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Qorvo: From RF to sensing, diversified layout enables industrial linkage

Qorvo: From RF to sensing, diversified layout enables industrial linkage

April 22 , 2024 0

Unique Technology To Address Wi-Fi 7 RF Front-End Challenges

As the next generation wireless communication technology standard, Wi-Fi 7 introduces a number of breakthrough technologies such as 320MHz bandwidth, Multi-Link Operation (MLO), 4096 quadrantal amplitude modulation (4K QAM), and flexible channel selection. It brings higher data transfer rates, lower latency and stronger network connection stability, providing users with a more smooth and efficient network experience. In January of this year, the Wi-Fi Alliance officially announced the completion and launch of the certification of the Wi-Fi 7 advanced wireless standard, and applicable end products can be officially CERTIFIED and sold as "Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7™."

But "everything has two sides", while Wi-Fi 7 has brought many technological breakthroughs, it also puts forward higher requirements for the RF front end. For example, more RF Front-End modules (FEM) are needed, EVM of at least -47dB is achieved, Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD) compatibility is achieved, discontinuous spectrum is utilized efficiently, and filtering performance is enhanced to improve signal isolation.

Jeff Lin, Senior Marketing Manager of Qorvo's Wireless Connectivity Business unit in Asia Pacific, said that in order to meet the above challenges, Qorvo adopted nonlinear FEM+DPD solution, which not only solved the EVM problem, but also achieved a great improvement in power efficiency. For example, a three-frequency 12-stream router using Qorvo's nonlinear FEM is expected to save about 6 watts of power. In addition, Qorvo offers a range of filter products for Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 specifically for different radio bands, from U-NII-1 to U-NII-8.

Highlighting Qorvo's unique advantages in the field of RF modules in the front end of nonlinear power amplifiers, Jeff Lin said that in the design of power amplifiers (PA), linear PA and nonlinear PA have their own characteristics and application scenarios. Linear PA provides predictable linear amplification over most operating ranges, but can crash and cause distortion at high power outputs. In order to maintain linear amplification at high power, nonlinear PA can be combined with DPD technology, and the nonlinear characteristics of PA can be compensated by algorithms to achieve linearized output.

In simple terms, DPD will obtain the desired linear amplification result by mathematically modeling the nonlinear behavior of PA and applying the inverse signal in signal processing to counteract the nonlinear effect. But at the same time, compared with linear PA, nonlinear PA has a higher energy efficiency ratio, can save about 25%-30% power consumption at the same transmit power, which makes nonlinear PA more popular in the market with high energy costs or specific requirements for environmental protection.
However, the scheme of "nonlinear PA+DPD technology" has higher requirements for system design and algorithm support. Taking DPD as an example, there are two main implementation methods: Loop Up Table (LUT) and Generalized Memory Polynomial (GMP). The former is easy to implement, does not require additional complex computing resources, and is suitable for basic DPD needs. The latter provides deeper DPD effects, but requires more computing resources and can result in higher system costs.

In addition, different manufacturers have different focuses on the implementation of DPD technology, some manufacturers may integrate DPD functions in the main chip, while others may process DPD tasks through DSP.

Jeff Lin believes that DPD has become a key point of competition for Wi-Fi 7 chip manufacturers, and excellent DPD algorithms can effectively compensate for the lack of performance of RF devices, and may even reduce the need for high-quality PA, which helps to reduce the overall cost, and is the key to correctly realize the design of three-band Wi-Fi 7.

Precisely Manage Each Battery String

At present, more and more devices are gradually moving from the traditional internal combustion engine drive or AC power to more flexible and efficient battery-powered models. In this context, how to ensure the safety, stability and service life of the battery has become the focus of the industry.

According to Zhang Yishi, senior account manager of Qorvo, at present, in order to meet the needs of multiple industries such as industrial, enterprise, consumer electronics and automotive, Qorvo offers a diversified power supply portfolio that includes power management chips (PMIC), power outage protection (PLP), DC/DC regulators, battery management, smart motor control and silicon carbide products, and QSPICE software.

