Heterogeneous vs homogeneous MPSoC approaches for a mobile LTE modem

Abstract

Applications like 4G baseband modem require single-chip implementation to meet the integration and power consumption requirements. These applications demand a high computing performance with real-time constraints, low-power consumption and low cost. With the rapid evolution of telecom standards and the increasing demand for multi-standard products, the need for flexible baseband solutions is growing. The concept of Multi-Processor System-on-Chip (MPSoC) is well adapted to enable hardware reuse between products and between multiple wireless standards in the same device. Heterogeneous architectures are well known solutions but they have limited flexibility. Based on the experience of two heterogeneous Software Defined Radio (SDR) telecom chipsets, this paper presents the homoGENEous Processor arraY (GENEPY) platform for 4G applications. This platform is built with Smart ModEm Processors (SMEP) interconnected with a Network-on-Chip. The SMEP, implemented in 65nm low-power CMOS, can perform 3.2 GMAC/s with 77 GBits/s internal bandwidth at 400MHz. Two implementations of homogeneous GENEPY are compared to a heterogeneous platform in terms of silicon area, performance and power consumption. Results show that a homogeneous approach can be more efficient and flexible than a heterogeneous approach in the context of 4G Mobile Terminals.