NXP Helps Expand 5G Coverage With New Family of RF Power Transistors for Massive MIMO

NXP’s new family of 32T32R discrete solutions enable smaller, lighter weight 5G radios to ease deployment in urban and suburban areas

What’s New

NXP^® Semiconductors has announced a new series of RF power discrete solutions for 32T32R active antenna systems, using its latest proprietary gallium nitride (GaN) technology. This new series complements NXP’s existing portfolio of discrete GaN power amplifier solutions for 64T64R radios, covering all cellular frequency bands from 2.3 to 4.0 GHz. NXP now offers the largest RF GaN portfolio for massive multiple input, multiple output (massive MIMO) 5G radios.

Why It Matters

As 5G networks continue to expand around the world, mobile network operators are adding 32T32R radios to increase their massive MIMO coverage beyond ultra-dense urban areas into less dense urban and suburban areas. By combining 32 antennas instead of 64, coverage can be maintained more cost effectively, while maintaining the high-end 5G experience enabled by massive MIMO.

More details

NXP’s 32T32R solutions deliver twice the power in the same package as its 64T64R solutions, resulting in a smaller and lighter overall 5G connectivity solution. This pin-compatibility enables network operators to scale rapidly across frequency and power levels.

“As 5G deployments continue to expand globally, network operators need to extend their coverage while maintaining performance. By offering twice the power in the same package size, NXP enables RF engineers to create base stations that are smaller, lighter and easier to deploy and conceal in urban and suburban areas.”

Jim Norling, Vice President and General Manager, High Power Solutions, Radio Power, NXP

The new series of GaN discrete solutions are designed for 10 W average power at the antenna, targeting 320 W radio units, with up to 58% of drain efficiency. It includes driver and final-stage transistors and leverages NXP’s highly linearizable RF GaN technology manufactured in NXP’s new GaN fab in Arizona.

For more information, see our fact sheet at nxp.com/DMSPRODUCTS.

NXP’s 5G Access Edge Portfolio

From antenna-to-processor, NXP offers a robust portfolio of technologies for accelerating 5G deployments that delivers best-of-class performance and security for infrastructure, industrial, and automotive applications. This includes the company’s Airfast family of RF power solutions and its Layerscape family of multicore processors for wireless data links, fixed wireless access, and small cell devices. To learn more, visit nxp.com/5G.

About NXP Semiconductors

NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) enables a smarter, safer and more sustainable world through innovation. As a world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, NXP is pushing boundaries in the automotive, industrial and IoT, mobile, and communication infrastructure markets. Built on more than 60 years of combined experience and expertise, the company has approximately 31,000 employees in more than 30 countries and posted revenue of $11.06 billion in 2021. Find out more at www.nxp.com.

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