The Overview
After executing a rebranding from its former name, SiTune, Arctic Semiconductor is now shipping its first 5G silicon chipset, IceWings, in mass production.
Who Needs It & Why?
Telecommunications and IT consume from 5% to 9% of the world’s electricity supply. According to the Datacenter Forum, the shift to 5G will increase these sectors’ energy consumption 160% by 2023. It becomes imperative, then, to lower energy consumption and efficiently manage thermals to reduce infrastructure costs for 5G network equipment and end-user devices.
To that end, the IceWings RF chipset delivers excellent signal quality and low power consumption to equipment manufacturers building 5G radios for applications ranging from small cells, private networks, and fixed wireless access to macro base stations and massive-MIMO platforms.
Under the Hood
The IceWings chipset comprises an RF transceiver with four integrated transmitters and receivers. It supports multiple standards in signal frequencies below 7.2 GHz and enables mmWave applications via intermediate to baseband conversion. Thanks to the chipset’s flexibility and integration, claims the company, designers are able to create more reliable platforms, with better yield, lower power consumption, and at a lower cost. The chips streamline the production of 5G equipment, allowing customers to utilize the same hardware design with minor updates across a diverse set of use cases.
