Analog Devices RadioVerse technology: Simpler wireless system design Steve Taranovich - May 23, 2016 If you are a design engineer interested in ways to accelerate your development cycle for Wireless Radio system technology designs and need the flexibility to develop different RF platforms with a minimum re-design effort by using one versatile, scalable platform with easily adaptable software flexibility as well, then read on. There are an incredible estimated number of 8 billion hyper-connected people worldwide using over 100 billion connected devices and growing at a fast rate. We will need to somehow develop wired/wireless electronic solutions that can deliver more bandwidth, enhanced security, lower power and lower latency with lower cost. I recently became aware of a new, innovative and highly integrated RF transceiver solution called RadioVerse. Analog Devices has raised the bar in versatile system design with this new ecosystem. This solution enables design engineers to have access to a new set of tools to develop a complete Wireless System Design using a unique integrated, wideband RF and low power transceiver technology. This robust design environment also lends market-specific technical expertise to move breadboard radio designs from concept to creation more quickly than I have ever seen. I spoke to Suja Ramnath, GM of ADI s RF transceiver business; Nitin Sharma, senior director, marketing and applications, RF transceivers and Kim Boucher, marketing manager, RF transceivers to gather details about this solution. The new transceiver technology will enable a reduction in the radio size, weight and power (SWaP), and as an added feature, the design environment offers board support packages, software and tools to help designers to simplify and accelerate radio development across a range of applications including wireless infrastructure, aerospace and defense electronics, and electronic test and measurement. RadioVerse redefines radio design at the circuit, architecture, system and software levels to simplify integration and enable faster time-to-market.
Along with this new technology and design ecosystem the AD9371 was also introduced as the latest addition to ADI s integrated wideband RF transceiver product line. This device is a highly versatile, carrier-grade, system-on-chip radio solution that achieves a wide RF tuning range of 300 MHz to 6 GHz, while enabling transceiver large signal bandwidths of 100-MHz, observation receiver and transmit synthesis bandwidths up to 250 MHz, fully integrated LO and clocking functions, and highly advanced on-chip calibration and correction algorithms. All this with a power consumption of less than 5W under standard operating conditions. It can reduce board footprint by as many as 20 discrete radio components and can be used as a common design platform across multiple applications and standards. The system supports a wide range of standards and applications, and enables designers to reduce component and development costs by reducing their need for multiple design variants. Just look at the high level of integration in this IC in Figure 1.
Figure 1: The single, integrated Wideband RF Transceiver AD9371 (Image courtesy of Analog Devices) Other key features I like are a 6Gbps JESD204B interface, two independent receiver and two independent transmit paths. On the Digital and software front there are wideband, tracking correction algorithms, an auxiliary ADC, DAC and GPIO and API support. Plus, the addition of integrating the Observation and Sniffer receivers is an excellent choice. How does RadioVerse help reduce time-to-market? By using integrated RF transceivers, software API, design support packages, robust documentation, and access to ADI s EngineerZone online technical support community---that s how designers will
quicken time to market. There are also key support collateral like integrated wideband RF transceiver evaluation boards that directly connect to an FPGA development platform. This enables designers to perform IC-level performance evaluation and rapid prototyping of complete wireless scenarios using a single hardware platform. The boards are supported by a toolkit that includes HDL, Linux drivers, software API, a GUI, and design files necessary for designers to kick-start their own designs. An exact, verified model of the AD9371 transceiver, enabling advanced simulation and analysis of the transceiver, can be developed by using MATLAB and Simulink. End users can then use the model to configure the transceiver and verify performance, correct problems earlier, and accelerate completion of their RF system design. Analog Devices will continue to expand the RadioVerse design environment to include third-party design houses, COTS providers and other partners to further enable customers to rapidly deploy their products to market. Applications The versatility, ease-of-use, and reduced SWaP of the AD9371 enable designers to deploy radios in an array of applications: Small-form-factor, multi-band base stations on buildings, light poles, and office walls Long-range, high-definition video links in unmanned aerial vehicles Wide bandwidth military satellite communication systems Electronic test and measurement equipment supporting testing of multi-mode, multi-band applications. Pricing and package The AD9371 is priced at $245 in 1,000 piece quantities. The package is a 12mm x 12mm, 196-Ball CSP_BGA. You can learn more about the RadioVerse technology and its design ecosystem including ADI s wideband RF transceiver product series here.