by josh perry, editor [email protected]
a recent article from home toys described the thermal challenges and solutions that are required for designing wireless access points or customer premises equipment, particularly at the component-level, as the internet of things (iot) connects more household products together.
engineers need to consider thermal management when designing wi-fi systems. (wikimedia commons)
the article explained, “in today’s wireless homes, communication operators and retailers have typically offered one large wireless router, using raw power to achieve coverage across the entire home. but with the sharp increase of household devices and the iot, smart homes are pushing the capabilities of the single-router model.”
a new mesh network model is being adopted in many homes, similar to the signal-boosting systems used by businesses, college campuses and more.
“all these changes in the wi-fi front-end design increase the number of rf chains, contributing to the overall heat within the access point,” the article noted. “this increase in unit temperature also increases the rf tuning challenges, especially when the size of the box is the same or even smaller.”
it is critical for engineers to consider thermal management of wi-fi components, which the article added can run as hot as 60°c in ambient temperatures of 25°c. running too hot will affect the performance of power amplifiers, rf switches, and filters. engineers need to find a balance between power and temperature.
the article highlighted use of time-division duplexing, difficult error vector magnitude specifications, higher modulation schemes, and how rffe performance affects the overall current draw on the system processor as specific challenges that need to be considered.
in addition, the article pointed to a solution designed by qorvo, an rf solutions provider, which focuses on creating higher throughput devices with the same power consumption as previous generation products. the latest front-end modules reduce weight and complexity without sacrificing performance.
“with so many radios and rf chains squeezed together, it’s important to partner with an rf supplier that helps you achieve low power dissipation and linear power budgets simultaneously,” the article concluded.
read the full article at https://www.hometoys.com/article/2018/02/how-not-to-run-hot-overcoming-thermal-challenges-in-wi-fi-front-end-designs-part-1/37959.
|