A 16TX/16RX 60 GHz 802.11ad Chipset With Single Coaxial Interface and Polarization Diversity

Abstract

The IEEE 802.11ad standard supports PHY rates up to 6.7 Gbps on four 2 GHz-wide channels from 57 to 64 GHz. A 60 GHz system offers higher throughput than existing 802.11ac solutions but has several challenges for high-volume production including: integration in the host platform, automated test, and high link loss due to blockage and polarization mismatch. This paper presents a 802.11ad radio chipset capable of SC and OFDM modulation using a 16TX-16RX beamforming RF front-end, complete with an antenna array that supports polarization diversity. To aid low-cost integration in PC platforms, a single coaxial cable interface is used between chips. The chipset is capable of maintaining a link of 4.6 Gbps (PHY rate) at 10 m.