Modern SDR, MIMO, radar, and spectrum monitoring systems require high-performance RF platforms that can process multiple channels with reliable timing and phase synchronization. For RF system designers, achieving synchronized multi-channel operation while reducing development complexity and validation effort is a key challenge.
The Analog Devices FMCOMMS5 addresses these requirements by integrating two AD9361 RF Agile Transceivers, providing 4RX and 4TX channels with multi-chip synchronization capabilities. Combined with the iG-G30D® Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC Development Kit, it provides a flexible platform for developing and validating advanced multi-channel RF and SDR applications.
Accelerate Multi-Channel RF System Development
Developing synchronized RF systems can require extensive hardware integration, software configuration, calibration, and signal implementation. The validated FMCOMMS5 and iG-G30D® platform provides developers with a ready foundation for multi-channel RF experimentation and application development.
By combining AD9361 RF transceivers, Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC processing, Linux support, and synchronized IQ data capture, the platform helps RF developers shorten integration cycles and move more efficiently from prototype development to advanced SDR, MIMO, radar, and signal-processing applications iG-G30D®
Why Choose FMCOMMS5 and iG-G30D® for Multi-Channel RF?
- iG-G30D® Carrier & SOM:
- Powered by the AMD Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC (ZU7EV / ZU4EV).
- FMC connector supporting LVDS interfaces for multi-channel RF data paths.
- Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processing subsystem running Linux, offloading signal processing tasks to the Programmable Logic (PL).
- FMCOMMS3 FMC Card:
Integrates a single AD9361 transceiver providing 2 Receive (2RX) and 2 Transmit (2TX) channels operating from 70 MHz to 6.0 GHz with bandwidths from 200 kHz to 56 MHz.
- FMCOMMS5 FMC Card: Integrates dual AD9361 transceivers on a single FMC board to provide 4 Receive (4RX) and 4 Transmit (4TX) channels with an onboard 40 MHz clock distribution network and external reference clock support for multi-chip synchronization.
We will be discussing about validating FMCOMMS5 on iWave platform here.
Complete Software Ecosystem for Faster RF Development
Both FMC modules share a unified Linux kernel Industrial I/O (IIO) framework and device tree architecture.
- Host / User Space: IIO Oscilloscope & GNU Octave tool for plotting and analysis on Host PC. pyadi-iio and custom Python scripts (mcs/phase-sync.py) for capturing IQ data, automated phase alignment and dynamic drift calibration in user space.
- Linux Kernel / Driver: ADI IIO framework (libiio) with AD9361 Linux drivers managing register SPI commands, gain tables, and calibration routines.
- Programmable Logic (PL): AXI AD9361 IP cores handling LVDS interface routing and SPI control.
- OS/BSP: PetaLinux / Yocto BSP embedded environment tailored with the meta-adi layer for the iG-G30D.
Automated MCS (Multi-Chip Synchronization) Automation: Python based driver control scripts to automate phase synchronization sequences and calibrate phase drift between the two transceivers dynamically.
Seamless FMCOMMS5 Hardware Integration
The FMCOMMS5 board was directly interfaced with the iG-G30D DevKit through the FMC connectors. During development, a common RF signal was transmitted from one TX channel and distributed to all four receive channels using a RF power splitter and equal length SMA cables. This ensured that every receiver observed the same RF signal, allowing accurate phase comparison between channels.
Validation Hardware Setup
- iG-G30D Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC DevKit
- ADI FMCOMMS5 evaluation board
- RF power splitter
- Equal-length SMA cables
Figure: Platform validation connections
Linux Software Enablement for Rapid RF Development
A complete Linux software stack was ported to the iG-G30D platform to support FMCOMMS5.
Software Components
- Vivado hardware design
- PetaLinux / Yocto BSP
- Analog Devices meta-adi layer
- Linux AD9361 device drivers
- Industrial I/O (IIO) framework
- libiio and pyadi-iio libraries
This software environment enables RF configuration, IQ streaming, calibration, and synchronized multi-channel operation directly from Linux.
Multi-Chip Synchronization (MCS)
Since FMCOMMS5 contains two independent AD9361 transceivers, synchronizing their clocks and data paths is essential before coherent RF operation.
The validation flow implemented two synchronization stages:
- Multi-Chip Synchronization (MCS) to align both AD9361 devices.
- Phase Synchronization to minimize residual phase offset between receive channels.
After synchronization, all four RX channels operate from a common timing reference, enabling deterministic phase relationships required for MIMO and phased array applications.
Reliable synchronization is essential for developers building phase coherent RF, MIMO, beamforming, and direction-finding systems.
Multi-Channel RF Validation Methodology
To verify coherent reception across all channels, IQ samples were captured simultaneously from RX1A, RX2A, RX1B, and RX2B.
Validation Flow
- Configure LO frequency and sampling rate.
- Execute Multi-Chip Synchronization.
- Trigger AD9361 Phase Synchronization.
- Capture simultaneous IQ data from all four RX channels.
- Plot all the captures bin files using Octave tool and verify phase sync.
Figure: Plotting captured IQ files in GNU Octave Tool
RF Synchronization and Validation Results
The synchronized IQ captures demonstrated excellent phase coherence across all receive channels.The final synchronized IQ waveforms confirmed coherent reception across RX1A, RX2A, RX1B, and RX2B, demonstrating the suitability of the platform for phase sensitive RF applications.
Multi-Channel RF and SDR Applications
The validated platform provides a flexible foundation for next-generation RF, SDR, wireless communication, and signal processing applications. Its synchronized multi channel architecture helps developers evaluate phase coherent RF systems while reducing platform integration and validation effort.
The validated FMCOMMS5 + iG-G30D platform is well suited for:
- Software Defined Radio (SDR)
- 4×4 MIMO wireless communication
- Phased-array beamforming
- Direction finding systems
- Radar prototyping
- Spectrum monitoring and signal intelligence
Conclusion
The successful integration of Analog Devices FMCOMMS3 and FMCOMMS5 on iWave’s iG-G30D Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC Development Kit demonstrates a reliable foundation for multi channel RF and SDR development.
With validated hardware integration, Linux software support, multi chip synchronization, phase synchronization, and simultaneous four-channel IQ capture, the platform helps RF system designers accelerate prototyping, simplify validation, and reduce development effort.
The combination of FMCOMMS5 and Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC makes the platform well suited for developing next-generation SDR, 4×4 MIMO, phased array, radar, direction finding, and spectrum monitoring systems.
iWave is a global leader in the design and manufacturing of FPGA System on Modules and ODM Design Services. With over 25 years of diverse experience in the FPGA domain and a strong design to deployment competence, iWave strives to transform your ideas into time to market products with reliability, cost, and performance balance.
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