Analog Devices has developed the ADRV906x, known as Samana, a software-defined radio system-on-chip platform for building 4G and 5G network radio units. It combines RF transceiver functions, digital signal processing, and lower physical-layer processing within an integrated architecture. Designed for small-cell and macro-cell equipment, the platform helps radio manufacturers address power consumption, board complexity, and the need to support different network configurations.
One Platform for Multiple Radio Designs
Samana supports LTE, 5G NR Frequency Range 1 (FR1), and NB-IoT, with time-division duplexing (TDD), frequency-division duplexing (FDD), and mixed-mode operation. Its software-configurable architecture accommodates single-band and multiband radios, with platform bandwidth configurations from 20 MHz to 400 MHz. This gives equipment manufacturers a common architectural foundation for developing products with different capacity and deployment requirements.
The ADRV9061 provides four transmit channels, four receive channels, and one observation receiver, commonly described as 4T4R/1ORx. Adding the ADRV9062 through the integrated chip-to-chip interface extends the configuration to 8T8R/2ORx; the ADRV9062 requires the ADRV9061 and cannot operate independently. Maximum occupied bandwidth reaches 400 MHz per antenna, supporting wideband radio configurations within the documented device limits.
Integrated Processing for Open RAN
The platform incorporates an O-RAN-compliant split 7.2x Category A Low PHY and eCPRI fronthaul interface. Integrated functions include FFT/IFFT processing, physical random access channel extraction, antenna calibration, and fronthaul compression. Bringing these functions into the radio SoC can reduce or eliminate the external FPGA resources otherwise needed for the corresponding processing tasks.
Additional capabilities include a quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 processor supporting Linux, two fronthaul Ethernet ports supporting 10G or 25G operation, and synchronization through IEEE 1588 PTP and SyncE. These features combine radio processing, control, connectivity, and timing within the platform. Analog Devices also provides an interoperability-tested O-RAN stack and reference design to support radio development and bring-up.
Improving Amplifier Efficiency and Signal Quality
A central feature is sixth-generation machine-learning-based digital predistortion (DPD), which continuously optimizes power-amplifier operation. The platform supports amplifier applications from 25 mW to 80 W and DPD operation with instantaneous bandwidths up to 600 MHz. That DPD bandwidth is a separate specification from the maximum occupied bandwidth per antenna.
Samana also integrates crest factor reduction, charge-trap compensation for GaN power amplifiers, and passive intermodulation cancellation. The brochure identifies support for both interband and intraband passive intermodulation cancellation and detection. Together, these functions address amplifier linearity and interference in wideband radio designs.
One documented DPD example uses a B1+B3 LTE signal comprising four 5 MHz carriers within a 365 MHz span, with an 8 dB peak-to-average ratio. The reported results include 49.59 dBm output power, 55.5% PA drain efficiency, 51.5% lineup efficiency, and an adjacent-channel leakage ratio of −54.0 dBc. These figures describe the illustrated test configuration rather than guaranteed performance across every amplifier and deployment.
Managing Energy Use and Security
Samana combines amplifier optimization with traffic-dependent power management. Discontinuous transmission enables low-power operation during idle intervals, while symbol-based envelope tracking adjusts amplifier power levels to traffic conditions. This approach addresses energy consumption across both active transmission and lighter network loads.
Security features include MACsec with AES-128/AES-256 encryption, secure boot, secure updates, and device lifecycle management. Analog Devices also describes collaboration with Samsung Networks Business to validate and integrate energy-saving techniques, including discontinuous transmission and machine-learning-driven DPD. That work connects the platform features to practical radio-equipment implementation.
Applications and Implications for Future Networks
Primary applications include Open RAN small-cell radios, macro radios, and energy-optimized macro equipment. Support for multiple air interfaces, duplexing modes, and antenna configurations allows manufacturers to address different radio requirements using a shared platform. Integrating RF, digital front-end, and Low PHY processing also reduces the number of separately implemented processing blocks.
For future radio designs, the significance lies in combining software configurability with embedded optimization and standardized fronthaul connectivity. These capabilities support the documented direction toward radios that adapt to changing traffic and deployment requirements while managing energy consumption. The supplied documentation establishes Samana as a 4G/5G platform; it does not establish 6G compliance or support for future air interfaces.
Click here to learn more about the ADRV906x Samana radio platform from Analog Devices.