Analog Devices has announced the ADMV1013 and ADMV1014, a paired highly integrated microwave upconverter and downconverter, respectively. These ICs operate over a very wide frequency range with 50 Ω-match from 24 GHz up to 44 GHz, facilitating ease of design and reducing the costs of building a single platform that can cover all 5G mm Wave frequency bands including 28 GHz and 39 GHz. Additionally, the chipset is capable of flat 1 GHz RF instantaneous bandwidth supporting all broadband services as well as other ultra-wide bandwidth transceiver applications. Each upconverter and downconverter is highly integrated, comprising I (in-phase) and Q (quadrature-phase) mixers with on-chip programmable quadrature phase-shifter configurable for direct conversion to/from baseband (operable from DC to 6 GHz) or to an IF (operable from 800 MHz to 6 GHz). Also included on-chip are voltage variable attenuators, transmit PA driver (in the upconverter) and a receive LNA (in the downconverter), LO buffers with x4 frequency multiplier and programmable tracking filters. Most programmability functions are controlled via an SPI serial interface. Through this port, these chips also provide a unique capability for each upconverter and downconverter to correct its respective quadrature phase imbalance, hence the usually difficult to suppress sideband emission can be improved from a typical value of 32 dBc, by 10 dB or more. This results in an unmatched level of microwave radio performance. The combination of features provides unprecedented flexibility and ease of use while minimizing external components, enabling implementation of small form factor systems such as small cells.
Analog Devices, Inc. has 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.
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://www.analog.com/en/products/ad9081.html#product-overview and https://www.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.
Pricing and Availability
| Product | RF Data converters | Sample Availability | Full Production | Price Each Per 1,000 | Packaging |
| AD9081 | Quad 12-bit 4Gsps ADCs Quad 16-bit 12Gsps DACs | Sept 2019 | Mar 2020 | $1,487 | 324-BGA Thermally Enhanced JESD204B and JESD204C |
| AD9082 | Dual 12-bit 6Gsps ADCs Quad 16-bit 12Gsps DACs | Sept 2019 | Dec 2019 | $1,500 | 324-BGA Thermally Enhanced JESD204B and JESD204C |
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/.
- View the ADMV1013 and ADMV1014 product pages, download the data sheets, order samples and evaluation boards: http://www.analog.com/ADMV1013 and http://www.analog.com/ADMV1014
The highly integrated ADMV1013 microwave upconverter and the ADMV1014 microwave downconverter are ideally suited for the microwave radio platforms that operate in the emerging 28 GHz and 39 GHz 5G wireless infrastructure bands. The converters’ 1GHz bandwidth capability, along with the upconverter’s OIP3 of more than 20 dBm that supports stringent modulation schemes such as 1024QAM, are necessary to enable multi-Gigabit wireless data. Moreover, the chipset benefits other applications such as satellite and earth station broadband communication links, aircraft radios, RF test equipment and radar systems. Their superb linearity and image rejection performance are particularly compelling for improved range of microwave transceivers.
The ADMV1013 is offered in a 40-pin, 6mm x 6mm LGA, and the ADMV1014 is in a 32-pin, 5mm x 5mm LGA package. Samples and production quantities are available immediately. For more information, go to http://www.analog.com/ADMV1013 and http://www.analog.com/ADMV1014.
Summary of Features: ADMV1013 & ADMV1014
ADMV1013 Integrated Microwave Single-Sideband Upconverter
- RF Output Frequency 24 GHz to 44 GHz
- I & Q Baseband Bandwidth DC to 6 GHz
- LO Frequency (at 0 dBm Drive) 5.4 GHz to 10.25 GHz
- Sideband Rejection 32 dBc Typical
- High Output IP3 23 dBm at 28GHz
- Conversion Gain 18 dB
- Voltage Variable Gain Range 35 dB
- Carrier Leakage -20 dBm at 28 GHz Typical
ADMV1014 Integrated Microwave Image-Reject Downconverter
- RF Input Frequency 24 GHz to 44 GHz
- I & Q Baseband Bandwidth DC to 6 GHz
- LO Frequency (at 0 dBm Drive) 5.4 GHz to 10.25 GHz
- Image Rejection 30 dBc Typical
- Input IP3 0 dBm
- Cascaded Noise Figure 5.5 dB
- Conversion Gain 17 dB
- Voltage Variable Gain Range 19 dB
Pricing & Availability
| Product | Production Availability | Price Each per 1,000 | Package |
| ADMV1013 | Now | Starts at $90.79 | 40-Pin, 6mm x 6mm CSP |
| ADMV1014 | Now | Starts at $88.37 | 32-Pin, 5mm x 5mm CSP |
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.