When it comes to intelligent battery management technology, Qorvo innovatively integrates high-performance microcontrollers (MCUS) and analog front ends (AFEs) into a single chip, simplifying system design and improving performance and reliability. As the industry's first single chip battery management system (BMS) solution that can accurately manage up to 20 cells, Gauging, SOC(State of Charge), SOH(State of Health) and other algorithms are integrated to improve the speed and accuracy of data acquisition and processing. Improved flexibility of the battery management system.

"In a BMS solution that supports cells up to 20 strings, the key is how to solve the chip heating problem in a high-voltage environment and achieve high and low voltage isolation. Since each additional cell increases the voltage by 4.2V, for a 20-string cell system, this means the chip needs to be able to handle voltage inputs of up to 145V." Zhang said that thanks to the accumulated experience and advantages in the design of motor drive products, Qorvo has been able to achieve a maximum voltage of 160V DC input. In future product iterations, Qorvo promises to continue to increase the maximum number of cell strings supported by a single chip to solve customers' problems in stack design.

He also highlighted the advantages of Qorvo's upper computer software, or GUI programs. Through this software interface, customers can monitor the status of each cell in real time and set the required protection threshold or other relevant parameters. Once the Settings are complete, the software automatically writes the parameters into the firmware, so that customers can save programming time and effort and directly use the software for related development.

Currently, Qorvo's BMS chip product line includes two series in production: PAC2214x and PAC2514x, both of which feature single-chip designs. The PAC2214x series has a built-in Arm Cortex-M0 MCU with a 50MHz main frequency and 32KB Flash capacity. The PAC2514x series uses a more advanced Arm Cortex-M4 MCU with a maximum frequency of 150MHz and a Flash capacity of 128KB. Qorvo's BMS chips are designed to optimize battery efficiency and extend battery life with six functions: charge and discharge management, short circuit protection, overvoltage protection, battery monitoring, battery equalization and low power consumption control.

When talking about whether Qorvo will carry out layout for wireless BMS, Zhang Yachi said that wireless products are Qorvo's traditional strengths, and subsequent product planning will also lay out BMS products with wireless functions. Taking battery cars or electric two-wheelers as an example, wireless BMS enables users to monitor the battery charging status in real time through mobile devices such as mobile phones, receive reminders of low battery power or overheating, and change the battery when the battery life is about to end.

Create A New Touch Experience

In the trend of intelligent interaction, Qorvo is leading the revolution in the touch experience through innovative Sensor Fusion technology. The technology integrates MEMS sensors, ASIC chips, software, and mechatronic architecture to provide a comprehensive solution capable of transforming traditional physical buttons into modern, intelligent interactive interfaces. Qorvo's technology ADAPTS to a wide range of input methods and is unaffected by most environmental factors, making it suitable for a wide range of materials, whether in the automotive industry or consumer electronics.

According to Lei Yimin, senior account manager of Qorvo, Sensor Fusion solutions are designed to create a three-dimensional human-computer interaction experience, which can be widely used in many fields such as smart phones, AR/VR, automobiles/two-wheelers /u-Mobility, wearable devices and smart homes through its high integration, consistency and reliability. Its high precision, high sensitivity, high linearity and ultra-low power consumption transform traditional touch buttons into stylish, intelligent and reliable operating interfaces.

For example, in the field of smart phones, Sensor Fusion technology can be applied to edge touch, 3D touch and screen wake up functions; In vehicle design, Sensor Fusion combines pressure sensors and intelligent surfaces to improve driving experience and driving safety, while enriching the user experience. In wearable products, Sensor Fusion technology overcomes the challenges of traditional capacitive touch and slide operation to achieve thinner and simpler designs. In smart home applications, especially in water and pollution prevention, the technology provides high sensitivity and precision, making human-computer interaction more convenient, intelligent and smooth.