A 32.2-38.2 GHz Broadband 4-Channel TRx Beamformer with Embedded 3-Winding Transformer Based PA/LNA FE and High Resolution Phase/Amplitude Control

This paper presents a 32.2-38.2 GHz broadband 4-channel Ka-band transceiver beamformer. In this transceiver (TRx) beamformer frontend (FE), a compact 3-winding-transformer achieves the Tx power combing and Rx noise matching simultaneously in the TDD mode. Furthermore, this 4-channel RF beamformer integrates a high precision 6-bit 360° phase shifter and 6-bit 0.5-dB step gain control in each channel for beam scanning accuracy improvement. With programmable 6-bit phase and 6-bit gain control, at 38 GHz, the measured 31.5-dB gain turning range is also with a 0.5-dB gain step and 5.6° phase step. With the TRx architecture, at 38 GHz, the measured P sat of Tx is 20.0-dBm, and the NF of Rx is 5.55-dB.