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The AD-PAARRAY3552R-SL reference design provides control, protection, and proper biasing sequence of Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) power amplifier (PA) arrays, and is designed for massive multiple input - multiple output (MIMO) and macro base station RF front-end applications.
The system effectively manages the power-up and power-down progression of GaN power amplifiers while continuously monitoring crucial parameters such as drain voltages, drain current, gate voltages, and temperature.
The core of this solution is the AD3552R high-speed, dual-channel, 16-bit DAC, which supports ultrafast sub-µs voltage settling time of GaN gates.
It also features the LTC7000, a high-side NMOS static switch driver that adeptly handles key fault events such as overvoltage, overcurrent, and overtemperature.
The on-board MAX32666 ultralow power Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller oversees the biasing sequence, sensor management, and user interface. The firmware can be effortlessly updated via SWD, UART-bootloader, facilitating rapid prototyping and development. Under normal operating conditions, the system can be powered from an external +48 V supply with approximately 3 A of current consumption.
AD-PAARRAY3552R-SL Board
Features | |
---|---|
Drain Voltage Range | +38 V to +55 V (can be adjusted from +4.5 V to +60 V) |
Gate Voltage Range | -10 V to +10 V |
Drain Current | 40 A |
Gate Current | ±1.6 mA |
Gate Voltage Ripple | 2 mV (p-p) |
Fault Event | |
Overvoltage | +55 V (can be adjusted from +4.5 V to +55 V) |
Overcurrent | 3.5 A (can be adjusted from 1.3 A to 5 A) |
Overtemperature | +75°C |
Computing Resources | |
CPU | MAX32666 Low-Power Arm Cortex-M4 with FPU-Based Microcontroller with Bluetooth 5 for Wearables |
Memory | 1 MB SRAM |
Storage | 64 MB QSPI Flash |
User Interface & Control | |
Communication | UART |
Debugging | SWD |
Power Supply | |
External | +48 V DC with higher current capabilities |
Operating Conditions | |
Operating temperature | -45°C to +75°C |
Package Contents | |
1 x AD-PAARRAY3552R-SL board, 4 x Standoffs, 4 x Screws |
The solution also comes with a pre-programmed firmware allowing the system to interface with a PC application for a system configuration, control, and data acquisition through serial interface.
In order to update the firmware on the on-board MCU, the user needs to purchase the MAX32625 PICO Evaluation Kit separately.
Visit this page to learn how to install the firmware and use the application GUI:
Get complete access to hardware configuration, design files, and procedure on how to use the AD-PAARRAY3552R-SL:
For questions and more information about this product, connect with us through the Analog Devices Engineer Zone.