Sychip Inc., a subsidiary of muRata,
has a new WiMAX embedded module.
The WiMAX95xx is a chip-scale module
with an 80-pin no-lead QFN package
that allows direct attachment to a
main pc board. This module makes it
very easy for manufacturers of laptops,
handsets, media players, navigation
devices, and other portable products to
incorporate WiMAX.
The WiMAX95xx is a complete
WiMAX 802.16e-2005 mobile standard
transceiver, offering an RF chip, MAC/
baseband chip, power amplifier, EEPROM,
and DDR-SDRAM. It uses a
40-MHz clock with SDIO, USB, and
GPIO interfaces.
Its software includes drivers and application
layer interfaces that give content
providers, manufacturers, and OEMs the
flexibility to integrate and optimize their
respective applications. The software
also supports Linux, Windows Mobile,
Nucleus, and VxWorks operating systems.
Engineering samples are available
now, and production is scheduled for the
second quarter of 2008.
The newest member of Wavesat's portfolio
of WiMAX products has a Mini-
PCI design that targets the low-cost
mass-market indoor and outdoor CPE
space. The design is based on Wavesat's
Evolutive NP7256 ASIC, which substantially
reduces overall size and bill of
materials (BOM) and includes all RF and
baseband components in a small footprint
with low power consumption.
This design addresses the fixed and
nomadic standard but can be easily
upgraded to support the 802.16e-2005
mobile standard. OEMs and ODMs can
quickly build subscriber units with a
minimum investment in time and money.
Based on silicon germanium (SiGe)
instead of the usual gallium arsenide
(GaAs), VT Silicon's latest RF power amplifiers for WiMAX incorporate the
company's linear enhancement technology
(LET), a distortion prevention technique
that permits higher power levels with
greater efficiency. WiMAX's broadband
OFDM technique requires a wideband
power amplifier that is as linear as technology
permits. These new amplifiers, one
for 2.5 GHz and another for 3.5 GHz, will
provide a balance of high power, efficiency,
and linearity. They are expected to be
available in the near future.
Testing: one, two, three
You can't build a WiMAX product or get
it certified by the WiMAX Forum without
testing it. And, you couldn't face a
tougher RF testing job than a WiMAX
product. Thankfully, the test gear companies
are on top of the challenge.
Agilent's one-box test set for mobile
WiMAX can serve as the main test system
for R&D, verification, and manufacturing.
It's designed for ODMs testing
mobile WiMAX subscriber devices, modules,
and related products.
The N8300A wireless Networking
Test Set is based on an architecture that
integrates Agilent's state-of-the-art vector
signal analysis and vector signal generator
(VSG) hardware into a single package
with an easy-to-use front-panel GUI and
SCPI command set. The N6301A OFDMA
Measurement Application software
that accompanies the N8300A contains
measurement algorithms and software
leveraged from WiMAX R&D test tools
and enables fast test development and
measurement traceability throughout the
product lifecycle.
Azimuth Systems' ACE 400WB
mobile WiMAX test system implements
a WiMAX channel emulator that permits
comprehensive performance testing of
WiMAX SoC products for 802.16e
applications. Its sophisticated channelmodeling
capabilities enable real-time
testing of MIMO devices and speed the
development of WiMAX chip sets, CPE
products, and infrastructure equipment.
The mobility, high throughput, and
extended range of mobile WiMAX
depend on the multipath environment
for MIMO spatial streaming and
advanced antenna techniques. Azimuth's
bi-directional and reciprocal channel
modeling provides this real-world test
scenario in the lab.
LitePoint's IQmax MIMO targets
mobile WiMAX product testing from
development to quality assurance. Two
IQmax-500 hardware units are at the
heart of the system (Fig. 4). Each contains
a VSG and vector signal analyzer.
Add to this the new IQsignal software,
which includes a user-friendly GUI, and
you have a full WiMAX 2x2 MIMO test
system. You can add more units to get to
a 4x4 system or beyond as needed.
The IQwave software is used to create
arbitrary WiMAX waveforms, which
generate actual baseband or RF signals
after being loaded into the IQmax's
VSG. IQwave can generate fixed or
mobile WiMAX waveforms for both
single input/single output (SISO) or
MIMO testing.