Faststream Radio covers 5G and O-RAN radio subsystems, RF and baseband, software-defined radio, and satellite and non-terrestrial links. The published work sits in the digital front end — digital pre-distortion and crest factor reduction blocks that let a power amplifier be driven hard without wrecking adjacent-channel leakage or error vector magnitude.
These are the most specific engineering figures Faststream publishes. They describe the digital front end system and its constituent blocks.
| Block | Approach | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Crest factor reduction (CFR) | Weighted windowing algorithm | Manages peak-to-average power ratio within a 6–9 dB range |
| Digital pre-distortion (DPD) | Adaptive algorithms modelling non-linear behaviour across multiple power amplifiers | Improved adjacent channel leakage ratio |
| Integrated DFE system | CFR and DPD combined in one subsystem | System error vector magnitude in the 3.9–4.1 per cent range |
Figures describe demonstrated system behaviour under the stated configuration. Applicability to a specific power amplifier, waveform and bandwidth is established during engagement.
In a base station the power amplifier dominates energy consumption, and its efficiency rises steeply as it is driven closer to saturation. The problem is that a 5G NR waveform has a high peak-to-average ratio, so driving hard means clipping peaks, and clipping peaks means spectral regrowth into the adjacent channel and a rising error vector magnitude.
Crest factor reduction shapes the waveform so the peaks are less extreme before they reach the amplifier. Digital pre-distortion applies the inverse of the amplifier's own non-linearity so that what comes out is closer to what was intended. Together they buy back the headroom that efficiency costs.
The same argument applies well outside a base station. Satellite ground terminals and broadcast transmitters have the same physics and the same trade.
Digital pre-distortion is a technique that applies the inverse of a power amplifier's non-linear transfer characteristic to the signal before amplification, so the amplified output is closer to the intended waveform. It allows the amplifier to be driven closer to saturation — where it is more efficient — without unacceptable adjacent channel leakage or error vector magnitude.
Crest factor reduction lowers the peak-to-average power ratio of a waveform before it reaches the power amplifier, so that peaks do not force the amplifier into hard clipping. Faststream's CFR IP uses a weighted windowing algorithm and manages peak-to-average power ratio within a 6 to 9 dB range.
Yes. DPD and CFR apply anywhere a power amplifier is driven near saturation, including satellite ground terminals, broadcast transmitters and high-power industrial radio links.
Yes. NTN is treated as a coverage-continuity layer rather than a separate product line — cellular is the normal path and satellite carries the link where terrestrial coverage is unavailable.
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