services

LTE (Long term Evolution)

LTE, being developed by 3GPP, describes the evolution of mobile technology that delivers higher data rates and supports bandwidth heavy applications such as file sharing, video on demand, and broadband Internet. As the demand for mobile broadband will grow, LTE will get further momentum. It is expected that two thirds of mobile broadband subscribers will be served by HSPA and LTE. To service the ever-growing end-user demands and retain its competitiveness, the 3GPP initiated working on the Long Term Evolution (LTE) of 3G in November 2004.

LTE implements a new radio access technology that is optimized for IP-based traffic and offers operators a simple upgrade path from 3G networks. LTE is also focused on evolving the core architecture of mobile networks called system architecture evolution. Together, they will deliver significant performance enhancements over 3G. Also called 4G technology, LTE will improve spectral efficiency by 2-4 times as compared to that of 3G/HSPA networks. This simply translates into higher data speeds/increased capacity that enables wireless broadband services, and other rich media applications.
The set of high level requirements identified for the 3G LTE are:

• A reduced per bit cost
• An increased service provisioning - more services at a lower cost with an enhanced end user experience
• Flexibility of using the existing as well as new frequency bands
• A simplified architecture and open interfaces
• A reduced terminal power consumption

LTE networks field deployment is expected in 2010; this puts pressure on equipment vendors, hardware manufacturers, and software vendors to quickly develop and test products, test for interoperability, reduce risks, and control costs.

As a member of the 3GPP, Aricent is committed to investing in developing and supporting solutions for Long Term Evolution (LTE). With proven expertise in developing solutions for UMTS network nodes, Aricent can help you address the key challenegs, including speeding development, optimizing R&D resources, reducing risks and costs and adapt quickly with the evolving specifications.

Aricent’s LTE Technical Capabilities

Aricent is a member of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) global initiative, which is working on LTE standards and evolution. With proven expertise in pre-LTE technologies and standards, Aricent is uniquely and competitively poised to deliver solutions for LTE eNodeB, EPC (Evolved Packet Core) and other network components.

Aricent, since 2007, has been extensively investing in LTE R&D, testing infrastructure, and engineering resources to help its customers develop quality products, reduce cost and speed time to market.

The table below gives an overview of our technical capabilities in LTE technology. Exclusive focus on communications technology and wide range of experience in GSM/GPRS, UMTS, WiMAX, Femtocell and RNC technologies help us speed development and reduce costs and risks.

Co-Creating LTE network equipment

Aricent capabilities support every phase of the LTE product lifecycle from technical consulting to product development and testing, and on through product sustenance.

Technical Consulting
Aricent has proven capabilities in Product Evolution Strategy for Content Service Management Gateway, Node definition practices, enodeB and Evolved Packet Core (EPC). Aricent provides solutions and services to Equipment Manufacturers, Hardware and Software Vendors, and System Integrators. Our solutions encompass eNodeB components, EPC technology components and interfaces.

We also provide consulting to OEMs to help them migrate seamlessly to LTE based network solutions from their existing Release 5 or Release 6 compliant WCDMA based solutions. We help them take the right path to design, develop and test LTE based network solutions.

Product Development Services

Aricent with its extensive domain knowledge has an established capability in LTE products design and development. Aricent has proven expertise in developing and testing eNodeB modules including control plane software, middleware, supervisory software, and test tools.

Testing Services

Aricent utilizes various 3rd party test vendors and tools to ensure compliance and performance benchmarking for LTE standards and specifications. In addition, Aricent has a proven testing methodology and infrastructure to tests equipment against various parameters including interoperability with other network nodes.

Why do you need Aricent to co-create LTE network nodes?

• Time to Market
  
  • On demand access to Aricent’s consulting, proven expertise in developing 2G, 2.5G, 3G, HSPA/HSPA+, and UMTS network nodes, OS and hardware agnostic IPRs, ready to use frameworks, and strong partnerships with silicon vendors shortens your product development cycles. This proven approach speeds time to market and reduces risks and costs.
• Optimizing R&D resources
  
  • Aricent has proven expertise in developing control plane and signaling stacks for UMTS 3G network. We can take complete ownership of developing scalable LTE network nodes’ software components meeting real-time performance requirements.  This allows you to optimize your R&D resources for core LTE products and focus on developing new products and entering new markets.
• Flexibility and expertise with scale
  
  • Aricent has the expertise to move across the technology value chain in both the eNodeB (different layers and LTE protocol stacks) and Evolved Packet Core (EPC) technology domains and quickly adapt to evolving requirements. With exclusive focus on the communications industry, coupled with more than 8000 consultants and engineers globally, Aricent has the expertise and scale to support every phase of LTE product development.

