picoChip to provide femtocell designs to Semtech

picoChip, supplier of silicon for femtocells, announced that it will be working with Semtech to provide its femtocell reference designs with Semtech's advanced packet timing solution. The addition of ToPSync to picoChip's portfolio will enable support for those OEMs and carriers that have selected the IEEE1588 protocol. The two companies will work together to solve the problems faced by operators implementing femtocell architectures to cut the cost and complexity of rolling out such networks.

Semtech and picoChip will also jointly undertake field trials and performance evaluations to increase the functionality of picoChip's complete, standards-compliant wireless reference designs. These include UMTS, cdma2000/EVDO and WiMAX/WiBro products. The companies will also engage in development activity connected with other advanced wireless protocols in which picoChip technology is being used.

Rupert Baines, vice president for marketing at picoChip,said, "picoChip and Semtech both provide technology that meets a need for communications systems. For cdma2000/EVDO and WiMAX the timing requirements are even more stringent that WCDMA and the Semtech solution are important. picoChip strives to provide flexible options for its customers and whilst our reference designs support all synchronization models."

Patrick Diamond, director for systems engineering at Semtech, stated, "picoChip is the industry standard architecture for WiMAX infrastructure. We're delighted to be working to integrate ToPSync technology into those platforms. The key has been picoChip's ability to offer a complete solution, particularly in high-volume cost-sensitive markets where bill of materials costs are critical. Adding advanced synchronization capabilities are a major contribution to maintaining that integrated approach."

3G networks traditionally rely on one of four techniques to achieve the tight timing they require (100ppb accuracy). Some use a precision crystal in each network node, but this approach is too costly for femtocells, which are inherently low-cost. GPS is a possibility, but is unreliable within buildings; precisely the environments for which femtocells are intended. Thirdly, the femtocell could use an external cellular network to supply timing, which is attractive assuming there is cellular coverage which there often will not be. Finally, traditional basestations use E1 backhaul connections to provide so-called Stratum clocks; this approach is unsuited to use in femtocells connected over residential broadband.

ToPSync technology can solve these problems by delivering a Stratum-quality clock via an ADSL/Ethernet connection, through a packet network. The advantage of the ToPSync synchronization solution for femtocells is that it only relies on the backhaul connection which must exist to implement the service. ToPSync implements synchronization over a Packet Network using IEEE1588, layering Precision Time Protocol (PTP) on top of native Ethernet for transport.

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