Power Supply Circuit for 16x16 array with 64 ADAR1000 beamformers

Question

Hello Team, 
 I'm trying to make an array with 16x16 elements using 64 ADAR1000 beamformers (4 TX antennas per chip). Since each ADAR1000 IC draws around 350 mA supply current when four TX channels are activated, we would need a total supply current of around 22,4 A (350mA x 64) for 64 chips when all TX channels of the array are activated. Therefore, I would like to have your suggestion on the Power Supply Circuit of such array, please (e.g. which voltage regulator IC, which AC/DC adapter and which DC connector to be used,...). 
 Also, I looked at the schematic of the ADI CN0566 Phased Array Development Platform, which has power management circuits for an array of multiple ADAR1000 chips, and I wonder if there is a similar suggesstion for my array of 64 ADAR1000 chips. In fact, I just would like to supply +3.3V and -5V steadily to each chip without the risk of overloading and burning my circuit. 
 Thank you in advance for your time. 
 Huan NGUYEN

enash · Accepted Answer

Hi Huan, sorry about the delay in responding. I'm attaching an excerpt from an upcoming article that will speak to powering the ADAR1000 and ADTR1107 chips in a 32 element array (32 elements, 8 ADAR1000 and 32 ADTR1107). You may be able to scale this for your applicaiton. 
 Eamon 
 The 3.3 and 5 V supplies powering the ADAR1000 and ADTR1107 are generated by the LT8642 and the LT8652, a pair of synchronous step-down Silent Switcher&reg; regulators. These regulators ensure low noise and low spurious tones on critical RF supplies. The LT8642 provides 3.3 V for the ADAR1000&rsquo;s main supply and the VDD for the switch and LNA of the ADTR1107, while the LT8652 provides the 5 V VDD for the ADTR1107 PA. To generate the negative supply voltages needed by the ADAR1000 and ADTR1107, an intermediate -6 V negative supply is generated from the 12 V rail, using the ADP5074 DC-to-DC inverting regulator. The ADP5074 drives the LT3093 and LT3094 negative linear regulators in parallel. This generates the -3.3 V for the ADTR1107 switch VSS and the -5 V for the ADAR1000.)

jdobler · Answer

Another possible (untested) option is dividing up the array power into four 3.3V power domains, and two -5V power domains using the following switchers: 
 
 The 3.3V domain will have 4x LTM4702 (8A) with a post LC filter. 
 The -5V domain will have 2x LTM4651 (-2A) with post filters.

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Power Supply Circuit for 16x16 array with 64 ADAR1000 beamformers