In the article "Significant Changes in Smartphone RF Filters and Front Ends with the Advent of 5G," I explored the future 5G smartphone filter architecture, including LTE Carrier Aggregation (CA) and Multiple Input/Multiple Output (MIMO) designs to boost data speeds. Designing for multiple bands to work simultaneously with one antenna presents significant challenges for engineers.
As the complexity of the RF front end (RFFE) grows, so do insertion loss and link budget. High power user equipment (HPUE) demands further complicate design considerations. To help designers build reliable RF front ends for upcoming mobile devices, I reached out to Ben Thomas, Director of Technical Marketing at Qorvo, to discuss his insights on RF solutions for mobile phones.
According to Thomas, Qorvo sees a paradigm shift in how mobile data is consumed globally with the advent of 5G. Streaming video will become a cornerstone for entertainment and information. Qorvo is tackling several key challenges to assist mobile phone original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in managing RF complexity:
- Adapting to rapidly evolving standards like CA and MIMO
- Balancing size constraints with performance requirements
- Leveraging filters and multiplexers for efficient carrier aggregation
- Providing cost-effective RFFE solutions for high-end and mid-range smartphones
Qorvo's 2017 RF Fusion solution, comprising multiple modules, already covers global CA band requirements for flagship smartphones and is compact. Their roadmap extends to 2018, coinciding with early 5G demonstrations at events like the PyeongChang Olympics.
However, smartphone design priorities vary between super-zone/global phones and regionally-focused mid-range models. For premium phones, RFFE integration is critical to support multiple frequency bands and CA combinations. Space limitations for batteries and antennas pose additional challenges. Qorvo addresses these needs with an RF Fusion solution integrating transmit/receive functionalities across high, mid, and low-frequency spectrums. Each module combines power amplifiers, switches, and filters.
For instance, the QM78064 high-band module supports both FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE bands with carrier aggregation capabilities. It features a broadband B41 Lowdrift Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) filter and an antenna switch supporting envelope tracking (ET) and average power tracking (APT) to enhance transmit efficiency.
Reducing losses is another focus. By eliminating redundant on-board matching typical in traditional designs, the PAMiD architecture can reduce TX and RX losses by up to 0.5 dB. The BAW-SMR filter technique proves particularly effective in mid-to-high frequency bands where carrier aggregation optimization is crucial.
Smartphones aiming for 1 Gb/s data rates face immense challenges as operators allocate more spectrum. Many bands are combined to enable multi-carrier operations. MIMO further complicates RF design by enabling simultaneous data streams. Higher-order modulation adds another layer of difficulty.
Looking ahead, Qorvo leverages innovations from its Infrastructure and Defense Products (IDP) division, including solid-state designs and power amplifiers in millimeter-wave technology. They've joined China Mobile's 5G Innovation Lab and introduced 28 GHz RF solutions for 5G base stations using GaN-on-SiC and GaA processes. Their first 39 GHz dual-channel GaN front-end module debuted in June 2017.
The upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics mark exciting times for RF electronics, serving as milestones for 5G standardization.
I'm Steve Taranovich, a senior technical editor at EDN with over 45 years of experience in the electronics industry.
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