Lime Microsystems, the multi-band multi-standard RF transceiver IC company, is collaborating with Percello Ltd., an Israeli fabless semiconductor company developing highly integrated and low-cost digital baseband for UMTS and LTE networks, to develop a flexible high-performance reference platform for femtocell designs.

The reference platform combines Percello's PRC6xxx high-performance baseband IC, with Lime's LMS6002 multi-band, multi-standard RF transceiver IC. It will be used to develop femtocell designs for high data rate UMTS/HSPA+ air interfaces and will enable faster adoption of femtocells in the existing and emerging markets worldwide.

The LMS6002 is a multi-band multi-standard RF transceiver IC designed for femtocells and small cell base stations. The transceiver operates at user-selectable frequencies between 375 MHz and 4 GHz and is suitable for 3G, WiMAX and LTE standards. It can be digitally configured to operate in the full range of frequency bands, with 16 user-selectable bandwidths up to 28 MHz. This removes the need for individual transceiver chips for each of the different bands, and allows a small cell base station to be reconfigured rapidly and simply.

"We are delighted to have Percello as a baseband partner," said Ebrahim Bushehri, CEO of Lime Microsystems. "Percello's cost and performance-optimized baseband solution is an excellent match for the capabilities of Lime's transceiver for high data rate solutions. I am confident that this reference platform will go a long way towards accelerating the widespread adoption of femtocell technology."

Shlomo Gadot, CEO at Percello, added, "Femtocell technology is redefining cellular network topologies and paving the way for innovative operator services. Percello is focused on developing best-in-class baseband solutions that will enable mass market femtocell deployment. By working with innovative companies like Lime Microsystems, we can bring cost-effective femtocell solutions to the market."