CommAgility announces three sector wireless base station AMC with integrated GPS

High performance, highly integrated module helps significantly reduce system cost

12th May 2009

CommAgility announced today the AMC-3C87F-GPS, a single width, full-size Advanced Mezzanine Card for 4G wireless PHY layer processing, which includes three Remote Radio Head (RRH) interfaces, an integrated GPS receiver and an OCXO option for timing holdover. By providing this extra functionality, the new module is optimised to significantly reduce system cost and complexity for next-generation wireless base stations.

Three industry-standard CPRI/OBSAI optical SFP interfaces support direct connections to Remote Radio Heads for full three sector operation without chaining connections. This high level of integration in a single module reduces system and Remote Radio Head complexity.

To provide the highest performance for WiMAX and LTE applications, the module includes three Texas Instruments TCI6487 multicore DSPs running at 1 or 1.2 GHz, as well as a Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA. The high performance DSPs mean that the card has the potential to also include the MAC layer on a single AMC module.

The integrated GPS receiver provides base station timing synchronisation. This means there is no need for an external GPS receiver, and thus saves on its cost, power and cabling requirements. Resilience is ensured by an OCXO option for timing holdover, which maintains synchronisation if the GPS signal is lost for short periods. Timing can also be sourced or driven via the AMC clocks or an optional front panel SMB connector.

Multiple 10 Gbps Serial RapidIO and Gigabit Ethernet backplane connections are included, to provide fast and reliable I/O interconnects for larger systems.

The module has been tested and proven with WiMAX PHY software from Tata Elxsi and remote radio heads from AxisNT, proving a complete base station PHY layer solution. This reduces system development costs and helps cut time to market for OEMs.

Edward Young, managing director at CommAgility, said, “This latest module provides a high level of integration for wireless base stations to reduce system cost and complexity – and with our software partners we can provide a complete solution that is fast to bring to market.”

The AMC-3C87F3-GPS is sampling to lead customers now.

About CommAgility
CommAgility is a leading manufacturer of signal processing AMC modules for wireless baseband applications, combining flexible CPRI/OBSAI antenna interfaces, the latest TI DSPs and Xilinx FPGAs, and high bandwidth on and off-card communications using Serial RapidIO and Ethernet. Customers around the world use CommAgility products to develop high performance applications in both wireless and non-wireless spaces, and recent designs include test equipment, trial systems and base stations for a wide range of wireless standards especially WiMAX and LTE.

Website: www.commagility.com
Contact:
Tel: +44 1509 228866

Press contact:
Nick Daines
Email:
Tel: +44 (0)115 8412109
Mobile: +44 (0)7958 534731

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