Dualmode CWPAN/ZigBee RFIC Transceiver
ART/028CP
20080111 - 20090510
9714
Dr I Chih-Lin
The project deliverables are listed in the following:
Dualmode CWPAN/ZigBee RFIC Transceiver Architecture and System Design
• Dualmode reconfiguration design
• Direct conversion architecture design
• System and modules specifications definition
• System interfaces and interfaces between modules definition
CWPAN/ZigBee Transceiver Modules IP
• Modules IP design in terms of schematics, simulation and layout
• Modules include receiver modules, transmitter modules, frequency synthesizer modules, SPI and miscellaneous modules.
• Modules IP evaluation results
CWPAN/ZigBee Transceiver RFIC
• Functional transceiver RFIC engineering samples fabricated in 0.18um RF CMOS technology. A few silicon tapeouts are planned to verify the transceiver RFIC.
Demo Board
• Demo board for the transceiver RFIC to work or test in a platform
Final reports of design documentation, interface definition (including SPI interface control) and integration guide
• All documentations which are necessary to license our technology and IP to external partners, including design, interface and integration.
Patent Applications
• Two patents in the areas of direct conversion architecture, DC offset cancellation, dual mode LNA, PA and VCO modules design and implementation
Industry contribution and sponsorship
Our project partner Vinno Technologies has committed RMB900K contribution to this full project including cash of RMB800K and in-kind of RMB100K. We will actively look for customers, and obtain commitment of industry contribution for at least 10% of total budget before end of ninth month after project kickoff. We will continue to engage with customers for IP licensing in the rest of project duration and after the end of project. The goal is to promote the technology and project deliverables and support industries in Hong Kong, PRD and China.
Vinno Technologies Inc. [Sponsor]
This project aims to develop a dualmode RFIC transceiver for CWPAN/ZigBee applications. CWPAN is low-rate China wireless personal area network (CWPAN) national standard established in Feb 2007 and will be finalized in Feb 2008. It operates at dedicated 780MHz band with data rate of 250kbps. It is also a part of international standard, IEEE802.15.4C where task group was established specially for CWPAN. International ZigBee is also for low rate WPAN, it operates at ISM band of 868MHz for Europe, 915MHz for US and 2.4GHz worldwide. This project will develop a dualmode RFIC transceiver supporting CWPAN at 780MHz and ZigBee at 868/915MHz bands. A transceiver system will be designed that includes a total of 19 modules from RF frontend to ADC/DAC. The final deliverable will be an integrated transceiver IP/IC with 0.18um RF CMOS. A systematic approach will be adopted from system level simulation and verification, module level design, implementation and verification to transceiver integration. Four silicon tapeouts are planned to evaluate and prove the dualmode RFIC transceiver. This project is primarily driven by enormous market opportunities as well as technology innovation. CWPAN/ZigBee has a lot of applications on wireless sensor network, home network, commercial and industry control, building automation and automatic metering. In Sept 2007, Bob Heile, Chairman of IEEE802.15, predicted that compound growth rate of ZigBee market would reach 100% to 150%, and annual shipment would reach 300M around year 2010. China is one of the biggest markets with its own standard CWPAN. ASTRI is the first company developing CWPAN chip with its collaboration partner, and this partner is a pioneering company for CWPAN standard. This gives us tremendous time advantage and market opportunity ahead of the rest of competitors. Our dualmode IP/IC is not only capable for China, but also for the rest of world. We can license our IP to wireless IC design houses, SoC design houses, MCU companies and existing ZigBee chip companies.