Europe / China : picoChip and the WSPN-BUPT (Wireless Signal Processing & Network Lab, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications) have announced a joint development program focused on 4G and other next generation wireless air interfaces. The two organizations will collaborate on developing the technologies that will drive wireless communications forward over the next several years: including IEEE 802.16m; UMTS-LTE (Long Term Evolution); and the recently-announced 4G FuTURE project. The new agreement was signed at the official opening ceremony of picoChip’s Beijing design centre.

The new initiative widens a highly-productive existing relationship, focused on developing wireless systems based on TD-SCDMA and commercial WiMAX systems optimized for the Chinese market. The partnership will now extend to cover a broad range of underlying technologies, primarily the OFDMA and MIMO techniques that are expected to form the cornerstone of global 4G networks.

“BUPT is at the forefront of wireless research, not just in China, but globally” said Guillaume d’Eyssautier ( above ), President and CEO of picoChip. “As a region, China is rapidly developing into a major center for wireless expertise and development. BUPT is pre-eminent not only in the field of Chinese wireless standards, but also in developing the core technologies required by next-generation wireless worldwide.”

Professor Wenbo Wang, Professor and Dean of School of Telecommunication Engineering at the BUPT, and a member of picoChip’s advisory board, commented: “Our relationship with picoChip now spans three years, during which time we have moved from GSM to TD-SCDMA. Now is exactly the right time for leveraging our research on newer standards such as UMTS-LTE, 802.16m and Chinese standards such as FuTURE. The picoArrayTM is the perfect platform for realizing these technologies.”

A major part of the partnership’s activities is expected to involve developing OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) algorithms for IP traffic and MIMO (multiple-in, multiple-out) techniques to improve the bandwidth attainable from a wireless link. These technologies, which are included in all of the major next-generation wireless broadband standards, are likely to rely for their implementation on sophisticated chip architectures such as picoChip’s multi-core DSP technology.

“All of the global next-generation air interfaces are based on OFDMA with MIMO: and they are exclusively IP,” said picoChip Chief Technical Officer Doug Pulley. “This program covers that, allowing us to address WiMAX, UMTS-LTE, 802.16m and UMB. We believe that implementing advanced software-defined radio via the picoChip multi-core DSP approach will prove the most effective route to quick, cost-effective realization of these standards.”

picoChip has been working in China since early 2003, when it established a partnership – in the form of a joint development centre – with Millennium Meshwork Data Systems Co., Ltd. (MMDS). In September 2004 it opened its first China-based office in Shenzhen, not only enhancing its sales and support efforts, but also incorporating a development lab as the site of local engineering activities, including systems development for regional standards and research projects. Most recently, in November 2006, picoChip announced the addition of a Beijing design centre, which officially opened March 2007.

About picoChip

picoChip, located in Bath, England, is dedicated to providing innovative, flexible wireless solutions to help equipment makers minimize time-to-market, costs, and system power consumption.

The heart of the company’s offering is a scaleable, multi-processor baseband IC that combines the computational density of a dedicated ASIC with the programmability of a traditional high end Digital Signal Processor. This radically reduces both development time and materials cost and enables the strategic goal of the “Software Defined Radio”. The company has the most comprehensive reference designs in the industry, with complete, standard-compliant solutions for both UMTS (including HSxPA) and WiMAX (802.16d upgradeable to 802.16e).