A powerful LTE Turbo-Code Decoder – enabling component of next generation mobile technology

Problem and Solution

Mobile Communication is one of the key technologies of modern information societies. The fourth generation (4G) wireless systems partnership project Long Term Evolution (LTE-Advanced), based on radio access technology is taking momentum and continuing to grow at an accelerated pace. However, it is necessary to further develop current mobile communication systems to handle future demands for mobile broadband services through higher data rates, shorter delays (latencies), and even greater capacity. In parallel to these activities related to the evolution of current wireless technologies, there is also an increased research effort on future radio access technologies. These are anticipated to take the performance and service provisioning of wireless systems a step further, providing data rates greater than 1Gbps. To meet the challenges of such future high throughput wireless systems a LTE Turbo-Code Decoder (Forward Error Correction – FEC) is required that has the capabilities to deliver this very high data rates and is validated against the mobile broadband standard specifications (e.g. 3GPP release 13 and beyond). Creonic designs and delivers IP cores for the integration in ASICs and FPGAs. The focus is on complex signal processing functions for communication systems ranging from DVB to LTE-A. Creonic benefits largely from to the transfer of the LTE Turbo-Code Decoder IP. The major technical advantages of the new LTE Decoder solution are: the very high throughput (>1 Gbit/s), the near ideal communications performance, the unique latency-free on-the-fly CRC checking, a small VLSI footprint of around 1 mm2 in a 28nm technology and a highly scalable architecture.

How did TETRACOM help

Due to the Tetracom Project Creonic had access to more than 250MY experience of the Microelectronic Systems Research Group at the University of Kaiserslautern in designing and verifying high throughput channels decoders (FEC), especially for Turbo-Code and LDPC codes. To create now an IP suitable to Creonic’s requirements, it was recommended to take Creonic’s decoder template while inserting and adapting the appropriate RTL code. Due to the close cooperation and the established know-how exchange it was possible to generate a high quality LTE Turbo-Code Decoder IP, which fits to the needs of Creonic and its potential customers. In details, the decoding latency, the communications performance and the VLSI area footprint are the major requirements to provide a cutting edge LTE IP core.

Impact

The LTE IP core is one major step to enhance Creonic's IP core product portfolio towards a complete library of forward error correction cores. Additionally, by the availability of the Turbo-Code Decoder IP for LTE-Advanced it is expected that Creonic will grow in the number of employers by 4 and increase its revenue by 1 million Euro until 2020.