picoChip delivers complete range of next generation femtocell solutions

The new PC313 and PC323 chips extend picoChip’s proven, robust, operator-deployed picoXcell family of devices. They are complete single-chip HSPA+ femtocell SoCs for eight or 24 users respectively, and are scalable to accommodate even more users. The PC2200 FAP software provides all of the core components of a 3GPP standards-defined Home NodeB, enabling manufacturers to more easily develop femtocells.



“As of today, picoXcell offers the most complete and fully proven solutions in the femtocell market,” said Nigel Toon, CEO of picoChip. “Just as importantly, we also have the most complete range of products. Operators already value the ability to deliver perfect ‘five bar’ coverage to domestic users: but the next generation of femtocells will do more than that, changing operator revenue models, enabling new services, and fundamentally revolutionizing the way carriers build networks.”



The new picoXcell SoCs deliver a number of industry firsts, including 3GPP Release 8 features such as 42Mbps downlink and 11Mbps uplink data rates. They are pin-compatible with the industry-standard PC302 and PC312 devices, but extend picoChip’s technology leadership by incorporating the most advanced technologies specified in Release 8. These include multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) to enable the highest data rates, and receive diversity, a technology that is essential to achieve the higher real-world user counts required for enterprise and ‘greater femto’ applications.



The PC2200 FAP software stack delivers all of the software modules required to realize a complete 3GPP Home NodeB. Delivered in close collaboration with picoChip’s partner Continuous Computing, it consists of six components: the PC2209 RNC stack; the PC2252 Network Synchronization module; the PC2256 Security module; the PC2257 Operations and Maintenance module; the PC2258 Self-Organizing Network module; and the PC2259 Radio Resource Manager module. picoChip is working closely with a number of lead customers in deployments of this software solution.



Aditya Kaul, Practice Director of Mobile Networks at ABI Research, commented, “picoChip is the market leader in UMTS and HSPA femtocell silicon with multiple OEM/ODM wins and commercial femtocells in the field using their chipset. As other chip companies enter this space, PC313 and PC323 are Release 8-specified, providing a significant improvement in capabilities and performance compared to existing solutions, giving OEM/ODMs the flexibility and ease to target multiple femtocell markets from residential to enterprise to metro. Moreover, the PC2200 software stack is evidence that the market is maturing where customers are now looking for more integrated and complete solutions, thus speeding up time to market.”



picoChip defined the femtocell silicon market with its picoXcell PC202, first demonstrated at MWC 2006, and followed it with the industry-leading PC302 & 312. With commercial operators launching globally, picoChip is the only femtocell chip company shipping to multiple carrier deployments in high volume.



The PC323 is picoChip's picoXcell SoC for 'greater femto' applications. It has been designed to accommodate up to 24 simultaneous users for enterprise, campus, rural and metro femtocell usage scenarios with a cell radius of up to 2km. Two cascaded devices can be used to power systems with 48 users. The PC313 is picoChip's enhanced eight-user SoC solution designed for high-end residential and SME applications.



Both devices are optimized for low power and highly integrated to deliver the industry’s lowest bill of materials (BOM). Such features enable mass volume consumer femtocell applications plus integration into ‘Digital Living Room’ residential gateway products. The innovative MIMO technology incorporated in these picoChip products moves femtocells to the next level in performance and cell density.



Pin and code-compatibility with existing picoXcell products allows immediate upgrade from existing PC302 or PC312 hardware platforms. This new femtocell pin-out standard enables manufacturers to develop a complete family of products that extend from the most cost effective four-user residential product through eight- and 16-user femtocells, up to fully featured 48-user enterprise, metro-femto or greater-femto products.



Both the PC323 and PC313 incorporate a high performance 600MHz ARM11 subsystem optimized for low power computing, providing the processing for the RNC stack and other higher level functions. Both can support secure 3GPP luh or SIP/IMS. picoChip has already demonstrated interoperable Iuh to third-party gateway products. The devices also include hardware support for critical security features for authentication, location, detection, encryption and code protection.