5th cycle of talks with PhD students from the Hache Barra Association: ‘Beamformers: chips for controlling 5G/6G and satellite antennas’ | Thursday, 11 December
On Thursday, 11 December 2025, at 12:15 p.m., a new seminar will be held as part of the 5th cycle of talks with doctoral students organised by the Hache Barra Association. It will be given by Uxua Esteban Eraso (Electronic Design Group at the University of Zaragoza), with the title ‘Beamformers: chips for controlling 5G/6G and satellite antennas’. It will be held in Classroom 3 of Building D (Chemistry). The discussion will also be available on the association's YouTube channel @hBarraAragon.
Summary:
The new generations of wireless communications (5G/6G), as well as satellite communications (SATCOM), operate at frequencies in the tens of GHz range. At these frequencies, the signal attenuates significantly during propagation, making it necessary to focus the radiation. To do this, electronically controlled antenna arrays are used. This process is known as beamforming, and the chips that control the antennas are called beamformers. Thanks to these chips, it is possible to electronically direct the radiation pattern without the need for mechanically moving parts. To do this, it is necessary to precisely adjust the phase and amplitude of the signal in each radiating element. In this talk, we will see how these chips work, focusing on phase control, the challenges they present, and why they are key in new generations of wireless communications.