Kit lets you evaluate converter, beamforming ICs

In this video, see and learn how mmWave and beamforming works before you design mmWave beamformers and up/down converters using Anokiwave’s Active Antenna Evaluation Kit.

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Designing 5G mmWave and beamforming functions into a base station, small cell, or customer premise equipment (CPE) is difficult for all but the most experienced RF engineers. While you can read about beamforming and the 5G RF signal chain, you’ll need to get your hands dirty and gain some experience, but where to start?

That’s where the AWA-0213-PAK Phased Array Antenna Innovator Kit from Anokiwave can help. The kit lets you see firsthand what the company’s mmWave and beamforming ICs can do. It provides all the tools for you to get started. Think of it as an evaluation bord for 5G RFICs.

The kit comes with the ICs mounted to a board that gives you access to the devices. The board lets you control the ICs from a host computer using provided software. A USB-to-SPI interface gives you access to the devices. The kit also includes a phased-array antenna that lets you see how beam steering concentrates a signal toward its target.

Because the kit converts mmWave signals to IF, you’ll have to provide an IF signal for transmitting and bring the IF signal down to baseband for receiving data. You’ll also need either two kits — one for each end of the link — or an antenna and test equipment such as a spectrum analyzer at the far end.

To learn more about the kit and how to use it, 5G Technology World spoke with Abhishek Kapoor, Anokiwave’s VP of sales, in the video.