GPS World

Tag: femtocell

  • ViaLite GPS links ensure reliable emergency support

    ViaLite GPS links ensure reliable emergency support

    Photo: monkeybusinessimages/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty ImagesPhoto:
    Photo: monkeybusinessimages/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

    Femtocell cellular base stations used by Global Medical Response (GMR) in their Dallas, Texas, offices are receiving high-accuracy GPS location and timing signals from RF-over-fiber links from ViaLite Communications.

    The GPS signals help GMR provide emergency quality medical care at a moment’s notice, primarily in the areas of emergency and patient relocation services in the United States and around the world.

    The Local Integrated GPS Splitter. (Photo: ViaLite)
    The Local Integrated GPS Splitter. (Photo: ViaLite)

    The highly reliable system consists of a ViaLite GPS Link that sends the GPS and timing signals from the rooftop antenna down an optical fiber to a Local Integrated GPS splitter situated in the building. The splitter then distributes the timing data to multiple femtocells.

    “The efficiency of ViaLite’s signal distribution techniques is second to none, and in this emergency support application, when action at a moment’s notice can be vital, our equipment’s reliability and performance are crucial,” explained Craig Somach, ViaLite sales director.

    A monitoring and control module is built into the GPS splitter. (Photo: ViaLite)
    A monitoring and control module is built into the GPS splitter. (Photo: ViaLite)

    Use of the high-tech splitter, which features a built-in monitoring and control module, also eliminates the need to install multiple antennas on the rooftop, avoiding the appearance of an antenna farm.

    “As a first-time customer, we found the deployment was as smooth and simple as ViaLite had promised,” said Dan Cottom, senior manager of communication systems at GMR. “The GPS distribution is working great.”

  • Broadcom Introduces Femtocell Chip to Integrate RF and Baseband Modem

    Broadcom Corporation introduced at the Mobile World Congress a highly integrated digital baseband processor and RF transceiver designed for 3G femtocell residential access points, the BCM61630 systems on chip. The Mobile World Congress is being held in Barcelona, Spain, this week.

    The new devices integrate a multiband CMOS RF transceiver with GPS and full-time sniffing capability while maintaining software compatibility with all previous Broadcom WCDMA physical layer and backhauling interface architectures.

    With the new chips, mobile operator OEMs and ODMs have a powerful, low-cost, power efficient device to support small cell strategies and meet growing mobile traffic demands. Embedding a high-speed CPU and Broadcom’s Layer 1 modem and peripherals, these devices provide a complete low-power single-chip solution for residential and small enterprise 3G small cell deployments, the company said.

    “As on-the-go content consumption continues to drive traffic growth, mobile operators must meet consumers’ increasing demand for higher bandwidth without sacrificing quality of service,” said Greg Fischer, Broadcom’s vice president and general manager for Broadband Carrier Access. “Broadcom’s BCM61630 SoCs deliver a low-power, cost-efficient device for residential small cells to leverage existing mobile infrastructure and deliver faster data speeds through a smaller form factor.”