60 GHz millimeter wave modules leverage 802.11ad for wireless backhaul

Peraso Technologies Inc. (Toronto, Canada) has announced the availability of its PRS212x family of 60 GHz millimeter wave transmitter and receiver modules. According to the company, the PRS2122 transmitter and PRS2123 receiver are intended to foster the rapid growth of multi-gigabit wireless Ethernet applications such as small cell backhaul, enterprise wireless infrastructure, and point-to-point links for campus, municipal and mass transit environments.

The devices utilize technology originating from the WiGig MAC and PHY Specification (which served as the foundation of the IEEE 802.11ad specification) to bring to market a new class of product with the following key attributes: standardized WR15 waveguide interface with available +8 dBm P1dB output power; direct connect to baseband device via differential analog I/Q signals; extremely low transition loss < 1dB; flat passband response across all WiGig channels 57-66 GHz; receiver Noise Figure of 5dB; budgetary pricing of $60 per 10,000 units.

"These modules incorporate integrated circuits targeting the new 802.11ad specification to deliver a disruptive solution into the high-speed point-to-point radio marketplace," comments Peraso's VP of sales for small cell backhaul, John Tryhub. "By focusing on ease of design and high performance, while establishing a new price point, manufacturers can rapidly rollout V-band solutions across a broad spectrum of applications."

Related: Riding on the back of millimeter waves for next-generation wireless data transmission

The company notes that 60 GHz technology continues to gain widespread momentum across an expansive range of market segments, providing benefits of low-latency multi-gigabit per second data rates with an order of magnitude improvement in energy efficiency compared to other license-free wireless standards.

The PRS212x modules take advantage of the Peraso PRS1021 60GHz transceiver IC, which integrates more than 15 discrete devices, and are compliant with the single carrier modulation and coding schemes of the IEEE 802.11ad-2012 specification. The specification focuses on the highly promoted 60 GHz band, recently endorsed by the FCC in its August 2013 ruling, to avoid the interference problems seen in the traditional and congested wireless bands such as 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. This provides equipment manufacturers the opportunity to deliver a real alternative with the necessary throughput to replace fiber or wired solutions.

"It is widely recognized small cells will represent the fundamental instrument to address the explosive growth in data requirements and network capacity that mobile operators are facing," asserts Earl J. Lum, president of EJL Wireless Research LLC. "When considering technology alternatives for backhaul, 60 GHz wireless is expected to secure the largest share and fastest growth rates in these small cells. The Peraso PRS212x family of modules clearly reduce design effort and bill of material cost to a point where manufacturers can quickly bring product to market at the price points necessary to fuel the growth."

The PRS2122 and PRS2123 are available for sampling immediately to qualified customers and will be featured at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from February 24-27, 2014. Evaluation kits can be ordered directly from the company. For more information, visit www.perasotech.com.

See also: Potential use cases for 802. 11ac, 802.11ad Wi-Fi explored