Testing PAs under Digital Predistortion and Dynamic Power Supply Conditions


The power amplifier (PA) – as either a discrete component or part of an integrated front end module (FEM) – is one of the most integral RF integrated circuits (RFICs) in the modern radio. In this application note, you will learn different techniques for testing PAs through an interactive application note with multiple how-to videos. To address these linearity and efficiency requirements,... » read more

Fundamentals of Power Amplifier Testing


The power amplifier (PA) – as either a discrete component or part of an integrated front end module (FEM) – is one of the most integral RF integrated circuits (RFICs) in the modern radio. In this application note, you will learn the basics of testing RF PAs and FEMs through an interactive application note with multiple how-to videos. When characterizing the performance of an RF PA, engin... » read more

Radar For Automotive: How Far Can A Radar See?


In the previous entries of this blog dedicated to automotive radar, the reason for using radar and the principle of operation of the frequency modulated continuous wave radar were presented. Now, we will focus on the performance of the system, starting with its maximum detection range: how far can we detect an obstacle ahead? We need to have as much foresight as possible, to be able to detect a... » read more

Bringing RFIC Design And Verification Into The Modern Era


For decades, developers of radio frequency (RF) chips and other analog/mixed-signal (AMS) integrated circuits (ICs) have used traditional techniques for design and verification. Most RFIC designers have continued to hand-craft active and passive devices, manually place and route their circuits, and rely on the bring-up lab to validate their pre-silicon SPICE simulations. It is often said that a... » read more

RF To mmWave Design For Systems


RF-enabled next-generation communication systems and connected devices are differentiated by their performance, size, and cost. Traditionally, custom proprietary IC designs, leveraging the latest advanced-node technology, were developed to meet these product requirements. Increasingly these challenges are being met by moving beyond single IC solutions. Today’s electronic systems often integra... » read more

Load-Pull Analysis For Optimizing PA Performance


In load pull calculations, power amplifiers are going to need harmonic load pull analysis and load pull contours with wideband electromagnetic tuners. Working with RFIC power amplifiers is difficult for the myriad of concurrent design elements that they affect, transmission line voltage, signal interference, and impedance to name a few. In load pull calculations, power amplifiers are going t... » read more

Multiphysics Simulations For RFICs And SoCs For 5G Applications


System-on-chips (SoCs) and radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) for 5G smartphones and networks need to manage huge amounts of antenna data and offer significantly high processing capabilities in thermally and power-constrained environments. ANSYS multiphysics simulations simultaneously solve power, thermal, variability, timing, electromagnetics and reliability challenges across the spec... » read more

Standardizing Platforms From Characterization To Production


In 1983, the first commercial mobile phone retailed for $3995, almost $10,000 in today’s economy. It supported a single band, weighed almost a kilogram, and was about the size of a brick. Two decades later, a quad-band “world phone” costs a few hundred dollars. Even a basic mobile phone that supports over 20 cellular bands, in addition to Bluetooth, Wireless LAN, and GPS technology, ... » read more

Inside Advanced Packaging


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss advanced IC-packaging, the OSAT industry, China and other topics with Ron Huemoeller, vice president of worldwide R&D at Amkor. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. SE: Where are we in advanced IC-packaging today? Huemoeller: We’ve hit the inflection point. Now we are coming to the other side of it. Regarding this need to int... » read more

A Faster, More Accurate Approach For System-Level Performance Verification Of A Wireless RFIC Design


Wireless RFIC designs are growing more complex, increasing the challenge of verifying system-level performance. Designers are expected to be experts on a variety of ever-changing wireless standards and protocols. They must also contend with time-consuming manual simulation setup and post-processing of the simulation results. This paper discusses how an advanced simulation methodology, involving... » read more