Mmwave 5G Radio: Transceiver Manufacturers and Vendors

This page covers Mmwave 5G Radio basics and lists 5G mmwave radio transceiver manufacturers or vendors.

Introduction

The fifth generation of wireless technology, known as 5G NR (New Radio), follows 3GPP specifications. It’s the successor to 4G LTE, with specifications published in 3GPP Release 15 and beyond.

5G introduces several features, including:

• High spectral efficiency
• Higher capacity
• Low battery consumption
• Low latency
• Higher throughput
• Wide coverage

These features fall under three main use cases: eMBB (Enhanced Mobile Broadband), URLLC (Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications), and mMTC (Massive Machine Type Communications).

Frequencies ranging from 30 GHz to 300 GHz are known as millimeter waves due to their smaller wavelength. 5G supports a wide range of frequencies, both below 6 GHz and above 6 GHz. The 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands are available below 6 GHz. Above 6 GHz, 5G uses mmwave bands, including 28 GHz and 39 GHz. Each country has its own rules and allocation policies for frequency bands used in 5G networks.

Beam management and massive MIMO are enhanced in mmwave frequency bands. The mmwave bands currently finalized for 5G systems include n257, n258, n260, and n261.

What is mmwave 5G radio Transceiver

The RF transceiver that operates in mmwave frequency bands is known as mmwave 5G radio.

The figure below depicts a general block diagram of a mmwave radio, interfacing between the baseband chain output and beamforming input. The mmwave 5G transceiver consists of a transmit chain and a receive chain. Both the transmit chain performs direct conversion from baseband I/Q to RF, while the receive chain performs the reverse operation.

Image Courtesy: Analog Devices, Inc.

The transmitter consists of a Digital to Analog Converter, a variable gain broadband amplifier, and a mmwave upconverter. The receiver consists of a mmwave downconverter, a variable gain broadband amplifier, and an Analog to Digital Converter. The mmwave upconverter converts modulated IF to RF, while the mmwave downconverter converts modulated RF to IF.

The RF output is divided into several radio paths, on which beamforming is performed by controlling the phase of each RF path. There are two generic methods: analog beamforming and digital beamforming. The beamformed output is connected to an antenna array for transmission into the air.

Examples of mmwave radio transceivers from Analog Devices include the following parts:

• ADC/DAC: Part number AD9208 functions as a 14-bit Analog to Digital Converter with a sample rate of up to 3 GSPS. AD9172 functions as a 16-bit D to A converter with a sample rate of up to 12.6 GSPS.
• PLL/VCO: Part number ADF4372 functions as a PLL/VCO to provide a stable reference frequency for the millimeter wave upconverter and downconverter.
• Variable Amplifier: Part numbers ADL5335 and ADL5569 function as variable gain amplifiers in the transmitter and receiver chains, respectively.
• Mmwave upconverter: Part number ADMV1013 functions as an upconverter which operates at mmwave band from 24.5 to 43.5 GHz.
• Mmwave downconverter: Part number ADMV1014 converts RF to baseband I/Q directly.
• SPDT Switch: Part number ADRF5020 functions as an SPDT switch with low insertion loss and high isolation at 30 GHz, as per Analog Devices.

5G mmwave radio transceiver manufacturers or vendors

The following table mentions popular 5G mmwave radio transceiver manufacturers: