The module incorporates the latest WinPath3 Network Processor from Wintegra, which provides a flexible means of handling the real-time IP packet and security processing and L2 RLC/MAC demands of wireless base stations. The WinPath3 is a device that supports symmetrical multi-processing with 12 DataPath cores with 64 parallel hardware threads for the user plane and two control processors for the control plane. The Wintegra processor also enables the AMC-2C87W3 to provide transport and security features, and means that all of the control functions required in a base station can be run on a single processor.

For high performance L1 PHY processing, two Texas Instruments TCI6487 multicore DSPs running at 1.2GHz provide the power required for a single sector 10MHz, 2x2 MIMO LTE system. A Xilinx Virtex 5 FPGA provides an FPGA resource for CPRI/OBSAI, DSP co-processing and board control logic.

The design supports an optimised interface between the WinPath3 processor and TI DSP, which enables further advanced control between these elements through a low latency MAC/PHY API.

Three flexible SFP optical sockets are configurable as CPRI/OBSAI or Gigabit Ethernet, and provide connectivity to Remote Radio Heads (RRH) and optical Ethernet backhaul. This means that system configuration and redundancy can be optimised to customer needs.

Timing and synchronisation support is provided by an integrated GPS or IEEE1588 capability with optional OCXO based holdover, which significantly reduces system complexity as no additional timing equipment is required. A TSI578T Serial RapidIO (SRIO) switch from IDT is also included to link the devices in the module and provide AMC.4 compliant external 10Gbps
connections.

"By combining high performance processors, flexible I/O and application-specific software, CommAgility has built a module that sets new standards in the level of integration, overall performance, power consumption and cost that can be offered in this small form factor," said
Eran Kirzner, Engineering VP Wireless Systems at Wintegra. "These are all really key factors in building an advanced wireless base station design."

CommAgility provides low level software which enables fast application porting to the card. In addition, multiple partners for software and Remote Radio Heads enable an integrator or equipment supplier quickly and easily to build a complete eNodeB which is highly compact and cost effective. The AMC card is also designed to leverage the LTE collaboration between TATA Elxsi and Wintegra and can run the extensive LTE protocol and PHY libraries that
are available from both companies. 

The AMC-2C87W3 will be available in March 2010.

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