Key Components of a Base Station PCB
Communication base station equipment PCBs provide seamless connectivity, ensuring uninterrupted data transfer. They are gaining prominence due to rising data consumption and the need for robust communication infrastructure. The market presents lucrative opportunities for players who focus on technological innovation and strategic partnerships.
The peak year for the PCB demand brought by 5G macro base stations and indoor substation construction is in 2022, which can bring incremental PCB space of about 15104 yuan/station.
RF Front-End Components
The RF front-end components are the first in the signal chain to handle the raw data from the RF transceiver. They are a mix of analog and digital circuitry. They can include a variety of filters, amplifiers, and mixers. They also can have a number of other features such as an RF duplexer, which separates the downlink and uplink signals in FDD systems.
RF Front-end component specifications are critical to your overall signal chain design. They can impact noise, nonlinear distortion, and maximum power output. They need to be as flat as possible within the required bandwidth to ensure that your signal stays clean and clear.
To do this, you should use a low-noise amplifier (LNA) with high linearity on the Rx path, and an RF amplifier that has both good noise performance and wide dynamic range on the Tx side. This will prevent noise from contaminating the Base station PCB RF output. In addition, you should avoid crosstalk between different Rx and Tx channels, especially in devices with MIMO.
The RF Front-end market is expected to grow due to the proliferation of IoT devices. This will increase the demand for communication base station equipment. In addition, advancements in 5G technology will drive the market. In 2022/2023, the global RF Front-end chip market is expected to reach a value of over $1 billion.
Power Amplifiers
In a power amplifier circuit, an input signal is increased in output signal level. It is extensively used in several electronic devices including TVs, mobiles, headphones and music systems. Power amplifiers are characterized by their ability to provide large instantaneous output power to boost the signal. For example, when a strong percussion sound is played, the power amplifier circuit can quickly provide a very high output power to give listeners an intense sensation of dynamics.
The class of the output device (transistor or tube) is a Base Station PCB Supplier major consideration when designing a power amplifier. It determines how much distortion is introduced to the output signal. The most common output device in a power amplifier is a bipolar transistor. It is a popular choice because it provides high-speed switching and low distortion performance at high output levels.
In the case of a class A amplifier, the transistor conducts for a full cycle of the ac input signal. This allows the amplifier to faithfully reproduce the original input signal without adding any distortion. However, the high current through the transistor causes a significant amount of power to be dissipated as heat.
To reduce this power dissipation, the amplifier’s Q point is adjusted to be near the center of the load line. This allows the amplifier to operate more like class B than class A, but with less distortion.
Antennas
Antennas perform signal reception and transmission functions in Base station PCB. Their performance is determined by the directivity and efficiency of their radiation pattern, which can be measured using polar diagrams. The size of the lens in an antenna varies according to its frequency, with larger lenses providing better directivity and higher efficiency. This enables the antenna to focus the power into a narrower beam and increase its range and coverage.
An RF antenna has a metal patch embedded in the dielectric substrate with a conductive ground plane bonded to the opposite side. The size of the ground plane depends on the frequency at which the antenna is used, with bigger patches requiring longer grounding wires. A good design will ensure that the antenna is not positioned too close to other components, as this can cause interference and degrade performance. It also needs to be properly spaced from metallic objects such as mounting screws.
The 5G base station market is growing rapidly, owing to increasing demand for faster connectivity and advanced technology. Companies are investing in technology to improve production processes and enhance the quality of their products. This has helped them to remain competitive in the market. Some of the leading players in the market include Avary Holding (Zhen Ding), Nippon Mektron, and TTM Technologies. Emerging players are also gaining momentum, with Shennan Circuits Company, DSBJ (Multek), and Unimicron among them.
BBU
Base band unit (BBU) is a telecom network device used to interpret and process baseband signals. Baseband signals are the original frequencies of transmissions prior to being modulated. The BBU is responsible for performing baseband signal processing tasks, such as filtering, modulation, coding, and channel estimation. It also adds redundancy to transmitted data to correct errors that may occur during transmission.
As 5G infrastructure expands globally, mobile operators need a wide variety of test equipment for installation and functional testing. This includes a BBU emulator that can accurately simulate the functions of each device configuration and ensure proper functionality. However, the breadth of existing BBU form factors and trends towards virtualization and disaggregation create challenges for BBU emulation.
The BBU is the heart of a cellular base station. It connects to radio transceivers — Remote Radio Units (RRU) or Remote Radio Heads (RRH) — through wired or wireless connections. The RRU and BBU communicate through the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI). The CPRI allows the two devices to share data, control and power. The BBU also optimizes the use of radio resources, such as frequency bands and power, to maximize system performance. Additionally, it provides network control capabilities, such as call setup and handover.