CIE Components in Electronics
Xilinx has acquired Modesat Communications, a high performance wireless backhaul solutions provider. OEMs focusing on mobile backhaul platforms will now be able to take advantage of Xilinx’s All Programmable 7 series FPGAs and Zynq-7000 SoCs combined with Modesat wireless backhaul solutions. Xilinx wireless mobile backhaul solutions provide faster time-to-market and will now be able to offer OEMs, who are constrained today by limited merchant IP options, an alternative solution.
Customers can retain their proprietary IP, while leveraging the backhaul solutions and the flexibility of Xilinx All Programmable FPGAs and SoC devices to achieve faster time-to-market.
Modesat Communications was founded in 2005 in Tallinn, Estonia and specialises in the development of backhaul modem solutions for microwave, E-band and NLOS (non-line of sight) markets. The company has fifteen employees, who will be joining Xilinx as part of the Xilinx Communications Business Unit. It was announced that Modesat offices in Tallinn and San Diego, California would continue operations.
“We have consistently received feedback from our customers to provide total solutions optimised for wireless mobile backhaul applications. Modesat is a great synergistic fit,” said Krishna Rangasayee, senior vice president and general manager of the Xilinx Communications Business Unit. “We will now be able to offer our customers the best combination of silicon, solutions IP and design services to assist them in differentiating and succeeding in their markets.”
Worldwide LTE network deployments are straining the existing backhaul network infrastructure, resulting in significant carrier CAPEX spending on upgrading wireless backhaul. OEMs are diversifying their wireless mobile backhaul portfolios to add new features and technology capabilities that address ever-changing market needs. There is increasing interest in e-Band and NLOS backhaul technologies, beyond traditional microwave backhaul. The market dynamics are resulting in new challenges and opportunities for OEMs. With the Modesat acquisition, Xilinx is now able to provide OEMs with a much richer portfolio of solutions IP and services addressing the backhaul strategy of OEMs.
“Bringing our modem technology and design expertise to the Xilinx family is an ideal fit,” said Tarmo Pihl, co-founder of Modesat Communications. “Xilinx currently does significant business in the wireless infrastructure backhaul segment based on their complete All Programmable FPGA offering. With the addition of Modesat backhaul solutions the opportunity in this segment will be greatly expanded and we will be better able to serve tier-1 and tier-2 wireless infrastructure customers and provide complete backhaul modem solutions.”
Modesat IP solutions are highly optimiaed algorithmic implementations designed from the ground up targeting FPGA silicon. Modesat’s patented technology has been validated by customers and designed into multiple customer backhaul systems. Their IP solutions cover the complete wireless mobile backhaul requirements for wireless single-carrier PHY, packet processing and connectivity (eNet) capabilities.
Targeting Xilinx All Programmable FPGAs and Zynq-7000 SoCs with Modesat’s IP cores and the existing Xilinx signal processing and packet processing IP cores, customers will gain from the advantages of high system performance, low power consumption, flexibility of All Programmable system integration, BOM reduction and accelerated design productivity.