Solutions for Semi-Conductor vendors

Aricent provides a reference solution for porting, optimization and integration of layer1 (PHY) and layer (MAC, RLC, PDCP) LTE protocol stacks for eNodeB processors and chipsets.

LTE Layer 1 – LTE Baseband/PHY Library:
Our LTE Baseband/LTE PHY Library is hardware and OS independent. It conforms to the latest 3GPP LTE standards and supports all mandatory and optional features. You can easily customize, port, optimize and integrate the LTE PHY library on any platform, which substantially reduces costs and shortens time to market. Being an active member of the 3GPP forum enables us develop solutions that comply with the evolving 3GPP standards.
Aricent is developing MATLAB simulation and Fixed point C reference libraries for LTE PHY for eNodeB supporting FDD mode. The PHY components are compliant with  3GPP TS 36.211, 36.212 and 36.141.
Aricent is developing:

• Transmitter functionality (CCM Tx + Modulator) for the downlink channels
• Receiver functionality (CCM Rx + Demodulator) for the uplink channels.
• Proprietory receiver components like channel estimation/equalization, Timing & Frequency synchronization, Multiple Antenna Receiver Diversity and MU-MIMO.

• Uplink receiver chain for performance as per Chapter 8 3GPP TS 36.141 for various reference channels under various propagation conditions.

Click for larger view

LTE Layer 2 – LTE MAC Library

Our LTE MAC Library is hardware and OS independent conforming to the latest 3GPP LTE standards and it supports all mandatory and optional features. You can easily customize, port, optimize and integrate the LTE PHY library on any platform, which substantially reduces costs and shortens time to market. Being an active member of the 3GPP forum enables us develop solutions that comply with the evolving 3GPP standards.
Features and Benefits
The Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol layer of E-NodeB provides the coupling between the logical link level layer (RLC) and the physical layer. MAC layer has the control interface with the RRC layer.
The LTE MAC layer supports multithreading architecture to effectively utilize Multi-Core and virtual multithread enabled chip. This is highly scalable and you can port it onto any hardware platform.
MAC stack entity supports the following functionality as specified by the 3GPP E-UTRAN specification:

• Mapping between logical channels and transport channels
• Multiplexing of MAC SDUs from one or different logical channels onto transport blocks (TB) to be delivered to the physical layer on transport channels
• De-multiplexing of MAC SDUs for one or different logical channels from uplink transport blocks delivered from physical layer on that transport channel
• Error correction through HARQ
• Priority handling between UEs through dynamic scheduling
• Priority handling between logical channels of one UE
• Transport format selection
• Support for BCH, PCH, and Downlink SCH, Uplink SCH transport channel
• MAC scheduler design is generic in nature considering the factors that are important for providing long-term fairness between the UEs. The factors will be UE Priority, Logical Channel Priority and other parameters like GBR, MBR, Queue Load, Modulation Scheme, Relative time delay and CQI
• MAC layer provides a well-defined interface for interfacing with RLC, Physical Layer and RRC layer
• MAC layer is scalable to support large number of user in the system.

Click for larger view

Mobility Management Entity (MME) Solutions
With vast experience in developing software for UMTS nodes and demonstrated capabilities in solutions such SGSN and GGSN, Aricent can deliver MME server framework -high performance source code that implements 3GPP LTE MME functionality.
The MME server is the heart of all control plane and session management functions of LTE Evolved Packet Core (EPC). It manages complex features such as resource allocation and bearer control for multiple nodes and gateways in the EPC. MME also takes care of features such as Inter eNodeB handover, which are more complex in terms of testing and deployment.

Click for larger view

EPC (Evolved Packet Core) Solutions
Aricent is currently formulating a Base architecture definition for evolved Packet Core Server. It has expertise and experience in LTE/SAE protocols and architecture as well as in SGSN Content Service Management Gateways. It has matured and evolved 3G protocol offerings and frameworks, which are Release 5 and Release 6 compliant.
This allows us to develop additional IETF protocols for Evolved Packet Core (EPC).

• Diameter/Radius
  
  • AAA Interface
• Mobile IP
  
  • S2-C Control
  • End-to-end data path management
  • Inter-Access handovers
• L2TP
  
  • Gi-U Interface
• IPIP or GRE
  
  • S2-U interface

Click for larger view