Wintegra Inc. has released WinMax, a single-chip processor for mobile WiMAX basestations. The processor and accompanying software for flexible Media Access Control (MAC) and transport layers can be used for both access card applications and network interface.
With data path and control path implementation, the MAC and other components are implemented as a set of building blocks, which the designer can customize for advanced features such as adaptive antenna system, MIMO and subchannel diversity requirements. This flexibility extends to future enhancements and standards such as wav-2, 16j relay stations, 16h for unlicensed frequency bands and the 16m next generation mobile network standard. In addition, the MAC can work with multiple PHY silicon providers, such as picoChip and Texas Instruments.
The WinMax processor is based on the company's recently introduced WinPath2 range, which uses the same data path software and WinPath device driver interface API software architecture. According to Colin Alexander, director of wireless marketing at Wintegra, basestation designers will be able to realize any feature within the WinMax system without the need for a new SoC revision.
WinPath2 integrates a 24K series MIPS processor with an eight-stage pipeline and 64bit read and write data buses. The WinComm2 engine includes dedicated hardware blocks for hierarchical shaping of traffic (for cell and frame data types), encryption acceleration and deep-packet classification. The shaper block offers two shaping levels and up to five levels when asynchronous transfer mode software is used.
The network interface is implemented in a block called WinNet, software-configured as either 2Gbit Ethernet interfaces or 12 Fast Ethernet interfaces. WinMax also features a flexible datapath engine architecture based on Symmetric Multi Thread Processor technology. Up to four MAC instances can be used on a single part and the solution is said to allow flexibility and future proofing of macro, micro and pico-basestation designs.
"We have customer designs where WinMax has removed between 5 and 7 other devices from the customers' alternative designs. We intend to support the WinMAX system with a series of reference platforms that will reduce development time and thus improve time-to-market," Alexander said.
- John Walko
沒有留言:
張貼留言