TI Launches Single-Chip Base Station WCDMA Baseband Processor

Described as a wireless infrastructure solution that eliminates FPGA/ASICs, the TMS320TCI6488 assumes its place as the industry’s most highly integrated digital-signal processor (DSP) groomed for W-CDMA base stations. The tri-core DSP operates at 1-GHz per core and supports all necessary baseband functions for a macro base station including voice and data transmission. In HSDPA applications, the chip can accommodate 48 users per device. Other features include a DDR-2 interface, Serial RapidIO interface, OBSAI and CPRI W-CDMA antenna interfaces, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. In terms of software, the chip includes optimized libraries for W-CDMA that enables higher channel densities as well as lower power per channel. The TCI6488 is sampling now. TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC., Dallas, TX. (800) 477-8924.