Xilinx Collaborates with Ampleon and Wolfspeed on a 280MHz C-band Macro Radio Solution

Power consumption in the Radio Access Network (RAN) continues to be a concern for service providers and operators. As much as 60% of the power consumed in a base station is associated with the RF¹. Companies like AMD Xilinx continue to invest in merchant silicon and IP in addition to collaborating with the RF ecosystem to address the RF power challenge.

Most of the RF power consumption is associated with the power amplifiers (PA). PA vendors are investing in new technologies like GaN and novel PA architectures to improve efficiency. In addition to improving the efficiency, the radio also needs to conform to spectral emission limits as defined by various government agencies. For example, C-band has been the source of much discussion recently owning to the proximity to key spectrum used by the aviation industry². AMD Xilinx continues to develop CFR and DPD IP that enhances the efficiency of the latest PA technology while addressing Spectral Emission Mask (SEM) requirements.

Using the latest Xilinx RFSoC DFE silicon and DPD IP this demonstration shows a high-power driver stage from Ampleon (B11G3742N80D) and a final power stage from Wolfspeed (GTRB424908FC/1). The driver uses advanced LDMOS transistor technology to implement push-pull multistage fully integrated Doherty PA. The final stage is an asymmetric Doherty GaN on SiC transistor that offers 450 W peak power (P3dB) and operation in the C-Band, 3.7 to 3.98 GHz. The line-up is meeting the FCC SEM requirements for an 8T8R 40W/antenna macro radio use case. This is a particularly challenging use case with -22dBm/MHz required at 47.5dBm output power for the line-up. This assumes 1.5dB loss between the PA and antenna port.

_{¹ Chochliouros, I.P.; Kourtis, M.-A.; Spiliopoulou, A.S.; Lazaridis, P.; Zaharis, Z.; Zarakovitis, C.; Kourtis, A. Energy Efficiency Concerns and Trends in Future 5G Network Infrastructures. Energies 2021, 14, 5392. 
https://doi.org/10.3390/en14175392}
² FAA issues warning on potential safety risks from 5G C-band _{https://www.fiercewireless.com/regulatory/faa-issues-warning-potential-safety-risks-from-5g-c-band}

B11G3742N80D is a C-band tailored solution from comprehensive portfolio family of multiband, linear, fully integrated Doherty MMIC transistors in LDMOS technology covering all sub-6GHz frequency bands. Compact push-pull PA configuration in PQN 12x7 mm2 package and pin compatibility enables isolator-free lineup design, therefore addressing space constrains and minimizing design efforts. Our released family members include B11G1822N60D, B11G2327N70D and B11G3338N80D products.

The GTRB424908FC/1 is a 450-watt (P3dB) GaN on SiC high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) designed for use in multi-standard cellular power amplifier applications. It features high efficiency, and a thermally enhanced package with earless flange. Visit our website for more information: https://www.wolfspeed.com.

Please see the  Zynq Ultrascale+ RFSoC DFE.