Small cell base station SoCs feature dual-mode support, comprehensive software suite

Texas Instruments Inc. is prepping a pair of System-on-Chips (SoCs) for developers of metro, pico and enterprise small cell base stations.

Designated the TMS320TCI6612 and TMS320TCI6614, TI’s new small cell SoCs are enabled with production-ready software. Based on TI’s KeyStone multicore architecture, the scalable SoCs encompass a mix of processing elements, including radio accelerators, network and security coprocessors, combined fixed-and floating-point digital signal processors (DSPs) and an ARM RISC processor, providing a foundation for layers 1, 2 and 3 and transport processing for high performance small cell base stations.   

The TCI6612 and TCI6614 are powered by an all-inclusive software suite, based on TI’s wireless application specific libraries, and complementary analog products such as data converters, RF products, power management, clocks and amplifiers, which complete the integrated solution for small cell developers, reducing system cost and development time.

The TCI6612 and TCI6614’s processing elements include two or four TMS320C66x fixed- and floating-point DSP cores, as well as a power efficient ARM Cortex-A8 RISC processor. The ARM core is typically used for control plane processing. The remaining base station functions, including all baseband and packet processing, are handled by the DSP cores coupled with configurable wireless, network and security coprocessors.

The TCI6612 and TCI6614 SoCs are code compatible with TI’s entire KeyStone multicore portfolio, as well the TMS320C64x DSP generation, ensuring all previous software investments made by TI customers can be reused.

The TCI6612 and TCI6614 SoCs feature network coprocessors, which offload the processing of intensive functions typically performed by DSPs. This frees up MIPs for differentiating features, such as advanced interference cancellation and management techniques, which reduce noise on wireless networks.

For operators, simultaneous dual-mode support enables parallel execution of two standards supporting deployments such as WCDMA and LTE in a single base station. This allows them to efficiently support 3G to 4G migration and lower CAPEX/OPEX costs by eliminating the need for equipment dedicated to each standard and the need to perform physical upgrades in the field. In addition, the TCI6612 and TCI6614 SoCs are pin and software compatible, offering manufacturers complete flexibility in designing simultaneous dual-mode and multistandard base stations supporting all major 2G, 3G and 4G systems including GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, WiMAX, FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE.

Availability The TCI6612 and TCI6614 SoCs will begin sampling in 3Q11. Solutions incorporating a digital radio front end will follow.