The next generation of wireless communication systems will provide much higher bandwidths to mobile users. Because of this, developers are looking intensively at advanced concepts, such as smart antennas and MIMO.

Lyrtech offers MIMO and smart antenna development platforms for FPGA or hybrid FPGA/DSP systems. Its SignalMaster line of products includes an array of cPCI inputs and outputs, FPGA, and DSP boards featuring Xilinx Virtex-series FPGA and Texas Instruments DSP.

Range of platforms

In the specific application field of MIMO and smart antennas, Lyrtech provides a complete range of DSP/FPGA platforms, ranging from the 8, 16, and 32-channel (105 MHz) FPGA-based VHS series to the SignalMaster Quad 6713-6416, Virtex-II/Virtex-4 platforms. They provide very powerful intermediate frequency and baseband processing capabilities. A third-party RF front end is also available for the platforms.

Complete MIMO or smart antenna system schematic with VHS and SignalMaster Quad. VHS-only configuration also possible

All Lyrtech products come with standard-compliant DSP and host computer drivers, as well as FPGA base implementation. A number of field-specific application examples allow users to rapidly start developing their applications. All these examples are documented and benchmarked in terms of code performance and footprint. All our products are also tightly integrated with MATLAB, Simulink and The MathWorks Real-Time Workshop model-based simulation tools, as well as the Xilinx System Generator for DSP FPGA design tool.

User story

CRL-NITC (Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology)

Angle Detection of Arrival

The CRL-NICT, a government-based research institution attached to the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications in Japan, developed, in collaboration with researchers from TAO (Telecommunication Advancement Organization, Yokosuka, Japan), a system to conduct airborne research on array antennas that would be used in Japan’s 4G project based on HAPS (High Altitude Platform System).

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Los Alamos National Laboratory

Rapid prototyping platform for radio-frequency geolocation applications

Los Alamos National Laboratory is charged with certain aspects of nuclear nonproliferation activity monitoring. In particular, Los Alamos is interested in detecting any nuclear testing that may occur, and uses several sensing methods to achieve this goal. One of these methods is to look for the RF emissions that accompany nuclear device detonations. Not only is it important to detect these detonations, it is also imperative to geographically locate where they take place (geolocation). When multiple sensors, across multiple platforms are available, cross-ambiguity function (CAF) processing may be implemented to use any time difference-of-arrival (TDOA) or frequency difference-of-arrival (FDOA) measurements to effectively triangulate where the RF originated. The Lyrtech VHS-ADC/DAC systems, integrated to MATLAB and Simulink, as well as to System Generator for DSP software tools provided Los Alamos with an interface that allowed them to graphically implement a short baseline interferometer for simulation, fixed-point testing, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and eventual deployment.

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Application Note

	"Development of a SCA 3.1-compliant W-CDMA waveform on DSP/FPGA specialized hardware" (PDF)
	"Prototyping a MIMO W-CDMA system using a system-level approach" (PDF)

> VHS-ADC > VHS-ADC V4

VHS-ADC Xilinx Virtex II and V4 (SX/LX) family The new VHS-ADC is an ideal card for array antennas/MIMO (Multiple Input/Multiple Output) development. With 8 or 16 channels at 105 MHz, a Xilinx Virtex II or V4 FPGA for high-speed processing, it provides developers with advanced hardware and ease of development. When combined with additional DSP/FPGA processing boards, such as the SignalMaster or QuadMaster cPCI platform, it becomes a complete and very high performance IF/baseband solution. Highlights Eight 105 MSPS Input channels Optional Add-On daughter board provides 8 additional Input channels / 8 outputs channels and a Virtex-II FPGA processing board Compact PCI (32-bit cPCI, 33 MHz) 6U form factor High speed FPDP (320 MB/sec) or LVDS (16 B/sec) digital ports. Hardware drivers integration in Simulink Blocksets for quick implementation Leading edge communication interface allowing Real-Time data monitoring from Simulink scopes and remote operations On Board SDRAM for buffering (up to 2 channels full-speed).

These modules are compatible with SignalMaster Development Platforms:

Platform	DSP/FPGA	Modular design	I/Os	Simulink Integration
SignalMaster Quad Virtex-4 Product page	4 Texas Instruments TMS320C6416 DSP (720 MHz or 1 GHz) (4x) Xilinx Virtex-4 FPGA (LX100 or LX160) (2x)	Yes: 2 LYRIO sites	See "Add-On Modules" section about compatible modules	Yes
SignalMaster Quad Virtex-II C6713 Product page: Benchtop form factor Product page: cPCI form factor	4 Texas Instruments TMS320C6713 @ 225MHz 2 XC2V3000 to XC2V8000 Xilinx VirtexII FPGA	Yes: 2 LYRIO sites	See "Add-On Modules" section	Yes
SignalMaster Quad TMS320C6416 Product page GSPX 2004 Award Winning	4 Texas Instruments TMS320C6416 @ 720MHz 2 XC2V3000 to XC2V8000 Xilinx VirtexII FPGA	Yes: 2 LYRIO sites		Yes