WiMAX OEMs develop quicker with TI's Wave 2 software and development tools

“Given the growing number of wireless standards and subsequent air interface requirements, it is now increasingly important for equipment manufacturers to incorporate flexibility into their network platforms, especially with WiMAX deployments becoming a reality around the world, said Philip Solis, a mobile broadband principal analyst with ABI Research. It is critical that WiMAX chipset vendors have solutions supporting the Wave 2 feature set as soon as possible.

TI’s new WiMAX Wave 2 software library allows OEMs to customize their system architecture based on the service providers’ needs. The library provides a robust set of building blocks for developing a Wave 2 system which can be used to enhance a base station’s range, throughput or both. The Wave 2 library focuses on multi-antenna systems with MIMO and beam-forming algorithms. Whether the solution will be deployed in a dense urban setting or a rural emerging market, OEMs can leverage the same development platform for their entire WiMAX portfolio, reducing development and production time.

Coupled with the Wave 2 software package is a development tool platform. The platform contains an EVM with a quick connect to the MAC layer for complete system testing. This Rapid IO-enabled, AMC form-factor EVM enables complete system integration when used in conjunction with other AMC cards and RapidIO enabled devices.

The EVM features TI’s high performance, multicore TCI6487 DSP. Manufactured in 65nm, this 3GHz single-chip baseband processor can easily support a complete 10-MHz, 2-antenna, 3-sector solution, improving overall cost and power per channel. The 3Mb of on-chip memory keeps the cores supplied with data during operation. High-speed peripherals, including Gigabit Ethernet and two lanes of RapidIO (SRIO), keep data moving throughout the system. The fully programmable DSP cores allow software modifications for future algorithm enhancements and customization.

“We continue to see noticeable growth in WiMAX deployments worldwide,” said Dr. Arnon Friedmann, TI’s communications infrastructure software product manager. “Since the majority of wireless OEMs are already designing on our platforms, providing Wave 2 software coupled with a system-ready development tools should spur development and ease our customers’ trials and deployments.”

In addition to an optimized DSP and software solution, TI also delivers the industry’s most robust portfolio of analog solutions for WiMAX applications including radio frequency transceivers, data converters, amplifiers, clocks, and power management devices.