Analog Devices builds radio for for 5G O-RAN

It can be a little destructive

Analog Devices has developed an ASIC-based radio platform for OG-compatible 5G radios designed to meet the changing needs of 5G networks.

For those who came late, the O-RAN Ecosystem uses open standards to disaggregate the traditional network and allows greater flexibility and additional features in the carrier’s networks.

What ADI has invented is a radio platform that includes all the basic functionality needed for an OG-compatible 5G radio, including baseband ASIC, software-defined transceivers, signal processing, and power.

This will allow improvements in productivity and form factor to address the critical challenges of energy consumption and costs of next generation networks, while reducing customer design cycles.

O-RAN aims to reduce barriers to entry and offers new opportunities for current and emerging wireless network providers. ADI engages directly with ecosystem actors to optimize the overall efficiency of the system, provide interoperability and additional industry capabilities.

ADI Vice President of Wireless Communications Joe Barry said O-RAN seeks to disrupt the traditional market by rethinking the network structure with open standards that will require new and innovative radio solutions.

“ADI’s new O-RAN-compatible solution marks a major step forward for the ecosystem by providing an efficiency-optimized radio platform for 5G applications.”

Andy Dunkin of Vodafone, Open RAN RF and Digital Platform Development Manager at the Group, said that bringing the ASIC low PHY baseband to market is a big step forward for Open RAN.

“There is now a clear path for OEMs to build competitive macro and small cell systems,” he said. “Initiatives like this help build a healthy ecosystem.”

The new platform allows radio designers and manufacturers to optimize the overall performance of the macro and small cell system. The reference design will allow designers to create radio stations compatible with O-RAN.

The next-generation ADI transceiver features digital front-end signal processing (DFE), digital pre-distortion with GaN PA support, comb factor reduction, up-and-down digital converters.

It also has a low PHY bandwidth ASIC that provides a 7.2x compatible solution for LTE, 5G and NBIoT, including IEEE1588 Precision Time Protocol and an eCPRI interface.