A Coarse-Grained Array based Baseband Processor for 100Mbps+ Software Defined Radio

The software-defined radio (SDR) concept aims to enabling cost-effective multi-mode baseband solutions for wireless terminals. However, the growing complexity of new communication standards applying, e.g., multi-antenna transmission techniques, together with the reduced energy budget, is challenging SDR architectures. Coarse-grained array (CGA) processors are strong candidates to undertake both high performance and low power. The design of a candidate hybrid CGA-SEVID processor for an SDR baseband platform is presented. The processor, designed in TSMC 90 G process according to a dual-VT standard-cells flow, achieves a clock frequency of 400 MHz in worst case conditions and consumes maximally 310 mW active and 25 mW leakage power (typical conditions) when delivering up to 25,6 GOPS (16-bit). The mapping of a 20 MHz 2times2 MIMO-OFDM transmit and receive baseband functionality is detailed as an application case study, achieving 100 Mbps+ throughput with an average consumption of 220 mW.