3G home base station radio for femtocell market

3 October 2007 Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT

Figures from ABI Research predict that there will be 102 million home base station, or femtocell, users worldwide by 2011. The femtocell handles cellular calls locally and traffic is then carried to the operator's core network via broadband connections. This not only reduces the need for multiple handsets (or expensive 'dual-mode' cellular and WiFi terminals), it also allows network coverage and capacity to be increased in a cost-effective manner, exactly where they are most needed by the end user.

Cambridge Consultants has designed a cellular base station radio based on a consumer-grade handset component, to support picoChip's reference design for the 3G femtocell market. The radio extends picoChip's reference design for a 3G home base station, providing developers with a low cost implementation. Femtocell products allow cellular operators to counter the competitive technologies of UMA (universal mobile access) and VoWiFi (voice-over-WiFi), with the added advantage of allowing customers to use their existing standard cellular handsets.

The HSDPA/HSUPA-compatible WCDMA design breaks new ground by adapting an IC created for low-cost/high-volume handset applications to implement the high-specification base station radio, combined with an architectural split that exploits the very high computational performance available in the picoArray DSP device to perform the baseband and system control functions.

The resulting 3G home base station design requires just these two major ICs - a bill of materials that meets the aggressive cost targets needed for this mass application. Alternative implementations can require more expensive carrier-class radio components, combined with processing cores based on both DSP and FPGA technologies. The 3G base station design supports HSDPA and HSUPA (high speed downlink packet access and uplink packet access) data rates of 7 Mbps and 2 Mbps respectively.

The design is based on a commercial handset radio IC, and the PC202 picoArray - picoChip's device targeted at high volume applications. This latter multicore DSP incorporates an array of processors, combined with an ARM 926EJ-S processor and other resources needed to implement a baseband processor, including a cryptographic engine and turbo coding logic.

For more information visit www.cambridgeconsultants.com

Further reading:

SMT-mountable card connectors
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Würth Elektronik introduces four new SMT-mountable Nano SIM and microSD card connectors and expands its range with solutions for the smallest packages.

Read more...

---

Module for smart city and smart utility devices
iCorp Technologies Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Quectel Wireless Solutions has launched the Quectel KCM0A5S, a high-performance Wi-SUN module designed for smart applications such as street lighting, precision agriculture, industrial IoT, smart meters and smart cities.

Read more...

---

Ultra-low-power wireless module
Altron Arrow Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The STM32WBA5MMG from STMicroelectronics is an ultra-low-power, small form factor, certified 2,4 GHz wireless module that supports Bluetooth LE, Zigbee 3.0, OpenThread, and IEEE 802.15.4 proprietary protocols.

Read more...

---

Quectel partners with GEODNET
Quectel Wireless Solutions Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Quectel Wireless Solutions has partnered with GEODNET to deliver Quectel’s Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) correction services, enabling high-precision positioning for IoT applications.

Read more...

---

Bringing Bluetooth Channel Sounding to automotive and beyond with KW47
Altron Arrow Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
NXP’s new Channel Sounding-certified KW47 and MCX W72 wireless MCUs are set to help automakers with distance measurement, bringing an additional ranging solution for car access and autonomous systems, and will be utilised across a broader spectrum of applications.

Read more...

---

Dual-band GNSS antenna
RF Design Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The Taoglas Accura GVLB258.A, is a passive, dual-band GNSS L1/L5, high-performance antenna for high precision GNSS accuracy and fast positioning.

Read more...

---

What is Wi-Fi HaLow and why choose it for IoT?
iCorp Technologies Editor's Choice Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Wi-Fi HaLow introduces a low power connectivity option that, in contrast to other Wi-Fi options, offers greater range of approximately 1 km, which opens up a raft of IoT use cases.

Read more...

---

Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE coprocessor module
Altron Arrow Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The ST67W611M1 from STMicroelectronics boasts an all-in-one design which, together with its capabilities, contribute to making it an attractive choice for IoT edge devices requiring a single-chip solution.

Read more...

---

Futureproofing IoT connectivity
SIMcontrol Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
A managed private APN assigns every device to an isolated carrier slice, producing a single ingress to the enterprise network, with traffic bypassing shared internet paths and reducing exposure.

Read more...

---

Extra slim 2,4 GHz radio module
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The Thyone I radio module from Würth Elektronik now has a little sibling: Thyone-e, which takes up 30% less space and represents a cost-effective alternative for applications in which the long-range mode is not required.

Read more...

---