multi-state or reconfigurable radio solutions

©2008 BitWave Semiconductor Inc.

Multimode, Multiband Programmable Radio Transceiver Using Low Cost

Digital CMOSHow to support more applications, wireless protocols & frequency bands with a single low-cost digital radio

Multimode, Multiband Programmable Radio Transceiver Using Low Cost

Digital CMOSHow to support more applications, wireless protocols & frequency bands with a single low-cost digital radio

David J. Donovan

VP Business Development

IWPC Workshop

May 6th – 8th 2008


Agenda

� BitWave Semiconductor Backgrounder

� Radio & Antenna Density in HS

� Typical SDR Solution Approach

� New Programmable Radio Approach

� Extensibility


A Mid-Stage Fabless Semiconductor Company

� Founded in 2003, VC Financed in 2004

� Small Multi-Disciplinary Team with more than 15 years average design experience.

� Completed multiple Silicon Runs Producing 100+ Circuits from Tunable LNAs to Complete Transmit and receive chains for the Bitwave Softransceiver platform.

� BW1101 Softransceiver Alpha RFIC w/Evaluation Boards Sampling Since May 2007 with API & Mode Files

� BW1102 Softransceiver Production Path RFIC Q408

Providing Programmable, Flexible Single Chip Transceiver Platforms That Work OverAny Frequency And Protocol For Wireless Infrastructure And Handheld Devices

Providing Programmable, Flexible Single Chip Transceiver PlatforProviding Programmable, Flexible Single Chip Transceiver Platforms That Work Overms That Work Over

Any Frequency And Protocol For Wireless Infrastructure And HandhAny Frequency And Protocol For Wireless Infrastructure And Handheld Devices eld Devices


Wireless: Multi-Mode, Multi Band Future

Adapted from: Driving Wireless Broadband ConvergenceChris Bergey, Broadcom

Jan 24, 2007

MIMO

Proliferation of Services and Access TechnologiesProliferation of Services and Access TechnologiesProliferation of Services and Access Technologies


Terminal Designs for Multiple Bands and Protocols

Sudhir DixitResearch FellowNokia Research CenterHelsinki, FinlandJuly 2006

“Diverging Applications driving need for

as many as 8 radios and 11 antennas”

How it’s done today

A Better Way


SDR ArchitecturePerformance Requirements for Wideband Apps

Source: “SDR Compliant RF Frontend Concepts for Cellular Terminals”, Dr Linus Maurer, DICE, Linz, Austria


SDR ArchitectureADC Requirements for Wideband Apps

� Traditional SDR architecture (high-end systems)

– High-speed, wide-band converters sample and convert at the carrier frequency

– All control and data path processing is performed in the digitaldomain

1 kHz 1 MHz 1 GHz

1 µW

1 mW

1 W 1 kW

Signal Bandwidth

Resolution

(bits)

Downconversion & Filter

Filter

The leading edge

Adapted from R. H. Walden, Performance Trends for

Analog-to-Digital Converters, IEEE Communications

Magazine, February 1999, pp. 96 -101.

Power Consumption of ADC’s as a function of signal bandwidth and resolution


Frequency: Continuous 700 MHz to 3.8 GHz Modes: GSM, EDGE, UMTS, WCDMA, HSDPA

HSUPA ,CDMA2K, 1XRTT, EVDO and AWiFi, WiMax, DVB-H, etc.

A Disruptive CMOS Softransceiver Platform

� RECEIVER

– Receiver Type

– Center Frequency

– Receiver Gain

– Analog Domain Filtering

– ADC Type

– Sampling Rate

– Digital Domain Filtering

– AGC Type

� TRANSMITTER

– Transmitter Type

– Digital Domain Filtering

– DAC Sampling Rate

– Analog Domain Filtering

– Center Frequency

– Transmitter Gain

� SYSTEM

– Baseband Interface

– Finite State Sequencing and Timing

– Tx Power Calibration Algorithm

– DCO & I/Q Balance Algorithm

– RF Front End Control


� A Platform for use in Multiple designs

� Lowers product development costs, supply chain costs, decreases time-to-market, improves time to revenue

� Lower BoM costs for Handset and Femtocell

� Multiple products, multiple markets with a single RFIC Platform Single integrated transceiver RFIC

� Reduces the cost of developing Handset Variants. Savings : $1-2M per variant.

� Superior Performance with Flexibility

� Power, performance and cost all equal to or better than single function ASICs

� Tunable performance - optimization

� Reconfigurable in real time

� Digital CMOS implementation

� Software control and digital interfaces

� Programmable for different frequencies and wireless standards

� Faster time-to-market, de-risks product development, better reliability

Benefits to this Approach


Solving Industry ProblemsAccelerating Time to Market for the OEM

•RFIC Transceiver Design Today•RFIC Transceiver Design Today

CMOS Softransceiver Chip + Mode Files = Greatly Improved Time to Revenue

•Custom ASIC Design @ ~2 years

•60 person-years @ $15-20M

•System Spec Analysis •–•2 months

•Functional Block Design •–•1 year

•Layout and Verification •–•3 months

•Tape out •–•2 months

•Debug / Characterization

•–•5 months

•Softransceiver Configuration @ < 6 months

•System Spec Analysis •–•2 months

•Software Coding •–•2.5 months

•Test and Characterization •–•1.5 months

•Transceiver Design Using BitWave•Transceiver Design Using BitWave

•2.5 person-years @ $0.5M


Solving Industry ProblemsHandset BoM Reduction

Nokia E60Transceiver Silicon

Die Area = 49.5 mm2 in 3 BGA Packagesusing > 59 passive components@ $0.25 / mm2, and $0.01 / passive

ASP = $12.96

On this platform, a CMOS programmable radio might use 1/3 of the transceiver ASICs, 40% of the board area, 80% of the passives and

30%of the cost

Nokia E60Nokia E60Tri Band, GSM/GPRS/EDGETri Band, GSM/GPRS/EDGE

Single Band UMTS Single Band UMTS

WiFiWiFi

Source: Portelligent


Looking to 4G

� Subscriber has higher expectations on features, cost & performance

� More radios, more antennas, higher data rates, new frequency bands

� Semiconductor vendors need fundamental changes in integration strategies

� Platform cost containment


Bitwave - Platform RoadmapFUNCTIONALITY

2008 2009 2010

BW1102F – Q408Handset & Femtocell 1Rx, 1Tx

BW1102H – Q408Reduced BOM and Power 1Rx, 1Tx

Chatham – 2H09Femto & Handset 3Rx, 2Tx

Chatham- Q2/2010Handset and Femto 3Rx, 2Tx+ Fixed Functions

Wellfleet – Q1/2010LOW COSTFemto & Handset 1Rx, 1Tx


Summary

� Crowded handset platform with multi-band multi-mode and peripheral radios is an opportunity challenge

� Traditional SDR approaches for consumer applications hare costly tradeoffs

� Bulk CMOS implementations yields cost, scale and integration possibilities not found with RF CMOS

� Programmable radio and baseband technology plus smarter RFFE’s will help reel in operator CapEx and OpEx and improve TTM and overall user experience


Wish List

� New technologies that integrate the RFFE and make it more programmable, ie reduce TCO

� Hope that operators see the value in this approach such that they will help pull it through the value chain for handsets much like they did for femtocells

� I’m hiring!

multi-state or reconfigurable radio solutions

Technology

wireless infrastructure

2008 bitwave semiconductor

platform

multi

performance

cost

frequency

protocol