The signal-boosting secret sauce is on the chips
Equipment maker Movandi, a specialist in 5G mmWave Radio Frequency (RF) has unveiled its 300+ antenna PAAM design at Mobile World Congress LA 2021.
The top line is that Movandi’s phased array antenna systems promise greater power and energy efficiency for 5G infrastructure builders. The technicalities are complex, being based on high-performance phased array antenna modules (PAAMs) that use TSMC CMOS technology.
The new antenna uses a new type of TSMC CMOS technology which promises better TSMC performance on a scale and efficiency of bulk CMOS.
TSMC (the Taiwanese semi-conductor manufacturing company) is significant because it creates chips with huge advantages for network building customers, it’s claimed. The smaller the transistors on a chip, the lower the energy consumption and higher the speed. The most advanced chips are 5nm and only TCSMC and Samsung have mastered the technique used in this fabrication.
5G powered by TSMC
In Movandi’s case, it is using TSMC alongside a complementary metal oxide semi-conductor (CMOS) which offers an on-board battery power option for running chip processes.
The PAAMs, like all phased arrays, are arranged like a matrix within the ‘engine room’ of the antenna. The flat arrangement of all elements pervades the entire antenna. The modus operandum of this particular frequency scanning array involves the beam steering being controlled by the transmitter’s frequency without use of any phase shifter. The beam steering is a simple function of the frequency, says the vendor.
The upshot is a more powerful antenna performance at the base station and anywhere in the field, creating a better radio access network for the 5G operator.
Hurry up array
Movandi says that deep application RAMs on all Movandi chipsets allow programmable schedules and a large beam-book, for dynamic control and fast beam steering. A symbol-level PAAM controller enables accurate test-driven developments and analogue to digital converters.
The Movandi PAAM is configurable in several modes of operation, according to Maryam Rofougaran, CEO and co-founder of Movandi
“Movandi has demonstrated its chip design excellence by delivering the highest performing PAAM for mmWave infrastructure,” said Rofougaran “this allows us to fulfil our customers’ requirements at scale and the most efficient price point. This leap forward is just what is required in mmWave infrastructure applications.”
5G mmWave with deep semi-conductor
Movandi makes 5G millimeter-wave systems with ‘deep semiconductor technology’ for running 5G and future generations of mobile network as they cater for artificially intelligent (AI) applications.
The company also announced the appointment of Taher Behbehani as chief revenue and marketing officer. Behbehani was previously the general manager of Samsung Electronics America.