PA Develops an LTE PHY for Catapult

• 1. An LTE PHY for CatapultCommunicationsCatapult Communications is a leader in the field of Network Test Equipment.Catapults products are used around the world to test developments andimplementations of advanced digital communications systems. Catapults latestproduct is the patent-pending LTE User Equipment (UE) Simulator, the t600platform, equipped with the LTE UE Sector Card Sets, that work as a peripheralplatform to the Catapult DCT2000. This platform uses a Physical Layerinterface to connect to the target eNode B. Case study

2. Figure: 1StandardsTest vectors ArchitectureIP Cores ControlDSP Signal ChainsTestAnd Integrate FPGA Signal Chains IP CoresInterface Control PA worked with Catapult to devise the most effective solution. The requirements included fast development, high throughput, flexibility for performance and upgrade and effective interfaces to the higher layers of the test system and to the target unit-under-test. PA carried out a 6 week design study, aiming to plan an effective architecture, which could meet all these requirements and could deliver a program with minimum project risk and optimised costs. Architecture The selected architecture uses a mixture of DSP and FPGA, built within a TCA chassis. The TCA approach gives great flexibility and granularity, permitting later system enhancements and easy field maintenance. The DSP FPGA split reflects the nature of the LTE system. Intensive front end signal processing ( FFT, iDFT, Turbo etc) is handled in the FPGA while the DSP runs upper PHY functions, and all the control plane activities. The architecture presents Catapult with the greatest flexibility, both in the system build (where extra cards can be used to increase capacity) and in the development process (where functional testing is simplified by the distributed approach). Development Program PAs development program used a small dedicated team of communications professionals specialising in the rapid development of complex systems. The team shared design decisions and worked to minimise development risk and maximise productivity, through agile development methods and a highly parallel set of development tasks. 3. PAs role in the development of our LTE test system has been a great help inmeeting our overall objectives. Their approach to fast-track development hasbeen outstanding, and has delivered an LTE PHY right on time.Kalyan Sundhar,Catapults VP EngineeringReset from FiNE(TBC) On-board LEDs FPGA Top Level On-boardoscillator(s)D/L (Rx) Signal Chain WrapperD/L (Rx) Signal ChainClock Debug LEDReset ControlGenerationdriverPLL LockedCommon MemoryInput Buffer Output Buffer IRQ I/O Register File Interface Async. Serial (debug messaging )RS232DDR2DDR2 PhyRS-232headerBank 0 Controller Interface/Control WrapperVersion Block(auto-updated) System Interconnect DoorbellSlaveDoorbell Nios Subsystem IRQ Register File System Interconnect Sys. Mnt. Test Mux. Cfg.SlaveBackplane 4x sRIOsRIO Endpoint Resets RegisterDecodeFile Fast System Interconnect IO WriteControlMaster MessageExt.QueueBridge I/O Write IO ReadMasterDecode/MuxI/O Read LA Breakout MezzanineDDR2 DDR2 ControllerBank 1 MictorMezzanineMezzanineConnectorConnectorCommon MemoryInput Buffer Output Buffer IRQ I/O Register File InterfaceTest Multiplexer Cong. Mictor U/L (Tx) Signal Chain Test NodesU/L (Tx) Signal Chain WrapperSignal Chain FPGA Top Level KeyETS -08 -0102 -D_A 1Avalon MM Data Plane(fast) Avalon MM Control Plane(slow) The work was able to draw on key supporting IP elements from leading silicon vendors Freescale and Altera. The Freescale 8144 processor provides a high performance system, with quad-core DSPs delivering 16,000 16-bit MMACS per device. The Altera EP2S130 offers a super high density array, supported by key IP blocks suitable for the OFDM environment. The program has gone from start to a customer-delivered operational PHY in less than 10 months. PA has provided Catapult with access to early versions of the system in order to allow the system integration to proceed in parallel. Joint integration has taken place, using common test vectors, and leading to a reliable, well understood platform. PA has helped transfer PHY level knowledge to Catapult to enable design evolution. 4. PAs assistance has been vital for Catapult to deliverour LTE Test solution to customers on time. PA hasshown excellent understanding of LTE technologyand been responsive to our needs.James Rankin,Catapults LTE Product manger Standards and functions The work has tracked the LTE standards, with upgrades to account for 3GPP Release 8 May, June, September and December 2008 documents (an upgrade to version 8.5 is in development). The code has been enhanced to provide variousCorporate headquarters levels of instrumentation and control, to allow additional modes of operation of the 123 Buckingham Palace Road final test system. London SW1W 9SRUnited KingdomTel:+44 20 7730 9000 Benefits for CatapultFax: +44 20 7333 5050E-mail: [email protected] The work has allowed Catapult to make a major move into a new and fast moving market sector. The PA team has injected a breadth of knowledge of LTE and itsCambridge TechnologyCentre operation and has enabled the Catapult team to concentrate on core businessMelbourn the higher layer testing methodology, built upon their proven DCT2000 test system. Herts SG8 6DPTel: +44 1763 261222Fax: +44 1763 260023Contact: John ONeill www.paconsulting.com PA Consulting Group is aleading management, systemsand technology consulting firm,operating worldwide in morethan 35 countries. For more information onPAs wireless offering,please visitwww.paconsulting.com/wireless Principal national offices inArgentina, China, Denmark,Germany, India, Ireland,Malaysia, The Netherlands,New Zealand, Norway,Sweden, United Arab Emirates,United Kingdom, United StatesDCT2000 and the Catapult logo are registered trademarks PA Knowledge Limited 009. of Catapult Communications Corporation.All rights reserved.00667-20