A new microcell architecture using digital optical transport

The performance of microcells which rely on analog modulation of an optical or microwave carrier is limited by the dynamic range of the analog transport. A new microcell design is described. It relies on high speed, analog-to-digital conversion to digitize the entire cellular band, enabling transparent RF transport to be accomplished over a digitally modulated optical fiber. Laboratory and field tests of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) Kentrox microcell which uses this technique are described. The application of this technology to the future design of an all-digital cellular base station is discussed