MULTI-STATE OR RECONFIGURABLE RADIO SOLUTIONS
- 1. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. Multimode, Multiband Programmable Radio Transceiver Using Low Cost Digital CMOS How to support more applications, wireless protocols & frequency bands with a single low-cost digital radio Multimode, Multiband Programmable Radio Transceiver Using Low Cost Digital CMOS How to support more applications, wireless protocols & frequency bands with a single low-cost digital radio David J. Donovan VP Business Development IWPC Workshop May 6th – 8th 2008
- 2. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. Agenda BitWave Semiconductor Backgrounder Radio & Antenna Density in HS Typical SDR Solution Approach New Programmable Radio Approach Extensibility
- 3. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. A Mid-Stage Fabless Semiconductor Company Founded in 2003, VC Financed in 2004 Small Multi-Disciplinary Team with more than 15 years average design experience. Completed multiple Silicon Runs Producing 100+ Circuits from Tunable LNAs to Complete Transmit and receive chains for the Bitwave Softransceiver platform. BW1101 Softransceiver Alpha RFIC w/Evaluation Boards Sampling Since May 2007 with API & Mode Files BW1102 Softransceiver Production Path RFIC Q408 Providing Programmable, Flexible Single Chip Transceiver Platforms That Work Over Any Frequency And Protocol For Wireless Infrastructure And Handheld Devices Providing Programmable, Flexible Single Chip Transceiver PlatforProviding Programmable, Flexible Single Chip Transceiver Platforms That Work Overms That Work Over Any Frequency And Protocol For Wireless Infrastructure And HandhAny Frequency And Protocol For Wireless Infrastructure And Handheld Deviceseld Devices
- 4. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. Wireless: Multi-Mode, Multi Band Future Adapted from: Driving Wireless Broadband Convergence Chris Bergey, Broadcom Jan 24, 2007 MIMO Proliferation of Services and Access TechnologiesProliferation of Services and Access TechnologiesProliferation of Services and Access Technologies
- 5. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. Terminal Designs for Multiple Bands and Protocols Sudhir Dixit Research Fellow Nokia Research Center Helsinki, Finland July 2006 “Diverging Applications driving need for as many as 8 radios and 11 antennas” How it’s done today A Better Way
- 6. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. SDR Architecture Performance Requirements for Wideband Apps Source: “SDR Compliant RF Frontend Concepts for Cellular Terminals”, Dr Linus Maurer, DICE, Linz, Austria
- 7. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. SDR Architecture ADC Requirements for Wideband Apps Traditional SDR architecture (high-end systems) – High-speed, wide-band converters sample and convert at the carrier frequency – All control and data path processing is performed in the digital domain 1 kHz 1 MHz 1 GHz 1 W 1 mW 1 W 1 kW Signal Bandwidth Resolution (bits) Downconversion & Filter Filter The leading edge Adapted from R. H. Walden, Performance Trends for Analog-to-Digital Converters, IEEE Communications Magazine, February 1999, pp. 96 -101. Power Consumption of ADC’s as a function of signal bandwidth and resolution
- 8. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. Frequency: Continuous 700 MHz to 3.8 GHz Modes: GSM, EDGE, UMTS, WCDMA, HSDPA HSUPA ,CDMA2K, 1XRTT, EVDO and A WiFi, WiMax, DVB-H, etc. A Disruptive CMOS Softransceiver Platform RECEIVER – Receiver Type – Center Frequency – Receiver Gain – Analog Domain Filtering – ADC Type – Sampling Rate – Digital Domain Filtering – AGC Type TRANSMITTER – Transmitter Type – Digital Domain Filtering – DAC Sampling Rate – Analog Domain Filtering – Center Frequency – Transmitter Gain SYSTEM – Baseband Interface – Finite State Sequencing and Timing – Tx Power Calibration Algorithm – DCO & I/Q Balance Algorithm – RF Front End Control
- 9. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. A Platform for use in Multiple designs Lowers product development costs, supply chain costs, decreases time-to- market, improves time to revenue Lower BoM costs for Handset and Femtocell Multiple products, multiple markets with a single RFIC Platform Single integrated transceiver RFIC Reduces the cost of developing Handset Variants. Savings : $1-2M per variant. Superior Performance with Flexibility Power, performance and cost all equal to or better than single function ASICs Tunable performance - optimization Reconfigurable in real time Digital CMOS implementation Software control and digital interfaces Programmable for different frequencies and wireless standards Faster time-to-market, de-risks product development, better reliability Benefits to this Approach
- 10. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. Solving Industry Problems Accelerating Time to Market for the OEM •RFIC Transceiver Design Today•RFIC Transceiver Design Today CMOS Softransceiver Chip + Mode Files = Greatly Improved Time to Revenue •Custom ASIC Design @ ~2 years •60 person-years @ $15-20M •System Spec Analysis •–•2 months •Functional Block Design •–•1 year •Layout and Verification •–•3 months •Tape out•–•2 months •Debug / Characterization •–•5 months •Softransceiver Configuration @ < 6 months •System Spec Analysis •–•2 months •Software Coding •–•2.5 months •Test and Characterization •–•1.5 months •Transceiver Design Using BitWave•Transceiver Design Using BitWave •2.5 person-years @ $0.5M
- 11. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. Solving Industry Problems Handset BoM Reduction Nokia E60 Transceiver Silicon Die Area = 49.5 mm2 in 3 BGA Packages using > 59 passive components @ $0.25 / mm2, and $0.01 / passive ASP = $12.96 On this platform, a CMOS programmable radio might use 1/3 of the transceiver ASICs, 40% of the board area, 80% of the passives and 30%of the cost Nokia E60Nokia E60 Tri Band, GSM/GPRS/EDGETri Band, GSM/GPRS/EDGE Single Band UMTSSingle Band UMTS WiFiWiFi Source: Portelligent
- 12. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. Looking to 4G Subscriber has higher expectations on features, cost & performance More radios, more antennas, higher data rates, new frequency bands Semiconductor vendors need fundamental changes in integration strategies Platform cost containment
- 13. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. Bitwave - Platform RoadmapFUNCTIONALITY 2008 2009 2010 BW1102F – Q408 Handset & Femtocell 1Rx, 1Tx BW1102H – Q408 Reduced BOM and Power 1Rx, 1Tx Chatham – 2H09 Femto & Handset 3Rx, 2Tx Chatham- Q2/2010 Handset and Femto 3Rx, 2Tx + Fixed Functions Wellfleet – Q1/2010 LOW COST Femto & Handset 1Rx, 1Tx
- 14. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. Summary Crowded handset platform with multi-band multi-mode and peripheral radios is an opportunity challenge Traditional SDR approaches for consumer applications hare costly tradeoffs Bulk CMOS implementations yields cost, scale and integration possibilities not found with RF CMOS Programmable radio and baseband technology plus smarter RFFE’s will help reel in operator CapEx and OpEx and improve TTM and overall user experience
- 15. ©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc. Wish List New technologies that integrate the RFFE and make it more programmable, ie reduce TCO Hope that operators see the value in this approach such that they will help pull it through the value chain for handsets much like they did for femtocells I’m hiring!