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April 26 2006

A new cellular baseband processor that is fully compliant to the High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) standard for high-speed cellular data has been announced by Broadcom.

The new mixed-signal monolithic chip integrates a complete Category 8 HSDPA modem that is capable of delivering 7.2Mbps (megabits per second) connectivity, advanced digital signal processing (DSP) and multimedia functionality (for recording and playback of video and audio), and a high-performance ARM11 applications processor. The HSDPA-compliant processor is the latest addition to the Broadcom CellAirity platform family and includes an advanced system architecture to support backward compatibility with legacy GSM cellular connectivity standards including WCDMA, EDGE, GPRS and GSM, says the company.

While competing solutions stack multiple die within a single package or even have multiple packages for analog and digital baseband functions, the Broadcom BCM2152 integrates this functionality - while also upgrading to a higher performance ARM11 processor - in a single 14mm x 14mm package. This level of integration, along with the significant advantages in cost, size, height, power, and performance the BCM2152 offers, sets the solution apart from any other solution today, says the company.

The exponential growth of portable digital multimedia in cellular handsets, portable media players and other mobile devices is driving end-user demand for higher speed cellular connectivity to enable wireless delivery and the sharing of larger multimedia files. HSDPA is the specification that addresses the need for higher wireless bandwidth and is the next evolution in cellular connectivity, largely because the Category 8 implementation of the standard provides up to 7.2 Mbps downlink data rates making large data file transfers to mobile devices both practical and economical.

The new Broadcom BCM2152 processor not only provides full HSDPA compliance, but also full support for all legacy GSM cellular technologies. This novel capability enables mobile devices based on Broadcom solutions to roam among worldwide networks, without interruption of voice or data services, while always being connected at the highest data rate available.

"Broadcom's new HSDPA-compliant processor demonstrates the company's tremendous commitment to become one of the major chip suppliers in the mobile handset space," said Michael Thelander of Signals Research Group, LLC. "By being one of the first to market with a 7.2Mbps capable HSDPA solution that includes additional features, such as embedded multimedia processing and its proprietary M-Stream technology, Broadcom is well on the way toward accomplishing its objective."

With advanced HEDGE (HSDPA + EDGE) capabilities, the new BCM2152 processor provides all of the key features required for next generation mobile phone handsets. This includes the integration of 2G (EDGE) cellular technology that is the back-up technology for 3G HSDPA, when those services are not available. By enabling much faster downloads of data (that require less cellular airtime), HSDPA reduces the cost (up to 30%) of delivering high-bandwidth applications when compared to prior generation technologies, says the company.

"The BCM2152 processor is the first in the industry to combine all of these cellular technologies on one piece of silicon, greatly simplifying the process of developing and bringing to market advanced handsets with universal network roaming capabilities," said Jim Tran, vice president and general manager for Broadcom's mobile communication line of business. "We are receiving enthusiastic responses from our customers on this technological accomplishment and we intend to aggressively drive this solution into commercial market segments."