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Carrier Aggregation Fundamentals For Dummies, Qorvo Special Edition
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Foolish Assumptions
Its been said that most assumptions have outlived their use
lessness, but Ill assume a few things nonetheless!
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2 Carrier Aggregation Fundamentals For Dummies, Qorvo Special Edition
You wont find a map of the human genome here, but if you
seek to attain the seventh level of NERDvana, perk up! This
icon explains the jargon beneath the jargon!
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoy the book, please take
care of your writers! Seriously, this icon points out helpful
suggestions and useful nuggets of information.
This icon points out the stuff your mother warned you about.
Okay, probably not. But you should take heed nonetheless
you may just save yourself some time and frustration!
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Chapter1
Understanding Carrier
Aggregation (CA)
Technology
In This Chapter
Understanding what CA is and why its needed
Recognizing CA benefits
Exploring CA data rate evolution
Scoping Out CA
Today, more than 2.6 billion smartphone subscriptions exist
worldwide. The total number of mobile subscriptions
which also includes mobile broadband, mobile PCs, tablets,
routers and, increasingly, Internet of Things (IoT) devices is
7.2billion. Thats almost one mobile subscription for every man,
woman, and child on the planet! And by 2020, that number is
expected to grow to more than 9 billion (mobile subscriptions,
not people there will be only 7.7 billion people)!
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4 Carrier Aggregation Fundamentals For Dummies, Qorvo Special Edition
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Chapter1: Understanding Carrier Aggregation (CA) Technology 5
As of today, up to five CCs can be allocated for 100 MHz of
bandwidth per user, as shown in Figure11. However, 3rd
Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) Release 13 will
extend support for up to 32 CCs.
Figure 1-1:CA combines multiple LTE carrier signals to increase data rates
and improve network performance.
For example:
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6 Carrier Aggregation Fundamentals For Dummies, Qorvo Special Edition
Other carriers will join this trend as demand for LTE rises
and demand for 3G falls. Carriers will use CA technology to
combine spectrum in low, mid, and highband frequencies to
boost speed and capacity.
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Chapter1: Understanding Carrier Aggregation (CA) Technology 7
Table 1-1 Aggregated Downlink Bandwidth and Data
Rates for LTE User Equipment Categories
Aggregated Downlink Downlink Data Rate Modem Class
Bandwidth
10 MHz 75 Mbps
15 MHz 100 Mbps LTE Category 3
20 MHz 150 Mbps LTE Category 4
25 MHz 185 Mbps
30 MHz 225 Mbps
40 MHz 300 Mbps LTE Category 6/7
50 MHz 375 Mbps
60 MHz 450 Mbps LTE Category 9/10
80 MHz 600 Mbps LTE Category 11/12
*Assumes 64quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) in the downlink
*The scaling in data rate between 64 QAM and 256 QAM is a factor of 1.33
(8bit symbol versus 6bit symbol)
*Any bandwidth above 20 MHz requires at least twoCC CA
*Any bandwidth above 40 MHz requires at least threeCC CA
*Any bandwidth above 60 MHz requires at least fourCC CA
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8 Carrier Aggregation Fundamentals For Dummies, Qorvo Special Edition
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Chapter2
Finding Out About CA
Deployment Strategies
In This Chapter
Relating FDD and TDD to CA
Joining adjacent CCs in the same band
Bringing separate CCs together in the same band
Combining multiple CCs in different bands
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10 Carrier Aggregation Fundamentals For Dummies, Qorvo Special Edition
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Chapter2: Finding Out About CA Deployment Strategies 11
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Chapter3
Looking at Carrier
Aggregation Dynamics
and Challenges
In This Chapter
Getting up to speed on downlink challenges
Addressing intraband uplink challenges
Understanding interband uplink challenges
Understanding Downlink
Challenges
Downlink CA challenges include
Downlink sensitivity
Harmonic generation
Desense challenges in CA RF radio design
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14 Carrier Aggregation Fundamentals For Dummies, Qorvo Special Edition
Downlink sensitivity
In a nonCA, single carrier FDD (frequency division duplex)
scenario, an RF duplexer ensures that transmissions on the
uplink do not interfere with reception on the downlink.
Harmonic generation
Harmonics are generated by nonlinear components such as
transceiver output stages, power amplifiers (PAs), duplex-
ers, and switches. During component development, designers
must prudently trade off various device performance criteria
to help reduce harmonics and other intermodulation prod-
ucts generated from these devices.
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Chapter3: Looking at Carrier Aggregation Dynamics and Challenges 15
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Chapter3: Looking at Carrier Aggregation Dynamics and Challenges 17
Figure 3-4:The third harmonic from the B17 UL signal couples with the
B4 DL, causing desense.
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Chapter3: Looking at Carrier Aggregation Dynamics and Challenges 19
Addressing IntraBand
Uplink Challenges
In the China market, TDD is the main driver for UL carrier
aggregation. In 2014, China Telecom and Nokia Networks
announced the worlds first FDDTDD CA device chipsets. This
development uses FDD Band 3 for improving LTE coverage
and TDD Band 41 for improving throughput.
Linearity
Intraband, uplink CA signals present mobile device designers
with many challenges because they can have higher peaks,
more signal bandwidth, and new RB configurations. A PA
design must be tuned for very high linearity even though the
signal power may be backed off. Adjacent channel leakage,
intermodulation products of noncontiguous RBs, spurious
emissions, noise, and sensitivity must be considered.
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20 Carrier Aggregation Fundamentals For Dummies, Qorvo Special Edition
Recognizing InterBand
Uplink Challenges
Interband uplink CA combines transmit signals from different
bands. The maximum total power transmitted from a mobile
device is not increased in these cases, so for two transmit
bands, each band carries half the power of a normal transmis-
sion, or 3 dB less than a nonCA signal.
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Chapter4
Ten Benefits of Carrier
Aggregation
In This Chapter
Recognizing the benefits of carrier aggregation
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22 Carrier Aggregation Fundamentals For Dummies, Qorvo Special Edition
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These materials are 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
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