US : PMC-Sierra introduced its third generation Digital Predistortion (DPD) solution that enables wireless infrastructure Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and carriers to deploy cost-effective Remote Radio Head (RRH) solutions with significant capital and operational savings. Offering full software compatibility with PMC-Sierra's PALADIN(R) family, the PM7820 PALADIN 20:

-- Powers new Doherty power amplifier (PA) architectures to achieve power efficiencies in excess of 40 percent, more than doubling the efficiency of currently deployed Class A/B LDMOS PAs;

-- Enables integration into space-constrained RRH architectures through its 23mm x 23mm footprint;

-- Together with PMC-Sierra's BRIC(TM) family of standard Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) baseband to RF interconnects, provides an end-to-end digital solution for distributed base station architectures; and

-- Provides 20 MHz of bandwidth for WCDMA, CDMA2000 and WiMAX applications giving wireless Service Providers enhanced flexibility to deploy various carrier configurations.

"The PALADIN 20 solves the key technical challenge of amplifier linearity, delivering unsurpassed 40 percent efficiency for Doherty PA-based solutions," said David Runton, Manager of RF Systems Engineering at Freescale. "PMC-Sierra's leadership in advanced DPD technology, combined with Freescale's industry-leading Doherty PA products, creates a compelling total solution for the RF market."

Doherty PAs Improve Efficiency and Reduce Costs

The PALADIN 20 provides the enhanced linearization a Doherty PA requires and increases efficiency by reducing the thermal and memory effects that contribute to performance degradation. The solution's advanced DPD algorithm enables Doherty PAs to exceed the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) WCDMA specification requirements with greater than 3 dB of margin. The use of highly efficient Doherty PAs in WCDMA and CDMA2000 system deployments provides significant cost savings, including reduced energy expenses due to reduced heat dissipation, cost-effective plastic cooling units, and a smaller footprint that saves cost and board space on the RRH. Doherty PAs, combined with the PALADIN 20's advanced DPD technology, can cut annual energy costs by as much as 50 percent compared to DPD Class A/B PAs. For a typical 15,000 BTS rollout, with three PAs per BTS, this translates into an annual savings of more than $2.1M.

"With millions of PAs being deployed in 3G and WiMAX wireless networks, PMC-Sierra's DPD firmware and mixed-signal technology expertise, combined with Doherty PAs, provides substantial savings in carrier operating expenses," said Dino Bekis, vice president of marketing and applications for PMC-Sierra's Communication Products Division. "The PALADIN 20 and BRIC family provide a complete system solution for multi-carrier distributed base station architectures, significantly accelerating the widespread deployment of 3G services via light-weight, low-cost remote radio heads."

Ideal for Distributed Wireless Base Station Architectures

With its reduced size, advanced DPD technology and unique functionality, the PALADIN 20 is easily integrated into space-constrained RRH architectures. Coupled with the Doherty PA, it allows the implementation of passive cooling in the RRH by removing costly external fans and A/C cooling units, and reducing the size of the PA heat sinks.

PMC-Sierra's RRH Solutions

To further reduce deployment costs of multi-carrier RRH solutions, PMC-Sierra offers a standardized interface that works seamlessly with the PALADIN 20. Depending on the chosen configuration, the PMC-Sierra 6-port interface PM7830 BRIC-6 or the 2-port PM7832 BRIC-2, both full-featured and standards-based termination devices, sit between the baseband and the RF module and enable OEMs and ODMs to offer a CPRI digital interconnect for distributed base station systems. Together, the PALADIN 20 and the BRIC family of products offer a complete, low-cost solution for RRHs, solving both the key challenges of PA efficiency and linearity and delivering a standard RF-to-baseband interface.

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