What’s new: NXP® Semiconductors has announced the addition of new MMW9012K and MMW9014K 4-channel dual polarized analog beamformers to its 5G portfolio, as well as an antenna system developer kit. Developed using NXP’s silicon germanium (SiGe) process, the analog beamformers support dual-polarization to improve 5G reliability and offer a high degree of integration to help reduce 5G base station size and costs, as well as reduce current consumption for 5G mmWave solutions. In addition, the antenna developer system makes it easy for OEMs to accelerate their panel designs to more quickly build 5G antenna systems.
Why it matters: 5G mmWave solutions are typically deployed in dense urban areas, where the higher frequency and bandwidth are well-suited to meet consumers’ needs for higher bitrates. However, the higher frequency also decreases the distance an mmWave signal can cover, as does the interference of buildings and other obstacles. The dual-polarized, 4-channel analog beamformers enable more precise steering of simultaneous beams to users, mitigating the propagation loss common to 5G mmWave deployments and improving overall system reliability.
More details: The MMW9012K and MMW9014K complement NXP’s existing 5G portfolio, which spans all major power levels and frequencies in 5G infrastructure. The MMW9012K operates at 28 GHz, while the MMW9014K operates at 26 GHz. These devices offer a high transmit and receive gain with EVM at 2.5% at Pout of 9 dBm.
“As deployments have advanced, more consumers have come to rely on the benefits of 5G mmWave,” said Doeco Terpstra, Vice President and General Manager Smart Antenna Solutions, NXP. “Reliability is more important than ever, and OEMS need the ability to precisely direct simultaneous beams to the different users that require the low latency and high bandwidth that 5G mmWave offers. At the same time, utilizing a dual-polarization on a single antenna panel enables a higher degree of integration for 5G mmWave panels, reducing system size and cost for OEMs.”
Complementing the dual-polarized analog beamformers, the antenna system developer kit helps to reduce time to market and accelerate panel designs. It features an 8×8 antenna panel, with a control board with GUI and power supplies included.
The MMW9012K and MMW9014K 4-channel dual polarized analog beamformers will be showcased at IMS 2022. These and other NXP demos will be on display in Richardson RFPD’s booth #4090.
The MMW9012K and MMW9014K are in volume production. For more information or to request samples or evaluation boards, please visit NXP’s website.
About NXP Semiconductors
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) enables a smarter, safer and more sustainable world through innovation. As a world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, NXP is pushing boundaries in the automotive, industrial & IoT, mobile, and communication infrastructure markets. Built on more than 60 years of combined experience and expertise, the company has approximately 31,000 employees in more than 30 countries and posted revenue of $11.06 billion in 2021. Find out more at www.nxp.com.
