Leuven, Belgium --- February 11, 2003 – The design of high-performance low-cost receivers for advanced wireless local area networks (WLANs) lies at the most challenging edge of technology and design capability.

Digital compensation techniques can either relax critical analog design specifications or increase receiver performance. IMEC is focusing on three important receiver problems: automatic gain control and DC offset compensation, I/Q mismatch reduction, and common phase noise reduction. Mixed-signal exploration and simulation methodologies offer new insights and potential timesaving for the system designer.  IMEC has developed a design methodology for efficient high-level mixed-signal exploration, based on the coupling of two C++-based in-house tools: FAST and OCAPI.

At this year’s DATE Conference, IMEC will show a complete OFDM WLAN transceiver simulation using its in-house tools featuring an integrated and easy-to-use Matlab/Java user interface.

The demonstration couples two IMEC-developed simulators: FAST, a high-level, multi-rate, multi- carrier dataflow simulator for analog systems, and OCAPI, the FAST counterpart in the digital domain. The analog blocks of the transceiver are represented with high-level models that include all major non-ideal effects, such as phase noise, I/Q imbalance or non-linearities. This coupling, based on compact models, allows for efficient bit-error-rate simulations of the whole system.

The user-interface provides all the tools required by an RF designer for architecture exploration, specifications determination or designed systems simulation. While the actual simulation is performed using FAST/OCAPI C++ code, Java is used to describe and manipulate the data structures, and Matlab is used as a top-level layer providing a complete set of post-processing and plotting capabilities. The Java interface of Matlab provides a seaming less integration of the Java code into the Matlab environment.

This modular framework provides for the integration of other components such as system-level and circuit-level compact modeling tools. Its main features include:

- C++ code generation from a high-level description;

- On/off switching of different non-ideal effects using a model leveling scheme;

- Easy storage and comparison of both the simulation results and the system under analysis;

- Scripting of the simulation process;

- Easy integration of user-provided Matlab models.

Access to IMEC’s OCAPI and FAST tools is possible either through IMEC’s wireless and reconfigurable systems industrial affiliation programs or through technology transfer agreements. Also direct license agreements, based on the extensive OCAPI and FAST patent portfolios are possible.

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Notes to editors

About IMEC

IMEC was founded in 1984 and today is Europe’s largest independent research center in the field of microelectronics, nanotechnology, enabling design methods and technologies for ICT systems. IMEC's activities concentrate on the design technology for integrated information and communication systems; silicon process steps and modules, silicon processes; nanotechnology, microsystems, components and packaging; solar cells; and advanced training in microelectronics. IMEC is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has a staff of more than 1250 people including over 380 industrial residents and guest researchers. Its revenue of more than 130Meuro is derived from agreements and contracts with the Flemish government and companies, equipment and material suppliers and semiconductor and system-oriented companies worldwide, the EC, MEDEA+ and ESA. News from IMEC is located at www.imec.be.

For more information:

Katrien Marent

Corporate Communication Manager

IMEC, Kapeldreef 75

B- 3001 Leuven, Belgium

Tel +32 16 28 18 80 Fax +32 16 28 16 37

Email: Katrien.Marent@imec.be