This article was originally published on March 31, 2022.
Editor’s Note: This content is contributed by David Brubaker, Sr. Product Line Manager for Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC
New 8T8R ZCU670 Evaluation Kit—Featuring the Zynq RFSoC DFE
We’re introducing the Zynq® UltraScale+™ RFSoC DFE ZCU670 Evaluation Kit, featuring the ZU67DR, the industry’s only 8T8R, 400 MHz IBW, adaptable, single-chip O-RU solution. The ZU67DR device incorporates 5G digital front-end (DFE) hardened IP, RF sampling converters, and programmable logic to meet the cost, power, and performance requirements of 4G/5G O-RUs.
The RF-DAC output and RF-ADC input interfaces are provided via wide band RFMC2.0 RF connectors that enable Zynq RFSoC add-on cards or custom cards to be easily connected. With this architecture, customers can design a custom RF interface card, specific to their requirements, and directly connect it to the ZCU670 evaluation board, leveraging the existing evaluation board and tools for rapid prototyping and evaluation.
The ZCU670 also includes JTAG, UART, USB3.0, and RJ-45 standard interfaces and an FMC+ connector to support standard or custom mezzanine cards.
Included Add-On Cards for Fast Evaluation and Prototyping
Second, the XM755 breakout card is ideal for in-depth performance measurements across different frequency bands. The XM755 has cables, baluns, and filters for RF testing from 10MHz to 7.0GHz (in sub-bands) based on common frequency bands. The designer can do RF loopback in different bands or bring single-ended RF in and out of the evaluation kit to connect LNAs, power amplifiers (PAs), or test equipment. With built-in baluns and filters covering all the key bands from 10MHz up to 7GHz, it is a robust reference design for system architects and RF designers.
The ZCU670 Evaluation Kit has onboard reference and an RF clocking solution that support IEEE Std 1588 and Sync-E ORAN wireless applications. If users still need enhanced clocking solutions, the CLK-104 module is fully compatible with the ZCU670 evaluation board.
Comprehensive Development Tools
A critical component of designing any complex system is offering a comprehensive suite of software tools. AMD offers a rich ecosystem of design resources such as the Vivado® ML, RF analyzer debug tool, and the power advantage tool to facilitate high-application development for any RF project. In addition, AMD provides a targeted reference design (TRD) for 8T8R O-RU design to kick-start your design and a RF evaluation platform that demonstrates CFR and DPD performance for a variety of PAs and radio configurations.
The new ZCU670 kit is an excellent evaluation and software development platform that provides all the tools and resources needed to jump-start your 4G/5G O-RU designs. Reduce your time to market, prototyping costs, and realize revenue faster on your RF designs with the ZCU670 Evaluation Kit today!
To find out more about the ZCU670 kit, contact your local AMD sales representative.
For more information on Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC, visit www.xilinx.com/rfsoc.