3Way utilises Blackfin for home base station

December 6, 2006

3G niche infrastructure manufacturer 3Way Networks announced that it is using Analog Devices' (ADI) Blackfin processor to power its new home base station (HBS) solution. The 3Way HBS solution is designed to allow mobile operators to offer converged voice, video and data solutions in the home. By leveraging the price/performance attributes of the Blackfin processor, 3Way is able to offer European customers a cost-effective solution. Commercial shipments will start at the beginning of next year.

The HBS solution provides a coverage and capacity bubble in the home that allows customers to use their mobile phones at tariff rates significantly lower than fixed phones and a significant new revenue opportunity for mobile operators facing a slowdown in growth. 3Way's automated power control system enables plug-and-play deployment of home base stations on a mass scale without compromising the operators existing 3G network performance.

After a significant evaluation process, 3Way selected ADI's Blackfin processor. "From the outset of this project we focused on getting the digital signal processing solution that offers the best price/performance in the market," said Dr. Chris Moore, 3Way's CTO. "Home base stations are competing with other convergence technologies such as UMA and Voice over WLAN. To be competitive, small base station solutions such as the HBS need to cost 10s of Euros and not 100s of Euros. By using a high capability standard processor such as Blackfin, that offers the right level price performance, we are able to deliver a solution that meets the market needs," said Dr Moore.

ADI's Blackfin processor embodies a new breed of 16/32-bit embedded processor with the industry's highest performance and power efficiency for applications where a convergence of capabilities - multi-format audio, video, voice and image processing; multi-mode baseband and packet processing; and real-time security and control processing - are critical.