Performance evaluation of base band functions processing in hardware for a 4th generation cellular mobile communication system

• Grant number: 17/08072-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Duration: March 01, 2018 - November 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Telecommunications
• Principal Investigator: Elcio Garcia Botelho
• Grantee: Elcio Garcia Botelho
• Host Company: Trópico Sistemas e Telecomunicações da Amazônia Ltda (Filial)
• CNAE: Outras atividades de telecomunicações
• City: Campinas
• Pesquisadores principais:( Últimos ): Guilherme Orlando Presotti Luchini ; Milton Marcelini
• Pesquisadores principais:( Antigos ): Renato Carlos Coutinho
• Associated researchers: Armando Eduardo Barbieri ; Hamilton Marques da Silva ; Maria Cecilia Motta Torres Giglio ; Milton Cesar Bueno Portes ; Uilson Ruas Pennafiel

Abstract

Radio Base Stations (RBS) of cellular mobile communication systems are divided into baseband and radio frequency modules. The baseband module requires large processing capacity to handle as many users as possible in a cell. In 4G systems, communication is fully packet-oriented and the cell's data transmission capacity can be divided by an indeterminate number of users, even though each has only a small fraction of the available capacity. This is an important feature in "Internet of Things" applications, where each terminal must remain permanently connected and communicate at low periodicity, transmitting and receiving little data. The baseband module of a 4G ERB must therefore support a large number of terminals registered in the cell, taking into account a variety of services and data rates contracted for them, while dealing with the large number of events arising from the use of data from such terminals, the mobility of these terminals within the cell, the change in the conditions of RF propagation for each terminal and the mobility to / from other adjacent cells. The research project aims at evaluating the performance gain of the baseband module of a 4G ERB when processing of layer 1 and layer 2 algorithms are done predominantly by hardware. The baseband module of the current product has the number of concurrent users in the cell limited to 64 by using application-specific semiconductors, with much of the processing done by software. This module is implemented in a single printed circuit board, with limited physical size and thermal dissipation, since the RBS is of the compact model, where all the modules share the same box, with natural cooling, installed directly in the tower, next to the antenna. The research and development of this technology was done by the Science and Technology Institution CPqD Foundation, within the scope of a FINEP / FUNTTEL project. Trópico is the industry involved in this project, paying the financial consideration and being licensed to manufacture and commercialize the products. Such products were once designed to serve rural areas with low population density, where such user capacity per cell would be satisfactory. However, most of the commercial opportunities presented to Trópico require a significantly higher number of terminals registered in the cell, such as for smart grid and automation of agricultural areas, both with high density of devices to be connected. To take advantage of all investments already made, it is necessary to increase capacity four times. For this, using only one printed circuit board, within the limits of thermal dissipation of mechanical packaging of the compact ERB, studies of CPqD Foundation propose the processing of layers 1 and 2 predominantly by hardware. CPqD Foundation participates in this project contracted as third party services, being responsible for implementation of layer 1 and layer 2 algorithms in FPGA-type programmable hardware. The activities of prototyping and benchmarking of performance will be carried out by the Trópico. (AU)