Interoperability testing validates O-RAN Open Fronthaul and Small Cell Forum (SCF) FAPI interfaces
Picocom, the 5G Open RAN baseband semiconductor and software specialist, and Radisys, a global leader in open telecom solutions and services, are engaged in interoperability testing (IOT) using Picocom's PC802 PHY Software Integration Kit (SIK), together with Radisys' 5G NR software which is compliant to the 5G SCF FAPI specification. The two companies have confirmed successful end-to-end 5G transmission of a real-time video stream in these tests laying the foundation for the commercial launch of Picocom's PC802 device.
Picocom's PC802 5G NR Open RAN standard-compliant baseband SoC (system-on-chip), and carrier-grade physical layer (PHY) software are due on the market later this year. The Picocom PHY SIK provides a functional software reference model of Picocom's PHY to enable developers to perform integration and interoperability testing of Picocom SoC-based Open RAN equipment before silicon availability.
Radisys' 5G NR software suite is compliant with 3GPP Release 15 with a solid roadmap to evolve towards Release 16 and supports Open RAN architectures. Radisys also provides 5G Core Network modules compliance to the 3GPP specification.
"The end-to-end testing we're doing with Radisys using a model of our 5GNR compliant PHY together with Radisys DU and CU solutions to stream video in real-time is a fantastic milestone for Picocom. I want to take this opportunity to thank our engineering teams and Radisys for their efforts in this fantastic achievement," said Vicky Messer, director, product management, Picocom. "We've validated our PHY software ahead of silicon, giving us the confidence that we can drop it onto our PC802 SoC, laying a solid foundation for product commercialisation and shipment to customers in the next few months."
“We are pleased with the progress we’ve made with Picocom in demonstrating interoperability of our solutions, making the case that Open RAN small cells are ready for prime time,” said Munish Chhabra, head of mobility software and services business, Radisys. “Our award-winning 5G NR software is instrumental in developing the Open RAN ecosystem, and this interoperability effort with Picocom will help deliver pre-integrated solutions to market.”
This announcement marks the successful completion of two of three scheduled pre-silicon IoT interoperability test phases. The first two stages consisted of; end-to-end testing with a VIAVI TM500 acting as a radio unit (RU) and a UE (user equipment) emulator; and end-to-end testing with a commercial radio unit and a VIAVI TM500 working as a UE emulator.
The third and final, pre-silicon stage introduces a commercial UE in place of the UE emulator and is already underway. In the future, Picocom and Radisys will continue to carry out further tests, leading to commercial verification of Picocom's PC802 5G PHY SoC.
The Picocom PC802 SoC is optimized for Open RAN small cells. It employs the FAPI protocol (defined by the Small Cell Forum) to communicate with and provide physical layer services to the MAC. It has an integrated O-RAN Alliance Open Fronthaul interface, based on eCPRI, to connect and communicate with Open RAN (remote) radio units (RUs) and JESD204B interfaces to connect gluelessly with commonly available radio transceivers.
For more information on Picocom's PC802 Open RAN SoC, click here.
