Qualcomm Announces Sample Shipping of Highly Integrated CDMA Cell Site Modem
ORLANDO, Fla. — 23-09-1998 — Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM)today announced it has begun sample shipping, on schedule, of the CSM2000™next-generation Cell Site Modem (CSM™) chip for Code Division MultipleAccess (CDMA ) infrastructure and test equipment. Initial shipments tocustomers of production quantities of the modem are expected to begin earlynext year.The CSM2000 is a multiple-channel CDMA digital baseband chip capable ofsupporting up to eight forward link channels and eight reverse linkchannels. CDMA infrastructure manufacturers will benefit from asignificant cost reduction per channel, a very large reduction in thecircuit board space required, as well as lower power consumption per channel.
"From the improved circuitry and software compatibility to the power andspace savings, customers will experience a broad array of enhancedcapabilities provided by the CSM2000 chip," said Johan Lodenius, vicepresident of marketing for Qualcomm's ASIC Products Division. "TheCSM2000 chip will enable design of much smaller, lower-cost CDMA basestations."
The 8x integration allows a single CSM to demodulate up to eightsimultaneous channels as required for IS-95B high speed data services andsupported by the MSM3000™ chip.
Qualcomm recently introduced the MSM3000, a fifth-generation single-chipMobile Station Modem (MSM™). This new low-power chipset and softwaresolution enables design of small-form factor handsets with very longstand-by times and much higher data-rate services. It is the firstsingle-chip baseband solution for any cellular or PCS standard to enabledata speeds up to 86.4 kbps. Together Qualcomm's MSM3000 chip,IFT3000™/IFR3000™ and RF front end constitute the system hardware necessaryfor an IS-95-A or IS-95-B CDMA compliant handset. Samples of the MSM3000chip began shipping on schedule in July 1998.
Features of the CSM2000 chip are detailed below:
- The CSM2000 chip incorporates eight channel elements into a singledevice. Each channel element performs CDMA modulation, CDMA demodulationand Viterbi decoding. The channel elements are chained together internallyrequiring only one set of transmit outputs and therefore reducing the drivepower required per channel.
- The high integration of the CSM2000 chip allows substantial power savingsover previous CSM devices. The CSM2000 chip provides more than 75 percentpower savings when replacing eight CSM1.0 devices and more than 25 percentpower savings when replacing eight CSM1.5 devices. The CSM2000 chiprequires a single power supply operating between 2.7 and 3.6 volts.
- The CSM2000 chip contains improved time tracking and lock detectcircuitry in the demodulator of each channel element. This designenhancement provides up to 1.2 dB improvement over CSM1.0 and CSM1.5devices depending on vehicle speed and the number of demodulating fingersoperating at a given time. It also reduces the output power required fromthe phone, resulting in longer battery life and increased reverse linksystem capacity.
- Each channel element within the CSM2000 chip can be accessed as if itwere a single CSM1.0 or CSM1.5 device. The registers are shared betweenchannel elements whenever possible. These features allow the CSM2000 chipto be software compatible with the CSM1.0 and CSM1.5 devices with veryminor changes.
- The CSM2000 chip comes in a 128-pin Metric Quad Flat Pack (MQFP) packageallowing a significant space savings for base station hardware. Thefootprint of a single CSM2000 chip is only 18 percent of the area occupiedby eight CSM1.5 devices.
Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Qualcomm develops, manufactures,markets, licenses, and operates advanced communications systems andproducts based on its proprietary digital wireless technologies. TheCompany's primary product areas are the OmniTRACS® system (a geostationarysatellite-based, mobile communications system providing two-way data andposition reporting services), CDMA wireless communications systems andproducts and, in conjunction with others, the development of theGlobalstar™ low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite communications system. Othercompany products include the Eudora Pro® electronic mail software, ASICproducts, and communications equipment and systems for government andcommercial customers worldwide. For more information on Qualcomm productsand technologies, please visit the Company's web site at WWW.Qualcomm.COM.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news releasecontains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks anduncertainties, including timely product development and commercialimplementation of Qualcomm's products, as well as the other risks detailedfrom time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report onForm 10-K for the year ended September 28, 1997 and most recent Form 10-Q.
