Analog Devices, Inc announced that dual-mode 3G TD-SCDMA/GSM operation has been achieved on ADI’s SoftFone®-LCR chipset.
Recent testing completed on networks from two leading telecommunications operators in China demonstrated that Datang Mobile’s DTivy™ A2000 Dual-mode Handset Solution, powered by ADI’s SoftFone-LCR chipset, proved successful operating in GSM and 3G TD-SCDMA modes and switching between networks.
Developed by Datang Mobile, the inventor of the 3G TD-SCDMA standard, in conjunction with Analog Devices, the DTivy�A Solutions are a series of reference designs, which provide all of the necessary hardware and software to develop a 3G TD-SCDMA phone suitable for volume production. These products, offered in single- or dual-mode, provide fast time-to-market to manufacturers of a wide range of 3G TD-SCDMA products, from voice-centric phones, to high-end camera phones, camcorder phones, music phones, and video phones.
Dual-mode operation is a critical success factor and necessity as 3G networks continue to evolve and deploy. Without this capability, cellular handset users may lose coverage when entering areas that have yet to deploy 3G TD-SCDMA technology. Dual-mode handsets are designed to solve this problem by providing service on either 2/2.5G GSM/GPRS or 3G TD-SCDMA networks. With dual-mode handsets, users can enjoy high-speed data applications with 3G TD-SCDMA coverage, and be guaranteed GSM cellular coverage in areas where 3G TD-SCDMA coverage is not available.
Analog Devices’ SoftFone-LCR chipset is based on the popular RAM-based SoftFone architecture also used in Analog Devices’ GSM/GPRS, EDGE and W-CDMA chipsets. ADI’s SoftFone-LCR Dual-mode chipset consists of five chips, including a digital baseband processor based on the company’s Blackfin® Processor, achieving more than 250 MHz performance. The chipset also includes the Othello®-W direct-conversion radio transceiver, offering performance and flexibility for either LCR time division duplex (TDD) or W-CDMA frequency division duplex (FDD) terminals. The SoftFone-LCR chipset includes interfaces for cameras, color displays, IR, USB and SD/MMC, allowing handset manufacturers to create several designs with varying levels of feature sets for a wide range of phone models.