Enabling the trend toward 'flat architectures' for the cellular network, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) has announced the availability of a development platform for the recently ratified HSPA+ (High Speed Packet Access Plus) standard. Based on the wireless infrastructure-optimized, multicore TMS320TCI6488 digital signal processor, the platform offers updated WCDMA Receive Accelerator (RAC) software drivers and a reference platform. Now, base station manufacturers can design a single product spanning HSPA, HSPA+ and LTE (Long Term Evolution), greatly reducing development costs.
HSPA+ offers many benefits for wireless infrastructure base station manufacturers. Essentially, HSPA+, as defined by release 7 of the 3G mobile data protocol, introduces the concept of a flat architecture for cellular infrastructure. This new approach makes the base station into an IP router, connecting to the Internet with cost effective modern IP link layer technologies like Ethernet and eliminating expensive leased T1/E1 lines. With data speeds of up to 42 Mbit/s on the downlink and 11 Mbit/s on the uplink, HSPA+ is a significant step toward LTE.
Optimized Platform Extends Customers’ Existing Designs
With TI’s leadership in 3G base station technology, the majority of the world’s base station manufacturers have products designed and deployed based on the TMS320C64x+ core. By leveraging the C64x+ core-based TCI6488 device, base station manufacturers can utilize the same board footprint, dramatically reducing the time and cost needed for new board development.
Updated RAC software drivers also capitalize on the embedded platform currently in place with TI’s customers. By providing the new features necessary to support HSPA+, base station manufacturers can extend their existing software code and devote more time to optimizing the channel card for specific deployment criteria.
Texas Instruments
