Inside Track with Alexander Chenakin, Vice President, Advanced Technologies, Micro Lambda Wireless
CD: With the move to higher frequencies (i.e., 5G), what additional challenges will that present?
AC: Millimeter-wave frequencies hold the strongest potential to power 5G wireless networks. Historically, millimeter-wave components were built using die devices and chip-and-wire technology. Expensive equipment, tight tolerances, and extensive tuning were key words in the millimeter-wave designer’s vocabulary. Due to high technology costs and limited integration capabilities, such components have been mostly restricted to special applications.
However, the recent demand of low-cost, mass-production devices is drastically changing the millimeter-wave realm. Today, highly-integrated surface-mount ICs are available up to high millimeter-wave frequencies, therefore allowing complex components and subsystems to be built using low-cost PCB technologies. A frequency synthesizer—as a part of virtually any microwave or millimeter-wave subsystem—is a part of the game. We are focusing on the development of innovative millimeter-wave synthesizers up to 110 GHz to bring truly high-performance, yet affordable alternatives to traditional solutions.
