ADI Accelerates Kaband Communication System Development

Analog Devices is broadening its system-level RF strategy as engineers in Ka-band communications and other high-frequency applications confront rain-fade compensation, signal integrity and compressed development timelines. The company is pairing high-performance RF and microwave components with reference designs, chip-level integration options, multi-chip partitioning approaches and supporting software algorithms. ADI says the combined approach is intended to help customers reduce design risk and bring differentiated products to market faster.

Rather than supply only RF and microwave parts, Analog Devices is building an ecosystem that covers reference designs, single-chip functional integration, multi-chip partitioning and associated software algorithms. The company says the goal is to provide optimized system-level options for products used in connectivity, navigation, aviation and medical applications.

Those sectors increasingly depend on reliable RF performance and shorter development schedules, according to the company. ADI is positioning the strategy as a way to help customers focus on product differentiation while reducing repeated low-level circuit debugging.

ADI is promoting a set of design tools intended to lower design risk and improve efficiency across the RF-to-digital chain. The company says the tools are designed to make the design process more precise and robust, from initial signal-chain calculations to PLL evaluation and spur management.

The toolset includes three main programs aimed at different stages of RF development.

• ADIsimRF : calculates key RF signal-chain parameters, including cascaded gain, noise figure, IP3, P1dB and total power consumption.
• ADIsimPLL : evaluates high-performance PLL synthesizers and models nonlinear effects to help reduce design iterations.
• ADIsimFrequencyPlanner : targets integer boundary spurs by optimizing PFD frequency and adjusting clock-generator dividers.

RF technology now underpins a wide range of modern systems, from pervasive mobility to autonomous driving and MRI scanning equipment. ADI says its technical support is intended to help ensure reliable operation across those applications.

By standardizing and tooling complex RF design workflows, the company says it can help customers devote more attention to product features and innovation rather than repeated debugging of underlying circuits.