ADCs designed for integration into digital microwave SoCs

18th September 2014

Siobhan O'Gorman

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For integration into high performance digital microwave SoCs, 64GS/s ADC and DAC cores with IBM's 32nm Silicon On Insulator (SOI) technology are now available from Semtech. By integrating the ADCs and DACs with the SoCs, which feature digitally programmable poly-phase filtering and interpolation techniques, wide bandwidths can be digitally processed.

To increase system SNR and spurious-free dynamic range performance, the integration allows spectral regions as high as 34GHz to be selectively processed. This leverages the use of CMOS SOI technologies by enabling digital tuning with fine frequency resolution and channelisation to be performed. Through allowing the analogue/digital boundary in microwave systems to be moved to the RF frequency, the ADCs and DACs enhance flexibility, reduce analogue distortion and enable more stable and higher-performance systems to be realised. Predicted to become the implementation standard for many microwave radio applications, this 'digital microwave' architecture utilises CMOS IC technology.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) selected Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC) to develop wideband digital antenna technology for the next generation RF sensors using active electronically scanned arrays (AESAs). To do this, NGC introduced the Arrays on Commercial Timescales (ACT) programme to develop the key technologies for affordable, next-generation AESAs by designing a reusable digital common module that contains the critical integrated circuits required for the AESAs. For the programme, NGC is utilising Semtech's ADC and DAC technology.

Operating from 42GS/s to 68GS/s, the ADCs and DACs will be available in November 2014. Converters with lower power and higher performance are also being designed by Semtech and are expected to be available in early 2016.

“Our wideband digital common module design is a breakthrough in AESA capability, enabled by the application of commercial system-on-chip technology with integrated high speed data converters that enable direct RF sampling,” said Dr. William Phillips, Director of Advanced Technology at Northrop Grumman’s Electronic Systems sector.

"Our disruptive ultrahigh speed analogue-to-digital and digital-to-analogue converter technology will help revolutionise phased array technology," said Craig Hornbuckle, Semtech's Chief Systems Architect. "With an input bandwidth extending through K-band, these data converters enable increased flexibility and functionality, reduced power, and enhanced performance over traditional architectures, supporting next-generation radar, electronic warfare and satellite communications applications."