5G Technology, 2nd Edition

135G Modem Design Challenges

YihShen Chen¹, Jiann-Ching Guey¹, Chienhwa Hwang¹, PeiKai Liao¹, Guillaume Sébire², WeideWu¹, and Weidong Yang³

¹MediaTek, Taiwan

²MediaTek, Finland

³MediaTek, United States

CHAPTER MENU

• Introduction
• High Data Rate, System Flexibility, and Computational Complexity
• Low Latency, Flexible Timing, and Modem Control Flow Complexity
• Multi-RAT Coexistence and Modem Architecture
• Wider Bandwidth Operation and Modem Power Consumption
• Summary
• References

13.1 Introduction

5G NR – the new radio access technology at the heart of the 5G system – is designed to push the boundaries of mobile communications to unprecedented levels in terms of data rates, latency, reliability, and connectivity. Purposely versatile, 5G NR is engineered to address the needs, known and future, of many industries, to enable new services and experiences, through a high degree of in-built flexibility and configurability.

Thus, an engineering challenge in itself, 5G NR is also a major engineering challenge for mobile device implementation, especially the modem. Indeed, the promise of 5G NR to deliver multi-Gbps data rates, ultra-reliability, and low latency is only viable if the overall complexity of the modem and its power consumption are all but fully mitigated for mobile devices. This chapter provides expert insights into how this difficult equation can be resolved so that 5G NR can quickly become a reality for consumers. It assumes a working knowledge of 5G NR, as described ...