Fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks may be a year or two away, but the growing demands for wireless functionality from current fourth-generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless communications systems are creating near-supernatural expectations for 5G wireless networks. To handle massive amounts of data along with their voice and video services, 5G networks will need to occupy spectrum at 28 GHz and higher and use advanced transmission formats, such as time-division-duplex (TDD) techniques, to transfer information-laden signals.
Wireless systems built to meet these high expectations will need stable and quiet frequency synthesizers operating at these higher frequencies. One such example is the model KSFLO27T50-12-100 phase-locked oscillator from Synergy Microwave Corp. It has been designed to provide stable, low-noise mixing signals for frequency translation of 28-GHz 5G signals, as well as for mixing with signals from Ka-band radar systems. The device delivers low-phase-noise signals from a miniature coaxial package with very low power consumption to meet the needs of 5G and other emerging millimeter-wave system applications.