Keysight Technologies, a supplier of test and measurement technology, and the University of California San Diego announced a demonstration of what they claim is fastest bidirectional phased-array link in the 28 GHz 5G band.
The demonstration jointly carried out by Keysight and UC San Diego included a 64-element array that achieved a data rate of 12 Gbit/s operating at 0 degrees centigrade and over 8 Gbit/s over all scan angles at up to +/-50 degrees centigrade in azimuth and +/-25 degrees centigrade in elevation over a link distance of 300 metres. The array also delivered data rates of up to 18 Gbit/s over shorter distances.
Keysight stated that the bit-error-rate achieved during the demonstrations was less than 10-7 at maximum scan angles. Additionally, it noted that the results did not rely on calibration on the 64-element phased-array, thereby helping to reduce implementation costs.
The 64-element phased array, based on a low-cost PCB, consumed approximately 7 to 11 W of DC power in both transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) modes leveraging UC San Diego system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs that utilise a third-generation silicon germanium (SiGe BiCMOS SBC18H3) process from TowerJazz.
For the demonstration, UC San Diego used Keysight’s Signal Studio software to define and generate the 16QAM and 64QAM waveforms with both single and multiple carriers. In addition, Keysights 81199A Wideband Waveform Center software enabled the team to link Tx and Rx units, as well as improve error vector magnitude (EVM) performance. The team also used Keysight’s 89600 VSA software to perform demodulation, channel equalisation and analysis of advanced signals.
To speed the prototyping process, the Keysight M8195A arbitrary waveform generator, E8267D PSG vector signal generator and DSOS804A high-definition oscilloscope, were used, also supporting link equalisation and performance measurements across modulation bandwidths at up to 3 GHz frequencies.
- Previously, last December Keysight and UC San Diego announced they had demonstrated what was claimed as the longest bidirectional phased-array link in the 60 GHz band. At a link distance of 300 metres, the 32-element array achieved a data rate of greater than 2 Gbit/s over all scan angles up to +/-45 degrees ,with data rates of 4 Gbit/s at 100 metres and 500 Mbit/s at 800 metres over most scan angles.
- It was noted that the phased array consumed 3 to 4 W of DC power in transmit (Tx) or receive (Rx) modes using SoC designs developed by UC San Diego and also based on the third-generation SiGe BiCMOS SBC18H3 process from TowerJazz.
