Data compression IP reduces 3G/4G system costs

Integrated Device Technology Inc. announced data compression intellectual property (IP) that it claims offers the industry’s highest performance in 3G and 4G wireless infrastructure applications. IDT’s patent-protected baseband data compression IP reduces system cost by enabling the use of low cost fiber optic cabling to connect the remote radio unit (RRU) to the baseband unit (BBU).

In an industry where performance and cost demands pull in opposite directions, wireless communication equipment manufacturers are looking for solutions to pass increasing amounts of data over inexpensive, low-speed fiber optic cable links (up to 2.5 Gbps). IDT’s data compression IP solves this problem by offering compression ratios from 2:1 to 4:1, enabling customers to utilize low-cost cabling by reliably compressing data while keeping overall signal quality within required wireless parameters. IDT’s compression IP is the only IP in the industry achieving 3:1 compression at the error vector magnitude (EVM) percentage required in 4G systems at full Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) line rates, according to IDT. The data compression IP is available as an FPGA or ASIC instantiation suitable to support GSM, WCDMA, and LTE systems.

IDT’s compression IP operates with sub-microsecond latency for the entire compression and decompression chain, having negligible impact on overall system performance. Furthermore, while the compression IP is typically used to compress data on the link between the RRU and BBU in radio access networks, it can also be used to compress data in repeater systems on the link between master and slave units. This provides customers the opportunity to use fewer fiber links and optical connectors to save considerable cost and power.

Pricing and Availability

The IDT’s data compression IP is currently sampling to qualified customers as an FPGA demonstration kit. For more information about IDT’s compression IP, visit www.idt.com/go/CompressionIP.