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Simulation
testbench gives green light
for advanced WiMax system development
 •
subscriber transmission model
supports launch of reference
code for 802.16d/e PHY based
on 100% software programmable
receiver architecture
•
parallel processing, MIMO, and
a software-defined radio architecture,
deliver radical performance
for emerging broadband wireless
access market
Cambridge Consultants has developed
a WiMAX simulation testbench
to support the launch of Aspex
Semiconductor's innovative reference
code for implementing multi-antenna
basestations. The software simulates
subscriber transmissions, providing
an independent testing facility
that can be used by developers
alongside Aspex's radical 802.16d/e
PHY baseband architecture in
a familiar, PC-based software
development environment.
Based
on the Linedancer family of
processors, Aspex's WiMAX PHY
reference code delivers a software-defined
radio architecture and support
for multi-antenna techniques
such as MIMO and beam-forming.
This provides wireless OEMs
with enormous performance and
design flexibility.
Cambridge
Consultants deployed a large
team of engineers on the project,
producing the simulator in just
six weeks to support Aspex's
WiMAX introduction. Written
in MatLab, the model simulates
WiMAX subscriber transmissions
and channel noise, giving system
developers the means to begin
developing transceiver equipment,
and to test and verify multi-antenna
802.16e design concepts in the
lab.
"The
simulator completes the development
environment for this WiMAX baseband
offering," says Tim Fowler
of Cambridge Consultants. "OEMs
can now start system development
in confidence, using a platform
that is inherently software
upgradeable, and scaleable to
accommodate any size of application."
"WiMAX
represents an enormous business
opportunity for communications
OEMs, but as with all standards-based
markets a fast time-to-launch
is going to be vital in securing
a critical share of the market,"
says Jacqui Adams, Product Manager
with Aspex Semiconductor. "With
the help of Cambridge Consultants,
we have been able to prove the
capabilities of the silicon
and release a comprehensive
solution early in the standard's
lifecycle. This allows developers
to start product development
now, confident that their platform
can evolve to support future
changes in the 802.16 standards."
Aspex's
fully software programmable
Linedancer processor with its
4096 parallel processing elements
is a key feature of the PHY
reference code. The flexible
front-end radio architecture
allows vendors to deploy dynamically
adaptable equipment that can
modify its footprint as the
subscriber base evolves. This
creates a platform that may
be software-upgraded with ease
to support the evolving WiMAX
family of standards, as well
as the OEM's own ideas and IP
for improved receiver architectures
in areas such as antenna diversity.
The
WiMAX subscriber model simulates
an OFDM (orthogonal frequency
division multiplexing) transmitter.
By creating simple scripts defining
standard MAC messages, developers
can simulate subscriber transmissions
to exercise the basestation
receiver.
Aspex
recently launched its WiMAX
Development Kit consisting of
the Accelera PCI-X plug-in card,
which implements the WiMAX basestation
PHY in real-time, and the Cambridge
Consultants Matlab testbench.
Cambridge
Consultants won the design project
from Aspex because of its extensive
track record in wireless design.
The consultancy has experience
at all levels of radio technology
from developing ICs and silicon
IP including digital signal
processors, through the design
of mainstream wireless products
such as mobile phone handsets,
to high-end professional radio
applications such as the software-defined
radio used by the world's air
traffic control network. Its
expertise embraces many of the
major wireless standards in
use today including GSM, DECT,
Bluetooth and ZigBee.
To download a high resolution
image click below:
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