2025/10/15 by Shreeharshini Dharanesh Murthy, Murthy, Shreeharshini Dharanesh, Victoria Moore +12 · 1 citation
Engineering · Computer Science · #Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit Design #VLSI and Analog Circuit Testing #Antenna Design and Optimization
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2510.13711
The rapid advancement of Radio Frequency System-onChip (RFSoC) technology from Xilinx (AMD) has enabled the integration of high-speed data converters and programmable logic within a single package. RFSoC platforms are already widely adopted in telecommunications, radar, and satellite communications, where they promise reductions in system footprint and power consumption. However, their suitability for Low-Level RF (LLRF) control systems in accelerator environments - where stability requirements are critical - has not been quantitatively evaluated. This paper presents a comparative measurement-based assessment of RFSoC-based and conventional LLRF designs, focusing on signal fidelity, phase noise, latency, system complexity, and integration challenges. The advantages and challenges of adopting RFSoC-based direct conversion architectures are discussed, providing guidance for future LLRF system implementations.