64-Element 28 Gigahertz Phased Array 5G Prototyping Platform

A 64-element planar phased array is presented, operating between 27.5 and 30 Gigahertz (GHz). The array architecture is based on a quad core beamforming Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) and has a measured Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) of 50 dBm. The phased array is packaged with an embedded controller and thermal management features that allow the array to rapidly prototype operational 5G scenarios. Power consumption for the array is 18 Watts (W) in transmit mode, including control and power regulation overhead. Error vector magnitude measured to be better than −40 decibels (dB) with a 256-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal. This 64-element phased array provides a foundation for prototyping next-generation 5G millimeter wave systems in real environments.