InterDigital Inc (IDCC)

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picoChip introduces '3G Basestation on a CD': Industry's First Reference
Design - Reduces Development Time and Cost by 50% First in a Portfolio of System
Products Accelerates Time to Market for WCDMA-Based Infrastructure
BATH, England, Jun 9, 2003 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- picoChip Designs Ltd today announced the availability of the industry's first software reference design for 3G basestations. The "basestation on a CD" includes tested algorithms and source code for WCDMA FDD, providing manufacturers with a speedy, cost-competitive and low risk route to develop a fully compliant "carrier class" 3G basestation. Current development times for a basestation can be up to 24 months or more, with budgets of many tens of millions of Dollars: this solution makes it possible to reduce these by up to 50%. In addition to manufacturers it is ideally suited to operators, system development houses and research organisations wishing to test out new features.
CTO & Co-founder, Doug Pulley, said, "The interest in our 'ready to go' basestation has been quite remarkable. We can now supply OEM customers with a complete WCDMA software reference design, fully compliant and tested. Our software-defined basestation removes the need to worry about obsolescence, interoperability or being trapped into out-dated standards - while reducing system cost and bill of materials. What is more, because this is a software-based platform, customers retain the crucial ability to add proprietary elements, to use their own algorithms and to include their own IP."
The hardware is based around picoChip's technology platform of picoArray devices. The system is capable of supporting the full set of 3G voice, data and video services. The system complies with Release 4.2.0 (Sept 2001) of the standard (the most common revision for current deployment and for interoperability with handsets) and has been fully tested to TS25.215 and TS25.104. Support for Release 5 (including HSDPA) is now under development for release later this year. Versions are available for both macro-cells and micro-cells.
Pulley, added, "This is the first in a series of system level products that includes different protocols and 3G test equipment. Future releases include HSDPA,
TD-SCDMA and 802.20. Our aim is to provide operators and manufacturers with significant time to market benefits across a broad range of infrastructure platforms."
Comprehensive supporting collateral is supplied that provides designers with the means to rapidly develop products based around picoArray technology. It includes: algorithms, references to the standard, source code, and test and verification frameworks. Full systems, applications support is provided by industry experts with significant experience in developing 3G basestations for a number of current suppliers.
The picoChip design platform combines an innovative array of processing elements with a rich programming environment and comprehensive system libraries. These allow applications to be easily and efficiently developed, simulated, compiled, verified and tested in a single environment. The picoArray processor is the fastest embedded processor on the market, delivering 300 Giga-operations per second and 30 Giga multiply-accumulates per second - approximately ten times the performance of any other device.
The reference design platform is available now direct from picoChip - email: [e-mail].


(Photograph available upon request from [e-mail]) Note to editors: About picoChip:
picoChip, located in Bath, England, is dedicated to providing innovative, flexible wireless solutions to help equipment makers minimize time-to-market, costs, and system power consumption.
At the heart of the company's offering is a scaleable, multi-processor baseband IC that combines the computational density of a dedicated ASIC with the programmability of a traditional high end Digital Signal Processor. The picoChip technology platform includes tools, development boards and reference designs, and proven IP for seamless integration with the radio frequency elements of a base station. Equipment based on picoChip technology will enable telecom operators to remotely re-configure and upgrade their equipment without the high costs of replacing obsolete hardware.
picoChip currently has a development team with a balanced mix of hardware and software engineers of outstanding ability and experience; spanning such diverse fields as communications system design, software development, computer architecture, digital signal processing, RF design, and silicon design.
The company was founded in September 2000 and is backed by both Atlas Venture and Pond Venture Partners Ltd.
SOURCE: picoChip Designs Ltd


CONTACT: Rupert Baines, picoChip Designs Limited Tel: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] Web: www.picoChip.com or Oliver Davies, Publitek Marketing Communications Tel: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] Web: www.publitek.comURL: http://www.businesswire.comToday's News On The Net - Business Wire's full file on the Internetwith Hyperlinks to your home page.
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