Picochip (Country Manager Jin-ho Choi) has unveiled the PC3008, the first product in its next-generation picoXcell™ femtocell SoC family. The PC3008 is the industry's first USB-type femtocell and is optimized for cost-sensitive mass-production consumer applications. With the development of the PC3008, developers can now design base stations in ultra-small sizes, such as USB form factors.

With the realization of such ultra-small femtocells, it is expected that telecommunications operators will be able to easily add and commercialize HSPA+ home base station functions to devices such as home gateways, cable modems, and set-top boxes. Furthermore, the PC3008 offers economic advantages as its high integration density enables a significant reduction in the total component cost of 3G femtocells to under $50.

The PC3008 is the first product in the PC30xx family and supports eight simultaneous users with 3GPP Release 7 HSPA+ specifications (21Mbps downlink, 5Mbps uplink). This third-generation device is the successor to the PC202 released in 2006 and the industry-standard PC3xx series. Like the existing first and second-generation products, which are already in use in over one million base stations worldwide, the PC3008 utilizes PicoChip's proprietary, field-proven, powerful baseband (PHY).

Andy Gothard, Corporate Marketing Director at PicoChip, stated, “The growth of the femtocell market necessitates a fundamental rethinking of the design, operation, and use of mobile networks. PicoChip technology is currently utilized in almost all femtocells deployed in the industry, and we will continue to lead the industry to drive these changes. We expect to further expand our leading position in the industry based on the newly introduced PC3008 and upcoming products.” "PicoChip stated, 'Not only has it secured industry-leading device design technology, but it is also sparing no expense in investing in the system testing sector to ensure the best PHY and perfect reference designs.'"

The PC3008 is manufactured using 40nm process technology and utilizes a high-speed (950MHz) ARM11 processor with TrustZone® functionality (creating a secure zone on the advanced SoC). Furthermore, by integrating key 3G femtocell components into a QFN package measuring only 12x12mm, developers can produce more cost-effective ultra-small femtocells. In addition, the PC3008 features enhanced security capabilities and expanded integration, which reduces the number of external components and material costs. This product also provides optimized support for next-generation low-cost and low-power femtocell propagation.