Designers of wireless base stations need practical tools that shorten the development time and deployment of next-generation wireless systems. Right out of the box, the Optichron Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD) Development Tool Suite offers a complete signal compression and transmit-path linearization solution from baseband processor to power amplifier (PA) in an easy-to-use, GUI-driven solution. The DPD Development Platform includes a development board hardware solution that can be used as an evaluation tool, development vehicle and as a reference design for multiple product designs. The development board is supported by a comprehensive GUI, documentation including schematics and Gerber files and requires minimal instrumentation for use. In addition, a USB Debug Adapter directly connects the Optichron GUI with the DPD Development Platform and customer hardware.

DPD Development Platform
The DPD Development Platform meets the most critical needs of the system designer – versatility, performance and ease of use. This complete and flexible development tool provides a single foundation for evaluating and developing multiple, highly-efficient, product designs that support various protocols and frequency bands. The key linearization components of the DPD Development Board – Optichron's OP4400 DPD and OP5000 CFR IC devices – offer the industry's best performing DPD/CFR combination, providing 5th order compensation when processing 30 MHz of signal bandwidth. The universal DPD algorithm in the OP4400 eliminates any need for DPD algorithm software development and subsequent software maintenance. In addition to the Optichron DPD and CFR devices, the development board contains all of the components necessary for the complete transmit loop, with the exception of the customer's selected driver and power amplifier (PA), and covers specific 700 to 3.7 GHz development requirements in five optimized configurations.

USB Debug Adapter
The USB Debug Adapter is a small board that provides direct communication to customer hardware from the same GUI that is used to evaluate and develop solutions for CFR and DPD using the DPD Development Platform. This provides full control over all operational aspects of the DPD and CFR in the customer system. This tool may be used to program the serial Flash PROM that initializes both devices. Flash images may be directly downloaded to the customer system and direct access to the CFR and DPD functionality are delivered via the familiar GUI. The USB Debug Adapter is also a solution for the telecommunication industry's manufacturing and provides direct insights into the operation of the transmit path using Optichron CFR and DPD solutions. Transmitters may be tuned and QA'd with this tool as well as serviced in the field.

GUI (Graphical User Interface)
A key benefit of the Optichron DPD Development Tool Suite is ease of system evaluation, development, implementation, manufacturing and QA. A common GUI provides the same ease of evaluation, development, tuning, QA and field service independent of whether it is employed with the Optichron DPD Development Platforms or through the USB Debug Adapter to the customer's system in a lab, on a manufacturing line or in the field. The easy-to-use Optichron GUI is comprehensive yet simple, enabling the flexible configuration of design features. It runs on a laptop PC and supports seamless migration from the development to the production vehicle and field service with the USB Debug Adapter.

DPD Development Platform Block Diagram

Available DPD Development Board Platforms and Tools
The Optichron DPD Development Platform is currently available in five configurations that support a wide range of protocols (see table below). The DPD Development Platform and USB Debug Adapter are sold separately. For more detailed information and pricing, please contact Optichron Sales at 510.249.5230 or via email at sales@optichron.com.