Beamformer Supplier 5G NR Base Station
Support for shortening design performance verification period


As the bandwidth of integrated circuits using 5G increases, the task of characterizing performance over a wider frequency range becomes increasingly important.

Keysight announced on the 27th that it is expanding its collaboration with Integrated Device Technologies (IDT) to characterize 5G NR (New Radio) mmWave IC beamformer components that will accelerate the development of 5G NR (New Radio) base stations.

Network equipment manufacturers are using beamforming technology in 5G NR base stations to improve the reliability and efficiency of mmWave frequency spectrum.

Beamforming uses multiple antennas (phased arrays) to transmit the same signal, increasing signal strength in selected directions, thereby expanding cellular coverage, increasing data rates, and improving the wireless environment.

IDT is using Keysight's family of vector network analyzers (VNAs) to verify the performance of its beamformer ICs.

“Working with Keysight will enable IDT to improve the performance and reduce power consumption of 5G beamformers and other components,” said Naveen Yanduru, vice president and general manager of IDT’s RF Products business unit. "It was done," he said.

IC design companies, including IDT, use Keysight solutions to measure key parameters such as scattering (S) parameter, 1dB compression point (P1dB), third order intermodulation (IM3), and error vector magnitude (EVM).

“Our expanded collaboration with IDT demonstrates how beamformer designers can use the high-precision measurement and simulation tools in Keysight’s 5G beamformer IC test solution to verify performance and ensure reliable, efficient designs,” said Kailash Narayanan, vice president and general manager of Keysight’s wireless test group.

IDT unveiled a 64-element phased array antenna consisting of a 5G NR beamformer IC and a wideband microwave synthesizer at the International Microwave Symposium (IMS) 2019, a microwave and RF industry trade show, in June.

This demonstration utilized Keysight's 'Signal Studio' software for signal generation, a PXI vector signal generator for waveform generation, and a UXA signal analyzer for vector signal analysis to verify the signal fidelity performance of the beamforming IC."19095" id="hwpEditorBoardContent">