picoChip’s software reference designs have become de facto standards in the WiMAX market. They are already used in volume in the largest WiMAX deployments. Indeed, they are shipping from more OEMs and carriers than any other architecture, including leading names such as Intel, Redline and Airspan – as well as other major companies. And they are specified by AT4 Wireless, the WiMAX Forum’s preferred certification lab, as its “golden modem”.

Because picoChip’s reference designs are fully-tested, fully-integrated, system-level solutions which implement the complete WiMAX PHY+MAC, customers using them benefit from fast time-to-market with first-time success at reduced development cost. The picoChip PC6532 reference design, for example, is a single-chip implementation – the only complete system that can meet the aggressive cost and performance targets required in femtocells.

Our software-defined approach has allowed our customers to undertake interoperability testing and enter the market early; as demonstrated by the upgrade path from initial 802.16d implementations, through 802.16e Wave 1 and on to Wave 2 with full mobility and MIMO. And our architecture is scalable: the same PHY can be used in macro-basestations, picocells and femtocells, maximizing return-on-investment and reducing risk.

This same strategy allows our architecture to encompass new capabilities such as AAS, Release 1.5 and more antennas. Further ahead, the picoArray provides all of the performance that will be necessary to deliver even higher data rates, as 802.16m extends the standard to become a genuine 4G specification.

Moreover, a software-based approach gives our customers the ability to differentiate their products quickly and simply, both by allowing easy systems integration and by facilitating the incorporation of their own IP. With multiple picoChip-based end- products already deployed in the field, our customers know they can rely on our rigorous in-house testing regime to ensure a smooth path through interoperability testing to certification.

The picoArray’s performance advantages have a dramatic impact. They mean that our solutions have reduced bill-of-materials and lower power dissipation. We can meet or exceed all the performance requirements of the IEEE802.16 standard in static, multipath and co-channel interference conditions for all modulation schemes. This increased performance translates directly into increased range, more coverage and better network economics for carriers.

picoChip’s PC6530 single chip WiMAX femtocell reference design was honored in the 2008 Best of WiMAX World EMEA Awards in the Industry Innovation category.

At the WiMAX World 2008 Low Power CPE Chipset Shootout, technology from picoChip and its partner Wintegra was used as the independent reference basestation equipment