everything RF recently interviewed Michael Hamilton who is the Senior Director of Business Development at Peraso Technologies. Mr. Hamilton currently oversees business development of Peraso Inc., where he drives new engagement for Peraso’s 5G mmWave silicon for the next generation of broadband connectivity. With over 30 years of experience in communication systems Engineering, Product Management and Business Development, he has developed a comprehensive view of the market potential for mmWave wireless technologies.
Q. Can you give us a brief history of Peraso Technologies? How was the company founded and what were the objectives?
Michael Hamilton: Peraso Technologies was founded in 2010 to pioneer the first consumer-oriented use of mmWave technology which was the WiGig system. Peraso developed key technologies in 60GHz RF, beamforming and the baseband/MAC protocols while contributing to the Wi-Fi Alliance forum and processes which lead to adoption of the IEEE 802.11ad standard. Our first products were just the baseband and RF chipsets, with the end customer products focusing on fairly short-range operation.
In our latest generation of RFIC, we dramatically increased the output power and expanded the frequency range up to 71GHz. This enabled customers to expand the operational range and better address the wireless markets that could really benefit from the high bandwidth, low-latency performance. In 2020 we participated in a merger with Silicon Valley company MoSys and restructured as Peraso Inc., a public company (PRSO) listed on NASDAQ. This action allowed us access to public financial markets and helped to fund our expansion in to other mm-Wave markets including the 5G FR2 range, where we are currently working, on and exploring opportunities.
Q. What market segments do you target and which segment drives the most business for you?
Michael Hamilton: Fixed Wireless markets including backhaul and Point-to-Multipoint (PtMP) Wireless Access have been the strongest contributors to our success. These markets have been able to realize an immediate benefit from the high bandwidth capability of Peraso’s products and the low total cost of ownership due to the cost-effective hardware solutions, as well as the utilization of unlicensed spectrum.
We are now working with WISPs and ODMs to integrate our modules and build out their portfolios. We also have on going activities in the 5G, transportation and secure network development markets.
Q. Can you tell us more about your product portfolio?
Michael Hamilton: Peraso is focused on enabling mmWave applications with chipsets and modules which address market needs, eliminate development risk and reduce time to market. For the 60GHz market we offer two series of modules based on our in-house developed baseband and RF integrated circuits. The Perspectus module products are targeted toward the fixed wireless market and provide solutions for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint networks. The Versatus modules target enterprise and consumer applications such as high-speed networking, mobile computing, and wireless AR/VR.
Peraso's Perspectus Beamforming Module Series
In the last year we have introduced the first product in our 5G mmWave bands. The PRS1520 is a multiband beamformer unit which can operate over the range of 24 to 43.5GHz, (n257 through n261 in 5G terminology). This is a ground-breaking device due to its frequency range and output power capability which will help reduce the cost of Customer Premise Equipment for 5G FWA.
Q. Peraso has developed a range of 60 GHz products. Can you tell us more about this product line, its intended applications and what makes it unique?
Michael Hamilton: As Peraso assisted our early customers with product development using our chipsets we learned a lot about their applications, concerns and how difficult it is to overcome the engineering learning curve on mmWave product design. Therefore, we decided to introduce our module series which provides a true plug and play solution for major applications.
For example, the Perspectus series modules are all based on our X720 chipset but offer different antenna configurations which cover different fields of view or can be integrated with a dish reflector for extreme range operation. Our modules are fully tested and can be provided with regulatory certification which further reduces customer development risk and effort.
Furthermore, we’ve evolved our MAC firmware to optimize performance in various applications. For Fixed Wireless Access we’ve implemented airtime fairness and Quality of Service and network bridging features. For mobile, mission critical applications we’ve provided innovative solutions for fast roaming and robust network redundancy. We are always open to engaging with our customers to provide customized hardware and software features.
Q. Which 5G mm-Wave bands do you develop beamforming ICs for? Are you planning to expand your portfolio to cater to other frequency bands? If your view which mm-Wave bands are used the most for 5G?
Michael Hamilton: Peraso’s beamformer is exceptional in that it covers n257 through n261, in other words 24.25 to 43.5 GHz via a single device. We also have antenna design which supports this full range. We believe this device will cover all of the immediate mmWave needs and we can expand the product offering as future demands materialize.
Q. Developing Beamforming products for mm-Wave applications is a challenging task. What are some of the challenges that you had to overcome while designing mm-Wave products?
Michael Hamilton: Certainly, there were challenges with designing high linearity circuits operating over very wide bandwidths, device packaging, power management and algorithm development for adaptive beamforming and MCS rate control, but it is important to recognize that what we learned about application of mmWave beamforming to consumer-oriented applications is also very important in the long run.
When we started, a lot of academic information existed about beamforming mainly related to aerospace applications. There was not a lot of real-world, practical experience about how to apply mmWave beamforming to application such as mobile computing, enterprise networking, or Fixed Wireless Access. Peraso and the other WiGig companies were the first to try new applications and really explore the nature of mmWave propagation and use of spatial separation with beamforming in complex environments.
