Cambridge Consultants has developed a WiMAX simulation testbench to support the launch of Aspex Semiconductor's reference code for implementing multi-antenna base stations. The software simulates subscriber transmissions, providing an independent testing facility that can be used by developers alongside Aspex's 802.16d/e PHY baseband architecture in a familiar, PC-based software development environment.

Based on the Linedancer family of processors, Aspex's WiMAX PHY reference code delivers a software-defined radio architecture and support for multi-antenna techniques such as multiple input multiple output and beam-forming. This provides wireless OEMs with performance and design flexibility.

According to Cambridge Consultants, a large team of engineers on the project produced the simulator in just six weeks to support Aspex's WiMAX introduction. Written in MATLAB, the model simulates WiMAX subscriber transmissions and channel noise, giving system developers the means to begin developing transceiver equipment and to test and verify multi-antenna 802.16 design concepts in the lab.

“The simulator completes the development environment for this WiMAX baseband offering,” said Tim Fowler of Cambridge Consultants. “OEMs can start system development in confidence, using a platform that is inherently software upgradeable, and scalable to accommodate any size application.”

“WiMAX represents an enormous business opportunity for communications OEMs, but as with all standards-based markets a fast time to launch is going to be vital in securing a critical share of the market,” said Jacqui Adams, product manager with Aspex Semiconductor. “With the help of Cambridge Consultants, we have been able to prove the capabilities of the silicon and release a comprehensive solution early in the standard's lifecycle. This allows developers to start product development now, confident that their platform can evolve to support future changes in the 802.16 standards.”

Aspex's fully software programmable Linedancer processor with its 4096 parallel processing elements is a key feature of the PHY reference code. The flexible front-end radio architecture allows vendors to deploy dynamically adaptable equipment that can modify its footprint as the subscriber base evolves. This creates a platform that may be software-upgraded with ease to support the evolving WiMAX family of standards, as well as the OEM's own ideas and IP for improved receiver architectures in areas such as antenna diversity.

The WiMAX subscriber model simulates an orthogonal frequency division-multiplexing (OFDM) transmitter. By creating simple scripts defining standard MAC messages, developers can simulate subscriber transmissions to exercise the base station receiver.

Aspex recently launched its WiMAX development kit consisting of the Accelera PCI-X plug-in card, which implements the WiMAX base station PHY in real-time, and the Cambridge Consultants MATLAB testbench.

For more information, visit www.cambridgeconsultants.com