Recently, Broadcom officially announced the launch of the BroadPeak™ radio frequency digital front-end (DFE) system-on-chip (SoC). Leveraging its high integration advantages, the chip unlocks new development possibilities for 5G massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and remote radio head (RRH) applications, while paving the way for the construction of next-generation 5G Advanced (5G-A) and 6G wireless communication infrastructure.
As a core enabling technology for 5G communications, massive MIMO is essential for improving mobile network coverage, capacity, and user terminal throughput. Driven by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence applications and rising user demand for high-speed network experiences, mobile data traffic has grown exponentially. Mobile operators are in urgent need of innovative spectrum resources and radio frequency architecture solutions to efficiently enhance network capacity and transmission speed in response to surging demand.
As a future‑oriented core chip, BroadPeak is built on an advanced 5nm CMOS process. It highly integrates industry‑leading digital front-end (DFE) and analog-to-digital / digital-to-analog converter (ADC/DAC) modules on a single chip, reducing power consumption by up to 40% compared with mainstream massive MIMO and RRH solutions available today.
In addition, the chip delivers outstanding radio frequency performance with an ultra-wide operating frequency band ranging from 400 MHz to 8.5 GHz, making it the industry’s first product truly designed for massive MIMO and RRH applications that meets 5G-A and 6G standards.
For the 5G-A standard, the BroadPeak chip supports the high 6.425–7.125 GHz n104 band. For 6G, it is compatible with the 7–8.5 GHz upper mid-band. Backed by this chip, mobile operators and communications equipment vendors can advance the R&D and design of next-generation high-capacity, high-speed wireless communication networks, providing strong network support for the deployment of AI-driven applications and the upgrade of personalized digital experiences.
(Reprinted from https://news.eccn.com/）