Bath, England-based wireless solutions provider picoChip is working with Semtech to enhance its femtocell reference designs using Semtech's advanced packet timing solution. The addition of ToPSync to picoChip’s portfolio will enable support for those OEMs and carriers that have selected the IEEE1588 protocol. The two companies will work together to solve the challenging synchronization problems faced by operators implementing femtocell architectures to dramatically cut the cost and complexity of rolling out such networks.

To increase functionality of picoChip’s complete, standards-compliant wireless reference designs, the two companies will jointly undertake field trials and performance evaluations. These include UMTS (HSDPA, upgradeable to HSUPA), cdma2000/EVDO and WiMAX/WiBro (both 802.16d and 802.16e) products. The companies will also engage in development activity connected with other advanced wireless protocols in which picoChip technology is being used. These include HSPA+, UMTS-LTE and TD-SCDMA.

“For cdma2000/EVDO and WiMAX the timing requirements are even more stringent that WCDMA and the extra precision of the Semtech solution is especially important. picoChip strives to provide flexible options for its customers and whilst our reference designs support all synchronization models, we see Semtech’s technology as genuinely unique and believe that together we can offer femtocell customers the timing solutions they require, more simply, at lower cost," said Rupert Baines, vice president of marketing at picoChip.

Femtocells (sometimes known as home base stations or 3G access points) are small, low-cost wireless base stations intended for use in residential or corporate environments where high-speed coverage would otherwise be limited. The idea is established in the 3G community, but is now also arousing interest in cdma2000 and WiMAX/WiBro applications.

ToPSync technology can solve these problems by delivering a Stratum-quality clock via an ADSL/Ethernet connection, through a packet network. The advantage of the ToPSync synchronization solution for femtocells is that it only relies on the backhaul connection that must exist to implement the service, said the developers. ToPSync implements synchronization over a Packet Network using IEEE1588, layering Precision Time Protocol (PTP) on top of native Ethernet (or other packet-based technologies) for transport.

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