Tekelec Selects Blue Wave DSP Products for Wireless Test Solution

Carrolton, TX-based Blue Wave Systems Inc. has landed a purchase order from Calabasas, CA-based N/A, a developer of wireless test solutions. Under the agreement, Tekelec will employ Blue Wave's ComStruct CPCI/C6400 digital signal processor (DSP) board and FACT software framework in its MGTS i3000 test platform for evaluating next-generation wireless designs.

The CPCI/C6400 is a CompactPCI board optimized for resilient multi-channel processing applications such as those used in wireless base stations. The board offers a combination of network interfaces, dedicated real-time system controller and four Texas Instruments TMS320C6201 processors. When combined, the four 200 MHz 'C6201 DSPs provide a peak processing capability of 6400 MIPS. Each processor has exclusive access to a bank of up to 16 MB of single wait-state SDRAM and 512 KB of zero wait state SBSRAM connected via the external memory interface (EMIF).

The two serial ports of each DSP are connected to a Lucent T8100 switch array. This switch provides an ECTF H.110-compliant interface between the 'C6201 processors and an H.110 timeslot bus giving each DSP access to as many as 192 bi-directional channels of speech or data, each at a rate of 64K b/s.

The host port of each C6201 is connected to a integrated interface that includes a PCI bridge device, enabling efficient data flow between the DSPs and the resources located on both the local and the host PCI bus. The PCI-to-PCI bridge device provides interrupt generation and DMA facilities that allow host controlled data transfer.

Also included on the CPCI/C6400 board is a Motorola MPC860T PowerQUICC processor for real-time, on-board control, signaling, and data management. The MPC860T offers direct access to 2 MB of flash memory for embedded code and data storage, and a bank of up to 16 MB of single wait-state SDRAM.

Software framework
Working in junction with the CPCI/C6400 board, Blue Wave's framework architecture for communication technologies (FACT) software enables the development of multi-channel applications for DSP systems. FACT is designed for software development and for full-scale applications deployment. It provides a software framework that is both host and DSP based, with architecture that offers high-level application programming interfaces (APIs), services, and DSP resources

Blue Wave has upgraded the FACT framework with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) functionality specifically for the Tekelec MGTS i3000 test platform. This will allow Tekelec to develop instruments that can be used to evaluate GPRS networks.

Test platform
Tekelec's MGTS i3000 is a complete diagnostic system for handling the convergence of wireless and wireline technology. The MGTS i3000 platform is CompactPCI technology and uses Pentium-class processors. The MGTS i3000 also offers a parallel software architecture that leverages the backplane and processor technologies.

Tekelec will develop prototype systems employing Blue Wave Systems' technology in the first quarter of 2000. Tekelec also anticipates first production units to ship in the first quarter of 2000. For more information, contact Tekelec at 800-835-3532.

Edited by Robert Keenan