DesignArt open SoC Platform Architecture

 Guided by the vision of Metrozone deployments, we are developing mobile SoC platforms to enable the systematic deployment of dense metropolitan radio access networks (RANs), based on ultra-compact, high-performance products.

• Metrozone = Access + Backhaul

 The related SoC design goal was to facilitate single-chip product designs – integrating all required signal, network and control processing subsystems into a carrier-class, multi-core SoC architecture. The benefits of this scalable product architecture are numerous, and the resulting flexibility and cost synergies for vendors' development and manufacturing cycles are legend.

 For backhaul products, DesignArt offers a complete package of SoC silicon and SW - as well as an industrial grade reference design ready for immediate trials!

» High-capacity, non-line-of-sight (NLOS) Relay and Backhaul for Metrozones

 To complete our vision - high-capacity Metrozones comprised of many Access Points - it is necessary to facilitate the use of new deployment sites - such as building sides, lamp posts, traffic lights, etc. pp...

 Access Points deployed in these sites need to be connected to the service layer of the mobile network via  high-capacity, low-cost backhaul facilities - without the overhead of timely and costly site construction and installation permits. This cannot be achieved based on wireline connectivity, no matter what type of wireline infrastructure might be accessible to the operator. In order to facilitate scalable and systematic deployments, only SLA-grade wireless solutions can be considered, with the added requirement of excellent NLOS performance. Traditional backhaul technology - be that wired or wireless - simply cannot fullfill these critical requirements.

 Hence, we set out to bring the advantages of OFDMA to the mobile backhaul market - most notably highest spectral efficiency and robust NLOS performance.

» Advanced OFDMA-based PtP and PtMP  Backhaul Systems

 As a foundation for backhaul applications of our open SoC platform, DesignArt has implemented spectrum efficient high-capacity OFDMA-based backhaul capabilities in a combination of SW and HW acceleration technology. Outperforming any other available solution, our open SoC platforms can be used for the design of best-of-breed PtP and PtMP backhaul products – yielding superior performance in licensed as well as unlicensed spectrum.

 Benefitting from the many advances in OFDMA technology, e.g. as proposed by IEEE 802.16e, DesignArt was able to utilize a solid foundation, based on open standards, adding to it application specific improvements to create optimized PtP and PtMP backhaul technology. Our open SoC platforms apply standard 802.16e PHY and MAC capabilities to high-capacity backhaul applications, wherever applicable, such as high-speed CTC, larger symbol length and guard windows - thus generating robust multi-path performance and very good NLOS operation.

 Since SLA-grade backhaul can only be provided based on usage of costly licensed spectrum, it was paramount to optimize the system performance around achieving maximum spectral efficiency. To that extent, we added the support of 256QAM 6/8 and 7/8 to the standard WiMAX set of MCS options, yielding a spectral efficiency of up to 14 bps/Hz in 2-stream MIMO (XPIC) operation. 

 To top it off, we added numerous MAC-level efficiency enhancements, taking advantage of the multi-mode MAC support in our open SoC platform architecture. The end result is a net data rate of up to 10 bps/Hz - translating to a net data throughput of up to 100 Mbps in a 10 MHz channel!

» Auto-Deployment Tools and in-band Link Control Plane

 DesignArt's backhaul solution is a classic master/slave application - with a single point of provisioning and decision making (master). Each backhaul link provides the capability of an in-band link control plane - facilitating end-to-end control of initial deployment configuration parameters, as well as the central operation of adaptive link level paramters. The master unit - termed Feeder - connects upstream towards the service and provisioning layer of the network. The slave unit - termed Remote - provides capacity and network timing services to downstream equipment, such as base stations or multi-hop backhaul links.

 At installation time, each Remote unit boots up in PtMP client mode, performing patented network identification, authentication and neighborhood scanning processes - automatically connecting to the provisioning system through an auto-detected Feeder. At this time, the unit will share with the provisioning system the results of the neighborhood scan, and the provisioning system will assign primary and secondary master/slave relationships accordingly, as well as other initial configuration data. Subsequently, the Remote re-synchronizes and registers with the designated master Feeder, to automatically establish initial backhaul link operation.

 This process eliminates installation side configuration or radio planning tasks - and applies for PtP as well as PtMP configurations - a key requirement for rapid Metrozone deployments. Similar to self-orgainzed network (SON) management tools, the ongoing link operation will then be automatically controlled by the master via in-band link control - determining the end-to-end link behaviour, such as up-/downlink capacity, radio & transmission paramters (AGC, ATPC, AMC, ...), and related QoS service class information. Remote units autonomously derive timing synchronization from the backhaul radio link, providing exact network timing to multi-hop links or adjacent base station equipment.