![arQana Using R&S Test Equipment to Develop Small Cell Power Amplifiers for 5G Applications](https://cdn.everythingrf.com/website/global/gray-svg-image.svg)
arQana Technologies (arQana), a fabless semiconductor company, has introduced two small cell power amplifiers designed for 5G wireless infrastructure. With the rapid development of 5G technology, arQana is harnessing its advantages in architecture and technology to address the dynamic and evolving 5G ecosystem and its complex new challenges by continuously updating its IP portfolio.
The ARQSP3337-4 and ARQSP4450-4 are 4W high-efficiency DPD power amplifiers based on GaAs technology, designed to support the wireless infrastructure market in major 5G NR FR1 bands: n48, n77, n78, and n79 with fully matched input/output architecture in a compact 16-pin 5 × 5 mm2 LGA package. The PAs are ideally suited for indoor small cell architecture with 0.25 W conducted power per antenna port. These products offer highly competitive specifications, targeting an operating bandwidth of more than 100 MHz and an average output power of +28 dBm. Under our specified test conditions, users can observe a Power Gain of 35 dB, Power Added Efficiency (PAE) above 20%, and ACLR below -50 dBc with digital pre-distortion (DPD) used for linearization.
The company has partnered with Rohde & Schwarz (R&S), a leading international instrumentation company, to test and evaluate these power amplifiers for the 5G Small Cell market. They used the high-performance vector signal generator, SMW200A and vector signal analyzer, FSW26, which support high bandwidth modulation (2 GHz) and demodulation (8.3 GHz). The Crest Factor Reduction function of SMW200A helps to easily generate a signal with an 8.5 dB peak-to-average ratio. The easy setup of Digital pre-distortion on FSW helps them accomplish complex tests with little effort while accelerating product development and time-to-market.
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“We are excited to collaborate closely with R&S and demonstrate best-in-class results with our products and their equipment,” says Henrik Andersen, VP Engineering of arQana Technologies. “R&S unique approach to digital pre-distortion (DPD) and CFR enables us to quickly tune our products to the sweet spot of linearity, power, efficiency, and targeted bandwidth that our customers demand.”
arQana and R&S are actively working to provide the best-in-class solutions for Small Cell and O-RAN customers, now facing 5G challenges, especially with critical power amplifiers. ARQSP3337-4 and ARQSP4450-4 Power Amplifiers are part of arQana’s high-efficiency 4 W Power Amplifier RF product line, designed for 4G LTE and 5G NR Wireless Infrastructure, to support all major 3GPP bands.
The ARQSP3337-4 and ARQSP4450-4 4 W High-Efficiency Power Amplifiers will be readily available for customer sampling in Q1-2022.