Multi gigabit modem for mmWave point to point links

• US 8,837,564 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxlinear Asia Singapore Pte Ltd. (Maxlinear Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ridel, Eran, Soffer, Ran
• Primary Examiner(s): LAM, KENNETH T
• Application Number:
  US13/341,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20130094549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 375/222, 375/219, 375/220, 375/295, 375/316
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/00 Modulated-carrier systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A millimeter wave modem assembly, which includes an input/output interface module configured to receive and transmit standardized data streams in accordance with dedicated interface specifications, and includes an encoder module configured to encode the standardized data streams to form coded digital bits, and also includes a physical layer module configured to convert the coded digital bits into digital symbols and into digital samples, and to convert the digital samples into the digital symbols and then into the coded digital bits; and further includes a data conversion module configured to perform a high rate conversion of the digital samples to form an analog signal suitable for wireless transmission over a link in accordance with the dedicated interface specifications.

Claims

1. A millimeter wave modem assembly configured to be positioned between a base station and a remote radio head unit, comprising:

an input/output interface configured to receive and transmit a plurality of standardized data streams in accordance with dedicated interface specifications;

an encoder configured to encode the plurality of standardized data streams to form a plurality of coded digital bits;

a physical layer configured to;

convert the plurality of coded digital bits into digital symbols and into digital samples, and

convert the digital samples into the digital symbols and into the plurality of coded digital bits; and

a data conversion module configured to perform a high rate conversion of the digital samples to form an analog signal suitable for transmission over a wireless link between the base station and the remote radio head unit in accordance with the dedicated interface specifications.

2. The millimeter wave modem assembly of claim 1, wherein the data conversion module is configured to perform the high rate data conversion at up to approximately 9 gigabits per second, at baud rates of approximately 125 MSym/See to approximately 1.7 Gsym/Sec, at a bandwidth of approximately 2 GHz, and at a high modulation order.

3. The millimeter wave modem assembly of claim 2, wherein the encoder is a channel code encoder.

4. The millimeter wave modem assembly of claim 3, wherein the plurality of coded digital bits are encoded using a forward error correction scheme.

5. The millimeter wave modem assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of standardized data streams include a combination of digital bits, management data and a high-level clock signal.

6. The millimeter wave modem assembly of claim 5, wherein the plurality of standardized data streams are channels of data that have been framed according to common public radio interface (CPRI) specifications.

7. The millimeter wave modem assembly of claim 5, wherein the plurality of standardized data streams are channels of data that have been framed according to open base station architecture initiative (OBSAI) specifications.

8. The millimeter wave modem assembly of claim 1, wherein the input/output interface is configured to receive and transmit the plurality of standardized data streams in accordance with common public radio interface (CPRI) specifications, and wherein the data conversion module is also configured to perform the high rate data conversion in accordance with the common public radio interface (CPRI) specifications.

9. The millimeter wave modem assembly of claim 1, wherein the data conversion module is configured to perform the high rate data conversion of the analog signal to form the digital samples, and wherein at least a portion of the encoder is configured to decode the plurality of coded digital bits to form the plurality of standardized data streams.

10. The millimeter wave modem assembly of claim 1, wherein the input/output interface is configured to receive and transmit the plurality of standardized data streams in accordance with open base station architecture initiative (OBSAI) specifications, and wherein the data conversion module is also configured to perform the high rate data conversion in accordance with the OBSAI specifications.

11. The millimeter wave modem assembly of claim 1, wherein the input/output interface is configured to receive and transmit the plurality of standardized data streams in accordance with a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) standard, and wherein the data conversion module is also configured to perform the high rate data conversion in accordance with the ETSI standard.

12. A method of preparing data to be transmitted over a wireless link, comprising:

receiving a plurality of standardized data streams from a base station, in accordance with dedicated interface specifications, at an input/output interface;

encoding the plurality of standardized data streams to form a plurality of coded digital bits;

converting the plurality of coded digital bits into digital symbols;

transforming the digital symbols into digital samples, and

performing a high rate conversion of the digital samples to form an analog signal suitable for transmission between the base station and a remote radio head over the wireless link in accordance with the dedicated interface specifications.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the high rate conversion is capable of being performed at up to approximately 9 gigabits per second, at baud rates in the range of approximately 125 MSym/Sec to approximately 1.7 Gsym/Sec, at a bandwidth of approximately 2 GHz, and at a high modulation order.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of coded digital bits are encoded using a forward error correction scheme.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of standardized data streams include a combination of digital bits, management data and a high-level clock signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of standardized data streams are channels of data that have been framed according to common public radio interface (CPRI) specifications.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of standardized data streams are channels of data that have been framed according to open base station architecture initiative (OBSAI) specifications.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising preparing the analog signal to be further transmitted, where the analog signal has been received over the wireless link.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving the analog signal from a millimeter wave antenna assembly;

performing a second high rate conversion of the analog signal, in accordance with the dedicated interface specifications to form recovered digital samples;

converting the recovered digital samples into recovered digital symbols;

transforming the recovered digital symbols into a plurality of recovered coded digital bits;

decoding the plurality of recovered coded digital bits to form a plurality of recovered standardized data streams; and

outputting the plurality of recovered standardized data streams to a standardized framer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the input/output interface receives and transmits the plurality of standardized data streams in accordance with common public radio interface (CPRI) specifications, and wherein the high rate conversion is performed in accordance with the common public radio interface (CPRI) specifications.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the input/output interface receives and transmits the plurality of standardized data streams in accordance with open base station architecture initiative (OBSAI) specifications, and wherein the high rate conversion is performed in accordance with the OBSAI specifications.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the input/output interface receives and transmits the plurality of standardized data streams in accordance with a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) standard, and wherein the high rate conversion is performed in accordance with the ETSI standard.

23. A multi-functional millimeter wave modem assembly configured to be positioned between a base station and a remote radio head unit, comprising;

a modem configured to receive and transmit a plurality of standardized data streams in accordance with dedicated interface specifications, to modulate/demodulate the received plurality of data streams, and to perform a high rate conversion of the received plurality of data streams to form an analog signal suitable for transmission over a wireless link between the base station and the remote radio head in accordance with the dedicated interface specifications;

a serial/deserializer configured to convert the received plurality of data streams between serial and parallel interfaces; and

a switching mechanism configured to switch between the modem and the serial/deserializer.

24. The multi-functional millimeter wave modern assembly of claim 23, further comprising a small form factor pluggable transceiver configured to enable the serial/deserializer to receive the plurality of standardized data streams over the wireless link.

25. The multi-functional millimeter wave modern assembly of claim 23, further comprising a small form factor pluggable transceiver configured to enable the serial/deserializer to receive the plurality of standardized data streams over a fiber optic link.

26. The multi-functional millimeter wave modem assembly of claim 23, wherein the plurality of standardized data streams are capable of being received and transmitted over both the wireless link and a fiber optic link.