Design, implementation and testing of an IEEE 802.11 b/g baseband chip

IEEE 802.11 b and g standards, which are compatible with each other, are combined to provide higher-performance wireless communication with more options of data rates. In order to meet the upgrading demands of 802.11 standards and other standards using DSSS and OFDM as the pivotal algorithms of physical-layer parts, a SOC (or ASIC+DSP) solution is used to realize the baseband system. The paper firstly introduces the features of the 802.11 b/g PHY, and then gives the architecture and layout of BX501, the chip designed and taped out in SMIC 0.18-micron technology. The paper also presents the testing results that prove the chip can fulfill the modulation/demodulation functions of the 802.11 b/g PHY. At last, a conclusion is made that points out the importance of system-level verification.