04-03-2022 | Benetel | Subs & Systems
Benetel has extended its range of radio units (RUs) with the introduction of the RAN650. This latest RU aims to bring 5G capacity to private, campus and industrial networks, rural networks and public hotspots. A 4T4R antenna arrangement is provided with up to 5W of output power delivered per antenna port (equating to 20W in total). The 7.2x functional split employed will help reduce the costs associated with radio access network implementations, while support for 100MHz of instantaneous bandwidth will enable maximum coverage.
Its new RU can be deployed in either a Cat A or Cat B based configuration (using selected distributed units), thereby giving flexibility to address radio access network architectures. Key to its high performance and versatility is the cutting-edge semiconductor technology that has been built into it. Each RU includes an Intel Arria 10 FPGA together with an Analog Devices’ ADRV9029 4T4R transceiver with integrated digital pre-distortion. The initial version of the device covers the n77u (3.7GHz to 4.2GHz) frequency range. An n78 variant (3.3GHz to 3.8GHz) will be available in the second quarter of 2022.
As Benetel CEO, Adrian O’Connor explains, “We are now expanding our OpenRAN portfolio with the RAN650, which can address a broad array of different 5G use cases. Our partners have been welcoming this platform already at early trials, making the RAN650 Benetel’s most important product launch to date.”
“Over the years, Analog Devices and Benetel have forged a mutually beneficial working relationship, with our leading RF technology playing a pivotal role in their RU designs,” adds Joe Barry, VP of Wireless Communications at Analog Devices. “Our involvement in Benetel’s development of the next generation RAN650 model extends this longstanding relationship further.”
“Benetel’s new RAN550 and RAN650 series of indoor and outdoor 4T4R radio solutions are enabled by the inherent versatility of Intel Arria 10 SoC FPGAs,” states Mike Fitton, VP of the Programmable Solutions Group at Intel. “We are pleased to expand our relationship with Benetel, via the RAN650, to meet customers’ needs.”
The RAN650 RU works off a 48V supply, and it has a typical power consumption of 100W. The robust IP65-rated enclosure use means that even the most challenging outdoor conditions can be coped with. An operational temperature range spanning -33C to +45C is supported.
