picoChip launches industry's first HSPA+ femtocell SoC

BATH, UK: picoChip has launched the picoXcell PC312 HSPA+ femtocell system-on-chip (SoC), the industry’s first such device to support eight users, with simultaneous voice and data services.

Offering 64QAM modulation and 3GPP Release 7 features for high-speed communication, the device is the newest addition to the picoXcell PC3xx family of single-chip femtocells launched in 2008. All are fully pin-compatible and offer customers a seamless migration path.

The picoXcell PC312 serves the rapidly emerging market for higher capacity femtocells for enterprise use. It is pin-compatible with the existing four-user picoXcell PC302 device. This feature, allied with low power consumption that eliminates the need for a heatsink, allows manufacturers to develop a range of residential and enterprise products that offer low cost, low power, small size and high performance.

The new device builds on picoChip’s robust and field-proven modems, including the existing PC8219 eight-user solution, launched earlier this year with the backing of two major players in the femtocell market.

“At ip.access we are dedicated to solving in-building access problems for mobile operators,” said Steve Mallinson, CEO of ip.access. “We are delighted to be working with picoChip, the industry’s leading supplier of femtocell silicon, on eight-user products that hit the sweet spot of enterprise needs.”

The picoXcell PC312 builds on picoChip’s five years of femtocell experience that includes forty field trials for the company’s products with more than 20 carriers. The company has already conducted extensive interoperability testing and developed a level of systems integration experience and knowledge unparalleled in the semiconductor industry. The new device integrates added features such as security and timing, and satisfies the new functionality requirements of 3GPP Release 8 for a Home NodeB. The PC312 supports the Femto Forum standard FRMI interface, and includes a glueless interface to many radios, including those from Maxim, ADI, Lime Microsystems and Bitwave, among others.

”picoChip has carrier class products, systems expertise and a five year investment in understanding the needs of the femtocell market,” said Nigel Toon, president and CEO of picoChip. “These unique assets form a firm foundation as we continue to develop picoXcell, the industry’s most comprehensive range of femtocell solutions, of which the PC312 is a key member.”

The picoXcell PC312 can support up to 21Mbit/s HSDPA together with 5.7Mbps HSUPA on a single chip. The device is a low power, low cost complete femtocell solution with integrated PHY, RNC stack, synchronization, network listen and Radio Resource Management solutions. Its flexible architecture also enables customers to easily add value, and upgrade designs as markets develop.

Functionally, the PC312 device consists of a 3GPP NodeB modem, ARM11 processor, cryptographic engine, high-speed accelerators, and peripherals to support HSPA+ FAP requirements. It integrates all of the baseband processing requirements from digital samples to and from RF, through to network interfacing, enabling a very low system bill of materials cost and component count.

Software support is provided for 3GPP Release 7 HSPA+ FDD, greatly reducing development effort and time. In addition, RNC stacks are available which have been optimized for the PC312 and are suitable for the support of a variety of network interface architectures including the 3GPP Release 8 HNB Iuh interface to femtocell gateways.