picoChip first with WiMAX Wave 2 and MIMO basestation reference design

May 29, 2007

picoChip announced today the next version of its industry-standard WiMAX basestation reference design, with a software upgrade to support Mobile WiMAX Wave 2 and MIMO. The new PC8532 WiMAX platform has its first public display at WiMAX World Europe this week (Booth Number 204). It is the only basestation reference design to support WiMAX Wave 2 and IO-MIMO, and scales from access point (femtocell) to sophisticated multi-sector carrier macrocells. The PC8532 is used for WiMAX certification and has already demonstrated the widest range of interoperability with third-party terminals.

"The ability to upgrade our WiMAX basestations by software is fundamental to our strategic market advantage", said Paul Senior, VP Marketing of Airspan Networks and WiMAX Forum Board member. "picoChip's programmable PHY has been demonstrated to support IOT between systems running WiMAX Forum CertifiedTM 16d, 16e SISO, and 16e Wave 2 MIMO, all from a common hardware platform. This capability allows our customers to deploy WiMAX services today, confident in their ability to migrate to the latest features and performance enhancements as WiMAX evolves."

The PC8532 supports Wave 2 and IO-MIMO in both uplink and downlink. Wave 2 is the latest version of the WiMAX standard, adding increased support for mobility, while MIMO (Multi Input Multi Output) increases data-rate and reliability by simultaneously sending and receiving data by multiple antennas. The 2x2 MIMO system used in WiMAX significantly reduces CAPEX and OPEX for carriers, by increasing coverage and data-rate compared to other wireless technologies or to non-MIMO WiMAX. As a result, Wave 2 delivers maximum download and upload transmission speeds of 40Mbps and 12Mbps respectively.

"It is a testimony to the quality and maturity of our reference designs that so many customers and partners are already using them, including AT4 as the 'golden modem'. The addition of Wave 2 and MIMO as seamless upgrades will help our partners launch products faster and we are proud to be leading the way," said Guillaume d'Eyssautier, CEO and President at picoChip. "Certification and interoperability are absolutely critical to the success of communications technology; picoChip is highly committed to this process and delighted with the success we have demonstrated."

The WiMAX Forum has defined 2nd phase specifications of Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) to ensure compatibility among systems and terminals by different vendors. picoChip is a leading participant at such events, which included the recent WiMAX Forum Third Public Mobile WiMAX PlugFest for Interoperability.

picoChip's proven WiMAX PHY is accepted as a de facto industry standard through the number of manufacturers using it and through partnership with AT4 (formerly known as CETECOM). AT4 is the WiMAX Forum's approved testing authority for the certification of WiMAX products and uses the picoChip WiMAX reference design as the core in its protocol conformance tester.