Technology, Process and Cost

Ericsson 5G Integrated Radio Unit AIR6488 Chipset

By Yole SystemPlus — Oct 2022

Technical and cost analysis of the Ericsson 5G Integrated Radio Unit AIR6488 Chipset. Exploiting 5G sub-6 GHz massive Multiple Input/Multiple Output and 5G New Radio, Ericsson has introduced a 64-transceiver time domain duplex active antenna system.

Key Feature

Light teardown of the system
Detailed optical and SEM images
Precise measurements
Materials analysis
Manufacturing process flow
Supply chain evaluation
Manufacturing cost analysis

What's new

Light teardown of base station antenna from Ericsonn
Detailed technical and cost analysis of selected devices

Ericsson is one of the five major manufacturers leading the mobile telecommunication base station market. Yole Intelligence assumes that fifth generation (5G) wireless protocol sub-6 GHz frequency equipment deployments will be the most sold products by the end of 2023. Of these, almost 45% will be massive Multiple Input/Multiple Output (mMIMO) active antenna systems (AASs).

Exploiting 5G mMIMO and New Radio (NR) and targeting sub-6 GHz frequencies, Ericsson has introduced the 5G Integrated Radio Unit AIR6488. The AIR6488 is a 64 transceiver (TR) time domain duplex (TDD)-based AAS. In traditional base stations passive antennas are connected to remote radio head (RRH) systems via radio frequency (RF) cables, so they comprise two different units, the RRH and the antennas. AASs integrate the antennas and the TR chains from digital processed signal to the antenna into one single unit.

AASs are very compact and therefore they save and optimize space. In other words, no extra physical space is needed on already established network sites and there may be a reduction in site footprint. Secondly, AASs are energy efficient, with less cable losses compared to traditional systems. The AASs also cut installation time and related costs. Finally, AASs are scalable. Consequently, new standards and frequency bands can easily be introduced.

The Ericsson 5G Integrated Radio Unit AIR6488 Chipset is designed for outdoor installations, intended for pole, wall, tower, or mast mounting. As the Ericsson 5G Integrated Radio Unit AIR6488 Chipset has four main PCBs with many different components, we selected the major components from each of the different Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) to analyze them.

This report includes an investigation of the system, a detailed study of the major components, including die analyses, processes, and cross sections. It provides thorough energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses of the antenna element and the antenna PCB. Moreover, it includes light technical analyses for some interesting components. Based on the physical analyses performed, assumptions about the AIR6488 system functionality are provide in the corresponding block diagrams. The report contains cost analyses of the identified main components of the Ericsson 5G Integrated Radio Unit AIR6488.

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Ericsson 5G Integrated Radio Unit AIR6488 Chipset

Technical and cost analysis of the Ericsson 5G Integrated Radio Unit AIR6488 Chipset. Exploiting 5G sub-6 GHz massive Multiple Input/Multiple Output and 5G New Radio, Ericsson has introduced a 64-transceiver time domain duplex active antenna system.