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Qualcomm has made two announcements in recent weeks that largely underline its superiority in 5G technology, especially the millimeter wave (mmWave). first, they gave a name to the duo "does one for the other" of modem and RF system (radio frequency) – Qualcomm® Snapdragon ™ 5G Modc-RF System. It's a mouthful but it's its essence: an end-to-end systemic approach to maximize 5G performance. Second, they completed the very successful journey they started a few years ago: acquiring the rest of the RF360 assets– a joint venture with TDK, which introduced them to the construction of complex RF components. Since this is such a decision, I will focus my discussion on the first part and its importance for 5G.
The Modem-RF system includes Snapdragon modems, Radio Frequency Outpost (RFFE) and sometimes even antennas. These work together as a single system (specific word game) to make 5G smartphones sleek and smooth while providing excellent coverage, longer battery life and faster speeds.
RFFE (also called RF FEM) is a suite of components including amplifiers, filters, switches, duplexers, and specialized components such as antenna tuners and envelope followers. RFFE converts digital signals from the modem into analog signals, which are then converted to RF waves by the antenna. Traditionally, RFFE was considered a separate block of the modem, the transceiver and the antennas. So much so that many vendors are using third-party RFFE solutions from vendors such as Qorvo, Skyworks, Broadcom, and others to pair with the modem. However, the 5G bands, especially the millimeter wave (mmW) bands, have upset this concept. With features such as training and beam guidance in mmW, Massive MIMO below 6 GHz, an integrated modem-RF system approach is an absolute necessity. Qualcomm calls this the "antenna modem" solution.
Several pages will be needed to explain all the RFFE components and their functions (a series of articles on this topic may be available soon, so be on the lookout). However, here I will focus only on a few important aspects and explain how and why the systemic approach is important. You might think that some of these components and features are already supported in 4G. And that's true, but for 5G, because of its variable bands and wider bandwidths, RF is much more complex and difficult.
Modem – The integration of the RF system is essential for mmWave
MmW tapes do not look anything like traditional cellular frequencies. Read my previous article to understand the difference and the considerations. Devices supporting mmW require up to three mmW antenna arrays, with each array typically consisting of 2 to 4 elements. These elements make it possible to create beamforming beams for each user. The beams dynamically follow the users they are moving (beam orientation). All of this is achieved by rapidly changing the amplitude and phase of the signals sent to the elements. Given the immediacy and complexity of this closed-loop system, integration between modem and RFFE and antennas is an absolute necessity for mmW to work. This is probably one of the main reasons why so far only Qualcomm has been able to manufacture commercially compatible mmW devices. The other 5G players have yet to demonstrate that a phone works 5G mmW!
Antenna Tuner (AT) to effectively select tapes, antennas and technologies
The 5G smartphone is a royal mix of extreme variations. For example, there are several mmW antenna modules, several antennas below 6 GHz, various band combinations up to 6 GHz and carrier aggregation (CA) options, simultaneous connectivity on 4G and 5G networks, cellular, Wi-Fi and GPS Technologies and more. A good AT, for example The one that is part of the Qualcomm RF and Modem system handles all these complexities and switches efficiently between configurations, without the user ever noticing. With a good AT, OEMs can develop fewer global SKUs, eliminating the need for separate SKUs for different regions, operators, etc. This means significant cost savings, including R & D, customer support, logistics, inventory management and end-of-life assistance. and more. There are already many 5G smartphones and around 20 4G LTE phones on the market using Qualcomm's AT solution.
Envelope Tracker (ET) for superior energy efficiency (longer battery life)
This technology tightly manages the transmission power of the device so that it transmits only what is needed, not more, not less. AND will only work if there is a close coupling between the modem and the transmitter / power amplifier. ET 4G has been available for a few years now. But the challenge of 5G was in its extremely wide bandwidths (up to 100 MHz against 20 MHz in LTE). Qualcomm claims that 5G ET technology can double energy efficiency, which means longer battery life and reduced interference, which translates into better coverage. AND is supported by many 5G devices available on the market.
Energy saving (PS) and intelligent transmission (ST) for longer battery life and better coverage
Energy Saver uses a function called Disconnected Transmission in Connected Mode (C-DRX) that allows the telephone receiver to go to sleep when it is idle, even in connected mode. Making the receiver and its associated RF components (eg amplifiers) standby longer results in lower power consumption and longer battery life.
As its name indicates, Smart Transmit manages the device's transmission service cycle so that it can transmit at a higher power level while respecting the maximum power allowed by the regulations. This increases the coverage and speed of the uplink.
There are currently many 5G devices on the market that support Qualcomm's 5G PS and ST features.
Many features of this type are a comprehensive approach that Qualcomm calls "antenna modem," an almost essential requirement for high-performance 5G smartphones. The difference between devices with such a system and those that are not will be obvious if a detailed benchmarking is performed. The difference will be even more visible with smartphones supporting mmW – a performance issue?
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