RF DSP offers an O-RAN Radio Unit (O-RU) IP core that implements the low PHY baseband functions of the eNB/gNB base station and 7.2x split fronthaul interface to an O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU) which implements the high PHY. This O-RU IP includes:

• O-RAN fronthaul eCPRI/RoE over IP and UDP, supporting 2T2R all the way to 64T 64R massive MIMO.
• Multiple bands and component carriers, mixed numerology, optional carrier combining with NR + LTE+, LTE-M/NB-IoT and NR mixed numerology support, all with real-time C-plane control.
• FFT/IFFT and PRACH U-plane processing, IQ compression and decompression, optional beamforming, optional O-RAN Category B.
• Embedded software processing of PTP 1588 messages and reference S-plane clock recovery circuit.
• Packet classification of M-plane messages.
• IQ interfaces: to Ethernet fronthaul, DUC/DDC and RF transceivers
• Processor interface: for M-plane external CPU processing
• Radio clock interface: 100Hz radio frame clock input. Optional 100Hz radio frame clock output from the S-plane reference hardware circuit.
• Optional features and extension types, design services for customization and porting available

Features

CU-plane for data path IQ processing

• O-RU Category A, non-beamforming baseline configuration
• O-RU Category B and beamforming options
  • IQ streams for up to 4 layers/beams at fronthaul interface and 2, 4 or 8 ADC/DACs at antenna interface
  • TDD and FDD
  • Sub-6GHz and mmWave support
  • Channel bandwidth options
• NR: up to 50 / 100 / 200 / 400 MHz
• LTE: 5 / 10 / 20 MHz
• LTE-M: 1.4 MHz
• NB-IoT: 200 kHz
  • Subcarrier spacing options
• NR: 15 / 30 / 60 / 120 kHz
• LTE: 15 kHz
• LTE-M: 15 kHz
• NB-IoT: 3.75 / 15 kHz
  • Downlink IFFT and phase rotation for OFDM transmitter
  • Uplink FFT and phase rotation for OFDM receiver and PRACH
  • IQ compression/decompression options
  • DSS support
  • Carrier aggregation support
  • Customized component carrier combining / extraction options including DSS, mixed numerology, for different RF interface options

S-plane timing synchronization support

• Packet classification for S-plane PTP 1588 packets and processing in embedded CPU
  • O-RAN Packet alignment {frame, subframe, slot, symbol} to radio frame clock input
  • O-RU S-Plane hardware/software integrated components for all O-RAN defined synchronization topologies C1 through C4 in a reference circuit implementation

M-plane for non-real-time control

• Packet classification for M-plane packets and routing to external CPU interface
  • API and command interface to external CPU for configuration and status reporting

Fronthaul interface

• 1x10G, 2x10G, 1x25G, 2x25G Ethernet link options
  • eCPRI fronthaul transport, with UDP over IPv4

RF interface

• AXI-streaming IQ sample interface
  • Optional customized RF interface option, including DFE (DUC, DDC)
  • Optional JESD204B/C interface option to Analog Devices or MaxLinear RF transceivers

O-RAN O-RU SDE (System Development Environment)

• PHY layer end-to-end system environment for optimization, conformance and performance testing of O-RU
  • RF DSP O-RU reference hardware, and a second unit   for signal playback and capture
  • Matlab and C-code running on Linux PC as O-RU Hardware Control, high PHY signal generation and analysis
  • O-RAN compliant CUS stimulus with PTP/SyncE
  • 3GPP compliant 5G NR waveforms3GPP Channel Models
  • O-RAN/eCPRI protocols decode
  • IQ extraction & 5G NR modulation EVM, BER and Throughput measurements
  • Supports optimization of RF frontend in a PHY layer end-to-end system
  • Suite of stock A, B, C, D conformance tests, with source code to support adding custom tests
  • Bit exact/accuracy testing with DDR playback and record paths
  • Interfaces to integrate custom RF interface modules, including DUC, CFR/DPD, DDC.
  • Interfaces to inject external test signals from bench test equipment / O-DU for interoperability testing in simulation and with hardware reference platform.

Please contact sales@rfdsp.com for questions and quotes.