Watech Electronics and Analog Devices Enable Highly Linearized 5G Basestations

Watech Electronics (WATECH), working together with Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), announced the development of a highly linearized and power-efficient RF solution for 5G macro base stations, supporting both wideband and narrowband operation across Band 1 and Band 3 frequencies.

As 5G networks continue to scale, radio unit designs are evolving towards increased multi-band integration, driven by the need to reduce site complexity, power consumption, and total cost of ownership. Mobile network operators are increasingly looking to consolidate multiple frequency bands into a single radio unit to simplify deployments, while still meeting stringent spectral and performance requirements. The move toward multi-band radio units demands advances in both PA technology and Digital Predistortion (DPD) algorithms. Multi-band PAs must deliver high efficiency and linearity across wide bandwidths, while advanced DPD is required to correct non-linear behaviour and ensure emission compliance.

By combining Watech Electronics’ RF power technology with ADI’s Generation 6 Digital Predistortion (DPD) algorithm implemented on ADI’s latest ADRV906x (Samana) transceiver platform, the companies have achieved very highly linearized RF line-ups for 5G macro base stations operating in Band 1 (2110–2170 MHz) and Band 3 (1805–1880 MHz).

 

ADI’s Samana is a highly integrated, O-RAN compliant Radio Unit System-on-Chip (RU-SoC) engineered to streamline and accelerate the development of 4G and 5G radio units. The platform includes support for ADI’s Generation-6 Digital Predistortion (DPD), implemented directly on the transceiver to enable efficient and linear power amplifier operation while meeting 3GPP emission requirements under real-world network conditions.

LDMOS MMIC Driver Transistors for 5G Macro Base Stations

In 2025, Watech Electronics announced the release of the H9G1822M60Q, a new RF LDMOS MMIC driver designed specifically for demanding 5G and Advanced 5G macro base station applications supporting Band 1 and Band 3 simultaneously. This component is part of a broader family of drivers including most popular bands like B28, B50, B77 and B78 to mention some.

Built on Watech Electronics’ proprietary LDMOS platform and optimized for use with ADI’s Samana DPD technology, the H9G1822M60Q is a dual-channel device delivering up to 60W of output power and supports instantaneous bandwidths of up to 400 MHz.

the device provides high gain and linearity, being the perfect partner for GaN final in a total line-up solution.

B1+B3 Wideband Solution for Macro Cells

The line-up proposal from Watech Electronics is composed of LDMOS driver H9G1822M60Q, and GaN 2-way Doherty final HTH2D22P710S. This combination is engineered to address the demanding requirements of concurrent multi-band operation. By leveraging the wideband characteristics of both the LDMOS driver and the GaN final stage, the line-up maintains optimal performance across the 400 MHz instantaneous bandwidth needed to cover both Band 1 and Band 3 simultaneously.

Together it is possible to achieve Pout of 49.6dBm of output power with a PAR of 8dB and total lineup efficiency above 51% with a linearity better than -54dBc with 4x5MHz LTE, 365MHz IBW signal. This level of efficiency in a wideband configuration represents significant advancement, enabling operators to reduce power consumption and cooling requirements in multi-band RRUs.

The linearity performance ensures that even with complex, wideband modulated signals, the system remains compliant with stringent 3GPP spectral emission masks, minimizing the need for additional filtering and reducing overall system costs.

B3 or B1 High-Efficiency Narrowband Solution

The line-up is composed of LDMOS driver H9G1822M60Q and GaN 3-way Doherty final HTH2D22T780H.

Designed for maximum power-added efficiency in dedicated single-band applications, this narrowband-optimized line-up utilizes a 3-way Doherty architecture in the final stage. This advanced configuration extends efficiency enhancement over a wider output power back-off range, which is critical for handling the high peak-to-average ratios of modern 5G signals while maintaining exceptional performance in average power operating conditions. Together it is possible to achieve Pout of 50.5dBm of output power with a PAR of 8dB and total lineup efficiency above 64% with a linearity better than -55dBc with 2x5MHz LTE, 75MHz IBW signal. The superior efficiency sets a new benchmark for single-band macro base station operation, directly translating to lower OPEX for network operators through reduced energy consumption. The enhanced linearity of -55dBc provides an excellent foundation for digital pre-distortion, allowing the full capabilities of ADI’s Generation-6 DPD to be realized and ensuring robust performance under dynamic network load conditions.

Conclusion

Watech Electronics delivers a comprehensive portfolio of 5G macro radio RF power transistor solutions, empowering operators to strategically optimize their networks for peak bandwidth or maximum spectral efficiency. Watech Electronics flexible range of components includes high-capacity solutions for data dense urban hubs and superior narrowband solutions for efficient, wide-area coverage. Through close collaboration, Watech Electronics and ADI have combined their respective RF system expertise and signal processing solutions to deliver a pre-validated, deployment-ready solution that simplifies system design, accelerates time-to-market, and reduces integration risk for customers.

Get in touch for orders or any queries: sales@rfdesign.co.za / +27 21 555 8400

Courtesy of Watech Electronics (WATECH)