Advent of 5G Technology
New levels of integration – Today’s wireless focused SoCs, especially those designed for mobile devices are now highly integrated. This integration enables reduced power consumption, improved performance, and saved space
Advanced process nodes: 5G SoCs often leverage advanced semiconductor process nodes (e.g., 5nm, 3nm) to achieve the necessary performance and power efficiency for handling high-speed 5G communications
AI and ML acceleration: 5G SoCs frequently include dedicated AI and machine learning accelerators to support advanced features
Multi-core CPU designs: To handle the increased processing demands of 5G applications, SoCs often feature multi-core CPU designs with a mix of high-performance and energy-efficient cores
Advanced GPU capabilities: 5G enables new possibilities for cloud gaming and augmented reality applications, driving the need for powerful integrated GPUs
Enhanced security features: With the increased connectivity and data transfer rates of 5G, SoCs need advanced security features like hardware-based encryption and secure enclaves
Multi-band support: 5G SoCs need to support a wide range of frequency bands, including sub-6 GHz (FR1) and mmWave (FR2), with different standard channel bandwidths
Low-latency processing: 5G offer unmatched low latency capabilities and SoCs must support efficient data pathways and processing capabilities to minimize overall system latency
Power management: Sophisticated power management units are crucial to balance performance and battery life, especially when dealing with processing heavy power-hungry mmWave communications
Edge computing capabilities: 5G SoCs must support edge computing, allowing for more processing to be done on-device rather than in the cloud
Specialized DSPs: DSP cores and accelerators optimized for 5G signal processing and wireless processing in general must be integrated to handle complex communications algorithms efficiently and in a timely fashion
Thermal management: The increased processing power and 5G communications can generate significant heat, requiring careful thermal design and management within SoCs
IoT and industrial applications: 5G SoCs are deployed within IoT devices and industrial applications, often with different priorities (e.g., long battery life, ruggedness) compared to consumer devices
Software-defined radio (SDR) capabilities: 5G SoCs must incorporate SDR features, allowing for greater flexibility in supporting different communication protocols and future updates