Following the successful launch of its 2-4 GHz MicroTCA transceiver platform at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Lime Microsystems has achieved a single chip multi-band multi-standard reconfigurable transceiver IC. The first test chips back from the foundry have been tested and meet the original requirement for a highly frequency agile transceiver IC, operating from 375MHz to 4GHz. Sending and receiving data has been demonstrated successfully in each of the vital frequency bands required for WiMAX, 3G and LTE operation, paving the way for the adoption of Lime’s multi-standard transceiver architecture in small cell base stations.

The transceiver and its associated reference design can be digitally configured to operate the required frequency bands, with 16 user-selectable bandwidths from 1.5MHz to 28MHz. This means it can transmit and receive data across all WiMAX bands (including those used in different geographical areas), as well as those used for W-CDMA and HSPA, and those that are planned for LTE. This removes the need for individual transceiver chips for each of the different bands, and allows a small cell base station to be reconfigured rapidly and simply. The resulting reduction in bill of materials minimises costs and inventory for OEMs.

The transceiver IC is presently undergoing an evaluation phase, where selected key customers are consulted for feedback on the specification of the design. The final chip design can then be fine-tuned to incorporate their specific requirements, before ramping up to full production quantities.

"We are very excited to have achieved success across the board at the first silicon stage," comments Ebrahim Bushehri, CEO of Lime Microsystems. "The current evaluation phase is essential, for two reasons. Firstly, it gives us a chance to optimise the design according our customers’ requirements. This means our offering will meet their needs exactly, with a fully optimised and cost reduced solution. Secondly, it allows selected customers to get a heads up on what our chip can do, so they can begin integrating it into future femtocell designs. We expect to be sampling the optimised design to the rest of the market during Q4 this year.”

Lime successfully demonstrated the transceiver’s reference design at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February.

Further information and reader enquiries:
Philippe Roux, VP Business Development,
Lime Microsystems, Surrey Technology Centre, Unit 57, 40 Occam Road, The Surrey Research Park, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7YG
Tel: +44 (0) 1428 653335 E-mail:
p.roux@limemicro.com
Fax: +44 (0) 1483 683481
Web: www.limemicro.com

About Lime Microsystems

Founded in March 2005, Lime Microsystems is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in digitally configurable transceivers for the next generation of wireless broadband systems. Lime has developed broadband transceiver ICs that significantly reduces the bill of materials for small cell (femtocell and picocell) wireless networks. Working in partnership with leading baseband technology companies, the company has also produced a reference design in industry-standard MicroTCA format. Lime has development teams in the UK and Lithuania and is backed by ACT Venture Capital and DFJ Esprit.