Ubiquiti airFiber X AF-5X Datasheet
Product: 5 GHz Carrier Backhaul Radio
Model: AF-5X
Key Features: Up to 500+ Mbps Real Throughput, Up to 200+ km Range, Full-Band Certification including DFS, Ubiquiti's INVICTUS™ Custom Silicon
Overview
Ubiquiti Networks offers the airFiber® X, a modular airFiber radio system designed to disrupt the wireless broadband market with revolutionary technology and breakthrough pricing. It serves a wide range of frequencies and is compatible with various Ubiquiti® antennas.
Building on the proven design of the airMAX® Rocket™ system, airFiber X allows customization of airFiber backhaul links or upgrades to existing Rocket Point-to-Point (PtP) links. The AF-5X model operates in the 5 GHz frequency band.
Image of the Ubiquiti airFiber X AF-5X unit, showing its white casing, antenna connectors, and status LEDs labeled LINK, GPS, MGMT, and DATA.
Engineered for Performance
Ubiquiti's INVICTUS™ custom silicon and proprietary radio architecture are specifically designed for long-distance, outdoor wireless applications. The INVICTUS core communications processing engine surpasses limitations of generic Wi-Fi chips, delivering superior performance, extended range, DFS flexibility, and enhanced power output.
The AF-5X features industry-leading 10.6 bps/Hz spectral efficiency, line-rate data packet processing for up to 500+ Mbps of real data throughput, and innovative xtreme Range Technology (xRT™) for ranges up to 200+ km.
5 GHz Backhaul
Full-Band Certification with DFS
The AF-5X covers the entire, license-free, 5 GHz spectrum and includes DFS approval, enabling deployment and operation in the 5 GHz range virtually anywhere globally (subject to local country regulations).
Optimal Operation in Unlicensed Bands
Channel width flexibility (10/20/30/40/50 MHz) allows independent TX and RX channel frequency configurations within the radio band to avoid local interference. Channel centers are selectable in 1 MHz increments. Users can also program different uplink and downlink duty cycles to support asymmetric traffic requirements.
Diagram illustrating the 5 GHz frequency spectrum divided into U-NII bands (U-NII-1, U-NII-2A, U-NII-2C, U-NII-3) with associated regulatory bodies (FCC, ETSI) and frequency ranges.
Ultra-Low Latency with HDD Technology
The AF-5X is engineered with proprietary Hybrid Division Duplexing (HDD) technology to provide the highest TDD throughput. In a backhaul link, two AF-5X radios use patent-pending HDD technology to calculate propagation delay and synchronize transmission and reception, virtually eliminating packet transmission latency.
Image of an airFiber X antenna.
Co-Location
Co-location is crucial in scenarios with limited tower space. Precise GPS frame synchronization frees the AF-5X from interference, enhancing co-location capability. GPS enables concurrent TX and RX frames, allowing co-location of AF-5X radios to improve backhaul link performance.
Clean Power Output
Utilizing digital pre-distortion compensation and multi-IFFT processing, the RF design delivers ultra-clean power output. This improves noise immunity and co-location performance, reduces RF noise impact, and supports higher-order modulation like 256QAM.
Image depicting multiple wireless antennas mounted on a tower, illustrating co-location scenarios.
Constellation plot showing signal quality for 256QAM modulation.
Deployment Flexibility
The AF-5X supports ±45° slant polarization for improved noise immunity and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). It is compatible with multiple Ubiquiti antennas offering gains from 23 to 34 dBi. Its compact form factor allows easy integration into Ubiquiti antenna mounts without special tools.
The airFiber X antennas are purpose-built with 45° slant polarity for seamless integration with the AF-5X. Pair the AF-5X with one of the following airFiber X antennas:
| Model | Frequency | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| AF-5G23-S45 | 5 GHz | 23 dBi |
| AF-5G30-S45 | 5 GHz | 30 dBi |
| AF-5G34-S45 | 5 GHz | 34 dBi |
The AF-5G23-S45 offers 23 dBi of gain in a 378-mm diameter size.
The AF-5G30-S45 offers 30 dBi of gain in a 650-mm diameter size.
The AF-5G34-S45 offers 34 dBi of gain in a 1050-mm diameter size.
