6 October 2014

Mitsubishi Electric and Tohoku University develop 5GHz/60GHz dual-band receiver front-end CMOS IC for wireless communications

During European Microwave Week (EuMW 2014) in Rome, Italy (5-10 October), Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Electric Corp and Tohoku University are presenting technical details of a newly developed 5GHz/60GHz dual-band receiver RF front-end Si-CMOS IC for a highly dependable and high-speed wireless communication system that Tohoku University has proposed, called the ‘Dependable Air’.

Wireless communication is greatly dependent on high dependability and high speed. But, since high-speed wireless communication normally uses millimeter-scale radio waves, communication can be established only in line of sight. However, in the 5GHz band used for wireless LANs, communication is possible over the horizon. Tohoku University is proposing its Dependable Air system for wireless handsets that use multiple standards (heterogeneous) to conduct seamless handovers according to the environment.

Mitsubishi Electric’s new RF front-end IC is a miniaturized multi-band model that uses the 5GHz and 60GHz bands. Gain is 32dB in both bands. Noise figurte is 5dB in the 5GHz band and 8dB in the 60GHz band. The input power at 1dB gain compression point (IP1dB) is -42.2dBm in the 5GHz band and -43.5dBm in the 60GHz band. In addition, the size of the IC has been reduced by about 30% by sharing parts of the 5GHz and 60GHz RF front-ends.

The firm has also reduced the extent of trial IC manufacturing by introducing electro-magnetic simulation of performance effects in millimeter-wave bands for assembled ICs.

Going forward, Mitsubishi Electric aims to pursue standardization of this form of wireless communications (including IEEE802.11 and other standards) as well as to develop RFIC business for millimeter-wave communication devices.

Tohoku University’s development of the Dependable Air system has been supported by the CREST funding program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). Under the CREST project ‘Fundamental Technologies for Dependable VLSI System’, research on the ‘Development of Dependable Wireless Systems and Devices’ is being carried out.

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