Beamformer IC Test Solutions
Solution Briefs
Accelerating Characterization of 5G mmWave Components
Beamforming is a key technology in 5G communication systems that enables reliable and efficient communications in the 5G Frequency Range 2 (FR2) mmWave band. It is a technique that focuses a wireless signal towards a specific receiving device, rather than have the signal spread in all directions. The resulting direct connection is faster and more reliable than it would be without beamforming.
The beamformer IC is a multiport module device that integrates multidirectional Tx / Rx blocks into an RF front-end that connects to several antennas. These blocks include phase shifters, step attenuators, power amplifiers (PAs), and low noise amplifiers (LNAs). Future ICs will also incorporate frequency converters.