We learned, not surprisingly, that mmWave beamforming is a much different animal than the beamforming people are familiar with in 2.4 and 5GHz Wi-Fi. Part of our job has become to educate users on the power and limitations of mmWave operation. This educational process has really transformed how people perceive the utility of mmWave and we can now see how this has influenced the application of mmWave in 5G.
Q. Can you tell us more about the software solutions for mm-Wave applications that Peraso has developed?
Michael Hamilton: Peraso’s software solutions help extend the application of 802.11ad beyond the Wi-Fi application domain for which it was originally envisaged. Our solutions generally facilitate device connectivity or improve network efficiency for specific operating scenarios. For our mainstream software offerings focused primarily on Fixed Wireless Access, we have a continuous software improvement program which expands capabilities and improves network performance. Recently we have added features to improve airtime fairness, quality of service, repeating and roaming.
For specialized applications we have introduced special software packages which provide enhanced connectivity. Our “Velociraptor” package enables Media Agnostic USB connection. This means that a device like a high-definition USB camera can be connected over the WiGig link to a host, and neither the host nor device needs to know there is a wireless media involved. No special drivers are needed on either side of the link.
Velociraptor's Connection Architecture
We also have in development a driver-less Ethernet-over-USB solution which will allow untethering devices like AR/VR goggles.
Q. What differentiates Peraso from other mm-wave component manufacturers?
Michael Hamilton: Of course we have excellent engineering and deliver excellent products, but what really differentiates is our experience working with customers to get products in the field. With this experience we are able to anticipate customer needs and implement our hardware and software which reduces their effort and improves time to market.
With our modules we can now delivery a product which has been top to bottom designed and tested by Peraso. Furthermore, we can take those modules to get regulatory module certification and further reduce the burden on customer product development.
I don’t think any other vendor offers the level of customer service that Peraso can and that’s why we are leading the way in our target markets.
Q. Recently, there have been a number of new entrants in the mm-Wave Beamforming IC segment. What makes Peraso stand out?
Michael Hamilton: The new entrants are primarily focused on the 5G FR2 bands, which make sense as there is a huge potential for growth here. But most of the products that have been introduced are limited in their scope of application. They have been designed for one frequency band or the other and exhibit fairly low levels of integration.
Peraso’s 5G offering is targeted squarely on the CPE and small cell market with the intention to provide the most cost effective and versatile solution. Our device not only covers all of the active FR2 bands, but also meets the Class 1 product EIRP requirement with a single device where competitors require aggregation of 4 to 16 devices. Additionally, most are band limited forcing equipment vendors to support multiple SKU to cover all bands.
So Peraso is responding to what the market wants and taking a technology leadership role.
Q. Do you fabricate your own products? Can you tell us about your complete product development process - from design to delivery of the end product?
Michael Hamilton: We have a hybrid model for product development. First of all, almost all of the IP in our silicon and modules is designed in-house by our diverse engineering team. For the semi-conductors which have been the core of our business, we operate along the standard fabless semi-conductor vendor model. We work with major silicon fabs and packaging houses for manufacturing. Generally, we maintain stock in our warehouses for distribution to customers.
For the new module products, we work with select ODMs in North America and Asia who have been qualified to build and test our designs. These ODMs have to be skilled in the manufacturing and testing techniques needed to product a quality mmWave product. We work closely with each ODM to bring up their testing facilities and in some cases we custom design software and hardware fixtures for testing. Modules may be delivered to end customers from inventory held by Peraso or our distributors.
Q. What are all the available sales channel from which customers can order Peraso products? Do have direct customer interaction or do you have distributors/sales reps?
Michael Hamilton: We have always had relationships with regional Reps, distributors and VARs, but in 2022 we were pleased to announce a global relationship with Richardson RFPD as a key distributor who also brings technical support resources. Peraso does maintain direct relationships with key customers, but the distributors and Reps really extend our reach.
Q. Does Peraso only develops standard catalogue products or are customization options available?
Michael Hamilton: Peraso is certainly open to customized options. We have done custom module designs which conform to the customer’s mechanical and antenna requirements, and we have done several customized software projects to provide features enabling new applications.
At the present time we are also engaged with a customized revision of our RFIC which will open a whole new regional market for our customer and Peraso.
Q. Has the universal chip shortage impacted sales or growth?
Michael Hamilton: We have worked closely with our customers and vendors to manage forecasts and supply. We have been able to deliver a consistent flow of material to our customers, although the lead times have been many months.
The bigger impact has been shortages of other system components which our customers need, and this has led to them pushing out orders or delivery of our chips or modules. So, we have not been able to realize as much upside growth in 2022 which we had hoped for as the pandemic effects waned. We are poised to respond to a recovery of demand in 2023 as the global situation shapes up.
Q. What is the product roadmap for the next 3 years?
Michael Hamilton: Our objective is to address emerging millimeter wave opportunities with particular focus on the market segments as mentioned earlier. Peraso will continue to expand its module product line and introduce new silicon which will address the next steps of bandwidth demand.
Peraso Inc. (Peraso) is a pioneer in high-performance, 5G mmWave wireless technology, offering chipsets, modules, software and IP. Peraso is a global leader in the development of 5G mmWave silicon devices, developing mmWave technology since its inception in 2008. Click here for more information about Peraso Inc.
