PMC-Sierra Introduces Highly Integrated WiMAX MIMO RF IC Solutions

(Product News, 17 Sep 2007)

PMC-Sierra Inc. has launched its first WiMAX RF IC solutions for Femtocell base stations, Customer Premises Equipment, and Mobile Station designs. The PM8800 WiZIRD 2Tx/2Rx integrated WiMAX RF IC solution has a full 2Tx/2Rx Multiple In/Multiple Out (MIMO) capability to support a maximum downlink data rate of 63Mbps per sector and a peak uplink data rate of 28Mbps per sector in a 10MHz channel. The PM8800's Multi-Band capability (2.3GHz to 2.7GHz and 3.3GHz to 3.8GHz) allows a single design to cover all popular licensed radio spectra worldwide. These advanced features enable next generation consumer services such as gaming, video and voice conferencing, streaming media applications, as well as video posting and sharing.

The PM8801 WiZIRD 1Tx/2Rx integrates a single transmit and two receive radio paths, as well as Multi-Band support, and is ideal for WiMAX Wave2 subscriber equipment such as CPE and laptop devices. The WiZIRD family is powered by PMC-Sierra's "Extend Range, Rate and Roaming Architecture" (EXTRRRA), which enables WiMAX service providers to expand coverage areas with minimum capital expenditure, increase the data rate using full 2Tx/2Rx MIMO capability, and support global roaming.

PMC-Sierra also announced a collaboration with Sequans Communications, a WiMAX baseband chip supplier, to integrate its WiZIRD RF IC family with Sequans' advanced SQN1130 and SQN2130 subscriber station and base station chips. The collaboration has yielded best-of-breed Mobile WiMAX product designs, including Multi-Band CPE, Femtocell, and Mobile Station. These complete solutions address OEM/ODM needs to deliver the carrier class end products required for high-performance, cost-effective and quality-driven WiMAX deployments.

PMC-Sierra and Sequans Communications will be showing IEEE 802.16e-2005 Wave2 WiMAX Femtocell and Mobile Station designs at WiMAX World USA, September 26-27, 2007.

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