5G • 5G-Advanced (Rel-18)
1-Rx Antenna Architecture
Single Receiver Antenna Mandatory Profile for eRedCap
Mandates a single receive antenna path, cutting RF switches, LNAs, and filters in half to achieve minimum device form factor and cost.
Technical Explanation
Standard 5G smartphones require 4 receive antennas, and Rel-17 RedCap required 1 or 2 antennas. Rel-18 eRedCap establishes 1-Rx (single receive antenna) as the primary mandatory configuration across sub-6 GHz FDD and TDD bands. This eliminates secondary RF front-end chips, matching the ultra-compact hardware constraints of smart watches and asset tags.
Key Functions
- Mandates a single physical receive antenna (1-Rx) across sub-6 GHz operating bands
- Eliminates secondary RF switches, Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs), and SAW/BAW filters
- Reduces device board footprint by over 50% for miniature wearable form-factors
- Compensates for antenna diversity loss through robust gNodeB beamforming and coding
Specifications
3GPP TS 38.101-1, TS 38.306 (Rel-18)
Interfaces
Device Hardware / Uu
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