Images of the airFiber X antennas: AF-5G23-S45 (378-mm diameter), AF-5G30-S45 (650-mm diameter), and AF-5G34-S45 (1050-mm diameter).
RocketDish™ Compatibility
The AF-5X can also be paired with RocketDish™ antennas using a conversion kit to achieve 45° slant polarity.
| Model | Frequency | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| RD-5G30 | 5 GHz | 30 dBi |
| RD-5G34 | 5 GHz | 34 dBi |
The RD-5G30 offers 30 dBi of gain in a 650-mm diameter size.
The RD-5G34 offers 34 dBi of gain in a 1050-mm diameter size.
Conversion Kit
The 5 GHz RocketDish to airFiber Antenna Conversion Kit (Model: AF-5G-OMT-S45) converts the RocketDish RD-5G30 or RD-5G34 antenna for use with the AF-5X.
Images of the RocketDish RD-5G30 and RD-5G34 antennas, and the AF-5G-OMT-S45 conversion kit.
Specifications
airFiber AF-5X
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 224 x 82 x 48 mm (8.82 x 3.23 x 1.89") |
| Weight | 0.35 kg (0.77 lb) |
| RF Connectors | (2) RP-SMA Weatherproof (CH0, CH1), (1) SMA Weatherproof (GPS) |
| GPS Antenna | External, Magnetic Base |
| Power Supply | 24V, 1A PoE Gigabit Adapter (Included) |
| Power Method | Passive Power over Ethernet (Pins 1, 2, 4, 5 (+) and Pins 7, 8, 3, 6 (-)) |
| Max. Power Consumption | 12W |
| Supported Voltage Range | 19-29VDC |
| Mounting | airFiber X Mount (Rocket Mount Compatible), GPS Pole Mount (Included) |
| Certifications | CE, FCC, IC |
| Operating Temperature | -40 to 55° C (-40 to 131° F) |
Networking Interface
| Port | Speed |
|---|---|
| Data Port | (1) 10/100/1000 Ethernet Port |
| Management Port | (1) 10/100 Ethernet Port |
System
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Processor | INVICTUS IC |
| Maximum Throughput | 500+ Mbps¹ |
| Maximum Range | 200+ km¹ |
| Encryption | 128-bit AES |
| OS | airOS F |
| Wireless Modes | Master/Slave |
Radio
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Frequency Range | FCC 15.407: 5150-5350 MHz, 5470-5850 MHz IC RSS-210: 5470-5600 MHz, 5650-5850 MHz ETSI EN 301 893, EN 302 502: 5470-5875 MHz Other Regions: 5150-5950 MHz² |
| Max. Conducted TX Power | 26 dBm² (Dependent on Regulatory Region) |
| Frequency Accuracy | ± 2.5 ppm without GPS Synchronization ± 0.2 ppm with GPS Synchronization |
| Channel Bandwidth | 10/20/30/40/50 MHz Selectable, Programmable Uplink and Downlink Duty Cycles |
¹ Throughput and range values may vary depending on environmental conditions.
² For region-specific details, refer to the Compliance chapter of the airFiber5X User Guide at downloads.ubnt.com/airfiber.
Suggested Max. TX Power
| Spatial Streams | Suggested Max. TX Power |
|---|---|
| 8x | 19 - 20 dBm |
| 6x | 21 - 22 dBm |
| 4x | 23 - 24 dBm |
| 1/2x | 26 dBm |
| 1/4x | 26 dBm |
Receive Sensitivity
| Spatial Streams | Modulation | Sensitivity (MHz) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 MHz | 20 MHz | 30 MHz | 40 MHz | 50 MHz | ||
| 8x | 256QAM | -66 dBm | -64 dBm | -62 dBm | -61 dBm | -60 dBm |
| 6x | 64QAM | -74 dBm | -71 dBm | -69 dBm | -68 dBm | -67 dBm |
| 4x | 16QAM MIMO | -81 dBm | -78 dBm | -76 dBm | -75 dBm | -74 dBm |
| 2x | QPSK MIMO | -88 dBm | -85 dBm | -83 dBm | -82 dBm | -81 dBm |
| 1x | ½ Rate QPSK xRT | -90 dBm | -87 dBm | -85 dBm | -84 dBm | -83 dBm |
