June 21, 2012, Seoul, Korea – Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: FSL) is adding a Metrocell System-on-Chip (SoC) solution to its QorIQ Qonverge line, providing the industry's first single-chip-based base station portfolio built on a common architecture spanning from small to large cells. Freescale's new QorIQ Qonverge B4420 baseband processor delivers high throughput and simultaneous multimode operation for up to 250 users, and supports LTE, LTE Advanced, and WCDMA (HSPA+) standards.

The B4420 is a processor that completes the first generation of Freescale’s QorIQ Qonverge portfolio, which already features SoCs for small and multi-sector macrocell base stations. This processor is designed for high-capacity metropolitan areas and extended outdoor coverage where macrocell coverage is insufficient. The B4420 provides optimal coverage for end users and enables operators to achieve flexibility in wireless planning and ultra-high performance while reducing capital and operating costs.

"Scott Aylor, General Manager of Freescale's Wireless Access Business Unit, stated, 'Freescale's first-generation QorIQ Qonverge single-chip base station devices transform the future of wireless infrastructure equipment by providing technology that augments LTE, reduces costs, and secures the future of the new WCDMA.'" “With the new B4420 baseband processor, base station OEMs can utilize the industry’s most scalable single-chip solution for feature-rich base stations installed by micro and metro carriers,” he said.

The Metrocell B4420 SoC shares a common architecture with the small cell and macrocell members of the QorIQ Qonverge portfolio, is software-compatible, and is package and pin-compatible with the QorIQ Qonverge B4860 device. Thanks to this extensive compatibility, OEMs can accelerate time-to-market and leverage their existing software and hardware investments.

The B4420 device delivers enhanced performance by integrating two 1.6GHz dual-threaded Power Architecture® e6500 processor cores, two 1.2GHz StarCore DSP (Digital Signal Processor) SC3900 flexible vector processors, a high-performance MAPLE-B (Multi-Accelerator Platform Engine for Baseband) for Layer-1 acceleration, and accelerators for Layer-2 and transport processing. Built on 28nm process technology, the B4420 provides up to two 20MHz LTE sectors, 600Mbps throughput, and relay support with an optimal cost-to-power ratio, enabling designers to develop base stations with high user density, low cost, and low power designs.

The B4420 single-chip base station is designed to enable operators to rapidly adopt 4G data-centric wireless devices while reducing 3G installation costs. The B4420 provides a comprehensive, high-performance, and cost-effective processing solution that supports Layer-1 transmission baseband processing, ranging from backhaul IP packets to antenna IQ samples. High speeds and industry-standard interfaces enable seamless connectivity of antennas, Wi-Fi® chipsets, and backhaul.

Proven technology and industry-leading core
The QorIQ Qonverge single-chip based portfolio is built with two proven technologies.
• The Power Architecture e6500 dual-threaded core enables industry-leading CoreMark® benchmark performance per watt, allowing for the development of small base stations with high user density and low-power operation.
Freescale’s latest StarCore DSP core, the SC3900, achieved the highest floating-point BDTIsimMark2000™ benchmark score measured by BDTI1 (Berkeley Design Technology, Inc.), an independent signal processing technology analysis company, and delivers nearly twice the DSP performance of competitors. The DSP core provides 16 bits per cycle at 1.2 GHz and 32 MACs, enabling OEMs to develop high-throughput systems while leveraging their own IP using programmable cores within optimal cost and power thresholds.

Supply situation
• Freescale plans to begin supplying samples of the QorIQ Qonverge B4420 device in the third quarter of 2012. Further details can be found at www.freescale.com/QorIQQonverge .