An 8-User UMTS Channel Unit Processor for 3GPP Base Station Applications

We present a multi-user W-CDMA baseband channel unit processor for cellular base station applications. The ASIC is compliant with the 3GPP/UMTS standard and exceeds 3GPP minimum requirements for high-speed data by 2.2 to 6.2 dB. It supports up to 8 users simultaneously, with a mix of voice and data services and a maximum uplink data rate of 384kbps and maximum downlink data rate of 2Mbps. 

The ASIC implements preamble detection, searching, demodulation RAKE-finger processing, channel coding/decoding for voice and data services, and transmission functions. It is coupled to a DSP to form a complete channel element for 8 users. The ASIC has 1.88M gates plus 2.7 Mbits of SRAM in a 0.16mum CMOS process at 61.44MHz.