Taoglas and MixComm jointly announce high-performance and innovative 5G NR mmWave smart antenna subsystem

Taoglas®, a leading provider of next-generation IoT solutions and MixComm, announced a technology partnership and their co-development of a 5G new radio (NR) mmWave smart antenna subsystem covering the 26.5-29.5 GHz band. The new mmWave antenna subsystem can support both infrastructure and IoT OEMs’ integration of 5G NR devices and is ideal for small cells, repeaters and customer-premises equipment (CPE) designs.

The co-development is based on Taoglas’ innovative KHA16.23C smart antenna subsystem. It includes Taoglas patent pending design that has been integrated with MixComm’s newly announced 5G 28 GHz Beamforming “SUMMIT 2629” Front End IC. The KHA16.23C is a 2D antenna array integrated into a multi-layer PCB that contains the RFICs and 16 antenna elements; layers provided for power optimization and thermal control, digital control, and RF feed lines all in footprint of 53×84 mm. Depending on device implementation the Taoglas design is scalable with arrays up to 1024 elements.

“We are thrilled to partner with Taoglas and introduce this industry leading integrated smart antenna subsystem which will significantly speed up time-to-market for 5G NR mmWave infrastructure devices,” said Mike Noonen, CEO of MixComm. “Our combined design builds on the MixComm SUMMIT 2629’s breakthrough efficiency resolving performance limitations preventing broad market adoption. MixComm is excited about the opportunities our combined offering will bring to our global carrier and infrastructure partners.”

MixComm’s 5G 28 GHz Beamforming SUMMIT 2629 Front End IC integrates novel power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, all-passive beamformer, calibration and control for a front-end module with optimal partitioning for 5G infrastructure. The device is fabricated in GLOBALFOUNDRIES 45RFSOI which is enhanced for mmWave applications. The SUMMIT2629 operates from 26.5-29.5 GHz and is the first of a family of MixComm mmWave devices.

MixComm SUMMIT 2629 Product Highlights:

• Four-element dual-pol. TX/RX with independent polarization beam directions
• High-power, high-efficiency SOI CMOS power amplifiers
• State-of-the-art low-noise amplifiers and low-loss T/R switching
• Ultra-low transmit and receive-mode power consumption
• 6-bit full-360o phase shifting and 0.5dB-step 16dB-range variable gain in each path
• Fully calibrated for gain/phase matching across ICs
• Extensive on-chip temperature and power sensing
• On-chip gain control for temperature compensation
• High-speed SPI with large on-chip beam table storage
• Wafer-level chip-scale package (WLCSP) compatible with low-cost PCB manufacturing
• Support for large-scale arrays through multiple chip-addressing modes

“We are excited to showcase our advanced mmWave smart antenna subsystem together with MixComm. Resolving for 5G complexity and optimized antenna design is part of the Taoglas DNA,” said Dennis Kish, COO of Taoglas. “With over 16 years of global antenna and RF design expertise, Taoglas has been able to quickly and effectively upgrade its offerings in order to participate at the forefront of 5G technology and the next generation of wireless networks. The 5G NR mmWave market is starting to emerge globally. Our high-performance and cost-competitive subsystem will help solidify a broader and faster deployment of the technology,” Mr. Kish added.

Taoglas has invested in expanding beyond a traditional antenna vendor’s capabilities into full electronics and true beam steering solutions. This has happened through the marriage of years of antenna array design experience and IoT device design services. By expanding the antenna, RF and electronics engineering global teams organically and through acquisitions, Taoglas has created the most comprehensive 5G antenna portfolio for IoT verticals.