Smart Microwave Antennas are a Step Closer with Advanced Dual Beamforming DAC

More and more, the ability to direct and steer RF energy is a critical radio technology. The reason is that free-space RF attenuation increases at higher millimeter-wave frequencies. Those frequencies are used to increase system bandwidth and data throughput, raising the prospect of increased cross-channel interference and lost links without some active steering approach.

A technical collaboration between Teledyne e2v, France, and Fraunhofer IIS, Germany, recently evaluated the performance of a four-channel digitally steered 2.4 GHz planar antenna system. In this, a pair of state-of-the-art, gigahertz capable, digital-to-analog converters (EV12DD700) featuring a slew of novel, on-chip digital beamforming controls delivered digital beam steering control. The aim is to gain further validation of Teledyne e2V’s advance towards microwave RF softwarization. The test results correlated well with the initial design hypothesis. Moreover, the DAC proved highly versatile for specific beamforming functions. The DACs’ ability to synchronize, both on-chip and inter-device, was a notable implementation success factor, likely to speed the advancement toward smart antenna deployments over the next few years.