For a typical 4T4R macro RU design with no Rx diversity, each Tx path and Rx path require an internal set of SMP/SMP-MAX connectors. Additionally, each RF port on the RF cavity filter requires a single panel-mount NEX10, 4.3-10 or 7/16 female connector. Table 3 shows the rundown of connector requirements for each TRx channel of the 4T4R FDD macro RU.

For this architecture, the entire 4T4R FDD macro RU system without diversity Rx requires a total of 24 RF connectors with 20 of them being the SMP/SMP-MAX type. A cutaway view of the 4T4R FDD architecture is shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8

Figure 8 4T4R macro FDD RU. Source: EJL Wireless Research LLC, January 2024.

The time-division duplex (TDD) versions of the macro RUs used for 5G networks are typically 8T8R configurations. Since the radio system is TDD instead of FDD, the Tx and Rx paths are the same. This reduces the number of SMP/SMP-MAX connectors by 50 percent. For a typical 8T8R macro RU design, each Tx/Rx path would require an internal set of SMP/SMP-MAX connectors. Additionally, each RF port on the RF cavity filter would require a single panel-mount NEX10, 4.3-10 or 7/16 female connector. However, the TDD 8T8R macro RUs utilize antenna beamforming, so a ninth panel-mount RF connector is needed on the RF cavity filter as well as one set of SMP/SMP-MAX connectors to interface to the radio TRx PCB for the calibration channel. Table 4 shows the rundown of connector requirements for each TRx channel of the 8T8R TDD macro RU architecture.

Therefore, the entire 8T8R TDD macro RU system requires a total of 36 RF connectors and 27 of them are the SMP/SMP-MAX type. Figure 9 shows the cutaway view of the 8T8R TDD architecture.

Figure 9

Figure 9 Macro TDD RU. Source: EJL Wireless Research LLC, January 2024.

RF CONNECTOR VENDOR ECOSYSTEM

This section presents a high-level view of the vendor ecosystem for the RF connectors highlighted in this article. The list is not 100 percent complete for all vendors. Additionally, it does not include manufacturers of other RF connector types such as the multi-port cluster connectors, which include the MQ series and CommScope’s M-LOC solution for RU/antenna applications.

Nex10®

  • Huber+Suhner AG (developing company)
  • Radiall SA (developing company)
  • Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG (developing company)
  • Amphenol RF/Changzhou Amphenol Fuyang Communication Equipment Co., Ltd.
  • IMS Connector Systems
  • JMA Wireless
  • SPINNER GmbH
  • Telegärtner Karl Gärtner GmbH.

4.3-10

  • Huber+Suhner AG (developing company)
  • Radiall SA (developing company)
  • Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG (developing company)
  • SPINNER GmbH (developing company)
  • Amphenol RF/Changzhou Amphenol Fuyang Communication Equipment Co., Ltd.
  • CommScope
  • Xiamen Hongfa Electroacoustic Co., Ltd.

7-16 DIN

  • Everyone, everywhere in the world.

SMP/SMP-MAX

  • Amphenol RF/Changzhou Amphenol Fuyang Communication Equipment Co., Ltd.
  • Huber+Suhner AG
  • Radiall SA
  • Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG
  • Samtec, Inc.
  • Sichuan Huafeng Technology Co., Ltd.
  • Xiamen Hongfa Electroacoustic Co., Ltd.

CONCLUSION

Since most of these types of RF connectors are used on mMIMO, macro RU and macro antenna systems, the end users are very concentrated with the major wireless equipment suppliers like Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei Technologies, Samsung Networks and ZTE Corporation. Additionally, the largest market, globally, for wireless equipment remains in China. The forecasts that were presented earlier in the article are global but the presumption is that a large percentage of the volumes of wireless equipment will continue to ship in China and therefore, will continue to be consumed primarily by Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corporation and to a lesser extent, CITIC Mobile Communication Technology Co., Ltd.1 The anticipation is that the global wireless equipment market will remain weak in 2024 and through 2027 outside of China. However, EJL Wireless Research expects China to continue its mobile network deployments with 5.5G and remain somewhat stable or even see growth during this same timeframe.

Reference

  1. Datang Telecom Group and FiberHome Telecommunications Technologies Co., Ltd.