and 256kbytes of RAM, to meet the memory needs of a wide range of protocols and technology stacks, said Silicon Labs.

Its Secure Vault Mid and High support allow designers to choose the level of security needed for applications while the energy-efficient radio core with low active and sleep currents with fast wakeup times preserver battery life for end nodes.
There are also up to 49 general purpose I/O pins.

The FG28 is sampling now with general availability planned before the end of Q3 2023. Derivatives optimised for Amazon Sidewalk and Z-Wave Long-Range and a standalone MCU are also planned.

http://www.Silabs.com 

Topside cooled RF amplifier modules have been developed by NXP Semiconductors and based on packaging designed to enable thinner and lighter radios for 5G infrastructure. 

Smaller base stations can be more easily and cost-effectively installed, increasing network density, while being able to blend more discretely into their environment, said NXP. Its GaN multi-chip module series, combined with what is claimed to be the industry’s first topside cooling for RF power, helps to reduce not only the thickness and weight of the radio by more than 20 per cent, but also the carbon footprint for the manufacture and deployment of 5G base stations.

“Top-side cooling represents a significant opportunity for the wireless infrastructure industry, combining high power capabilities with advanced thermal performance to enable a smaller RF subsystem,” said Pierre Piel, vice president and general manager for radio power at NXP. 

Benefits afforded by NXP’s topside cooled devices are the removal of the dedicated RF shield, use of cost-effective and streamlined PCBs and separation of thermal management from RF design. These features help networking solution providers create slimmer and lighter 5G radios for mobile network operators, while reducing their overall design cycle, NXP added.

NXP’s first topside cooled RF power module series is designed for 32T32R, 200W radios covering 3.3 to 3.8GHz. The devices combine the company’s in-house LDMOS and GaN semiconductor technologies to enable high gain and efficiency with wideband performance, delivering 31dB gain and 46 per cent efficiency over 400MHz of instantaneous bandwidth.

The A5M34TG140-TC, A5M35TG140-TC and A5M36TG140-TC modules are available today. The A5M36TG140-TC will be supported by NXP’s RapidRF reference board series. 

NXP Semiconductors specialises in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications in the automotive, industrial and IoT, mobile and communications infrastructure markets while advancing a more sustainable future. The company has over 60 years of combined experience and expertise and operates in more than 30 countries.

http://www.nxp.com