NXP's Cellular Modem Achieves 150Mbps/50Mbps Downlink/uplink Data Transfer Rates
(Top News, 13 Jun 2008)
NXP Semiconductors has released what is said to be the world's fastest high-bandwidth cellular soft modem, the Nexperia Cellular System Solution PNX6910, which is capable of achieving data transfer rates of 150Mbps downlink and 50Mbps uplink, and supports multi-mode LTE/HSPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM capability.
Powered by NXP's Embedded Vector Processor (EVP), a powerful Digital Signal Processing core, the PNX6910 is capable of downloading an entire HD movie in less than 7 minutesover 20 times faster than today's HSPA Cat 8 devices at 7.2Mbps. The PNX6910 is also optimized for a wide range of consumer electronics beyond mobile phones, bringing broadband connectivity to digital still and video cameras, next generation laptops, Internet tablets and ultra-mobile PCs.
NXP has selected the first implementation of a multimode baseband processor to address the LTE market, which is expected to gain rapid acceptance due to its wide support in the mobile industry and the ubiquity of GSM standards worldwide.
The PNX6910 will allow cellular phone and consumer electronics manufacturers to participate in the LTE market from the very start, with a reference design that can connect a wide variety of handheld products via cellular services to the internet. The soft modem approach reduces chip design effort by one and a half to two years due to parallel design phases. This approach incorporates multi-mode functionality on a single RF chip and a single baseband chip, which will help device manufacturers deliver ultra-small form-factors capable of very high speeds. Meanwhile, power efficiency is assured through the use of advanced system architectures and process technologies beating the historical power curve prediction.
The PNX6910's software programmable vector processor enables multi-mode capability and supports the entire GSM family of standards, including LTE TDD for China, which paves the way for truly global roaming.