The growth of data-intensive applications is increasing the need for wider bandwidths and faster data processing and analysis for 5G, 6G, Wi-Fi 7 and 8, radar, signals intelligence, and other edge applications. As a result, customers need a solution that enables faster data conversion and processing capabilities while reducing the complexity of electronic testing.
Designed for application versatility and rapid customization, the Apollo MxFE offers instantaneous bandwidths up to 10 GHz and directly samples and synthesizes frequencies up to 18 GHz (Ku-band). This 16 nm monolithic CMOS device utilizes high dynamic range RF analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and RF digital-to-analog converter (DAC) cores with the best spurious-free dynamic range and noise spectral density currently available. In this way, the Apollo MxFE helps customers accelerate design cycles and bring new products to market faster and at a lower cost, while also future-proofing their operations.
The Apollo MxFE 4T4R product offers four 12-bit RF ADCs with a sampling rate of up to 20 GSPS, four 16-bit RF DACs with a sampling rate of up to 28 GSPS, an RF input bandwidth of DC to 18 GHz (Ku band), and an instantaneous bandwidth of up to 10 GHz. The Apollo MxFE is the industry's first embedded radio capable of directly connecting to the emerging 6G frequency bands of 7 GHz to 15 GHz.
The on-chip digital signal processing (DSP) provides a real-time FFT sniffer, a full-speed programmable FIR filter, a complex 128-step FIR filter, fast-hopping NCOs, DDCs/DUCs, and a fractional sampling rate converter. The DSP is dynamically configurable, allowing for rapid switching between narrowband and wideband profiles without interrupting the JESD link. Apollo MxFE supports JESD 204B/C and a very short-range (VSR) interface.
The Apollo MxFE 8T8R product offers eight RF ADCs with a sampling rate of up to 8 GSPS, eight RF DACs with a sampling rate of up to 16 GSPS, an RF input bandwidth of up to 16 GHz, and an instantaneous bandwidth of up to 3 GHz. The on-chip DSP offers similar features and functions to the 4T4R device with twice the number of digital blocks, all of which are dynamically configurable.
The Apollo MxFE ecosystem
is at the heart of a broader ecosystem of new ADI hardware and software products, each offering complementary capabilities for optimal performance and ease of use. The Apollo MxFE is complemented by high-performance variable-gain amplifiers, ultra-low-noise LDO regulators and Silent Switcher®, clock and multi-chip synchronization, along with integrated digital and software technologies including algorithms and security features.
The Apollo MxFE ecosystem comprises the following products:
- A PLL/VCO synthesizer with a fundamental output frequency of up to 22GHz, exceptional noise performance, temperature stability (0.06ps/°C), and alignment resolution
. - A complete high-performance power supply solution that includes the LTM4702 8A µModule regulator. It incorporates Silent Switcher 3 technology, which combines an ultra-low noise reference with the Silent Switcher architecture to achieve high efficiency, excellent broadband noise performance, and maximum overall performance for the Apollo MxFE ecosystem.
- A 10-channel precision synchronizer for timing alignment of SYSREF signals with 5ps accuracy for simultaneous sampling across multiple Apollo MxFE synthesizers on the same board or across different chassis. It also supports two-dimensional system synchronization (fanout and/or daisy chain architectures) for very large systems.
The complementary TxVGA and RxVGA solutions provide the Apollo MxFE with +15dB of gain and single-ended to differential-on-Rx, as well as differential-to-single-ended-on-Tx. This simplifies the connection to the RF front end.
