0222 Mw Ceva Penta G2 Promo 6217f362e906f

5G Baseband Platform IP for Mobile Broadband and IoT Streamlines 5G NR Design

Feb. 24, 2022

Platform integrates low-power DSPs with specialized programmable accelerators for optimal modem processing chains, delivering up to a 4X improvement in power efficiency versus predecessor.

David Maliniak

Related To: Microwaves & RF

The Overview

CEVA's new PentaG2 is a second-generation 5G platform architecture aimed at speeding design and marketing of new usage models for mobile broadband and IoT. It's claimed as a comprehensive hardware/software IP platform that combines advanced DSPs with special-purpose accelerators for optimal signal-chain processing. The result is a 4X improvement in power efficiency compared with its predecessor.

Who Needs it and Why?

According to Ericsson's recent Mobility Report forecasts, cellular IoT will comprise some 5.5 billion of the overall 8.9 billion cellular connections in 2027, up from 1.9 billion cellular IoT connections in 2021. Moreover, the number of fixed wireless access connections is expected to rise from 90 million in 2021 to near 230 million in 2027. The PentaG2 platform is said to reduce the barriers of entry for semiconductor makers and OEMs looking to claim a share of these market opportunities in mobile broadband and IoT, or to be self-sufficient with respect to their 5G handsets' SoCs, by providing a platform with all the key building blocks required for full LTE/5G modem design.

While 5G today is predominantly associated with smartphones, it offers an immense opportunity to expand the use of cellular technology to new markets that are not fully utilizing the potential of 5G, including industrial, robotics, wearables, healthcare, automotive, fixed wireless access, and smart grid.

Under the Hood

To address a broader scope of potential users, PentaG2 platforms will initially be offered in two configurations:

PentaG2-Max targets enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) use cases in handsets and CPE/FWA terminals and mmWave, NR-Sidelink and cellular V2X (C-V2X), as well as URLLC-enabled AR/VR use cases. PentaG2-Max is claimed as the world’s only complete IP offering able to efficiently process the immense workloads required for 3GPP releases 16 and 17, looking forward to 5G advanced, for both Sub-6 and mmWave 5G broadband, with a 4X performance/area improvement in data-path processing.
PentaG2-Lite supports a range of reduced-capacity use cases, including LTE Cat1 and future 3GPP Rel-17/18 NR RedCap (Reduced Capacity, aka NR-Lite). PentaG2-Lite is an extremely efficient and lean baseband implementation with complete processing chain acceleration and utilizing a small footprint DSP controller, to meet the most stringent power budgets.

Crucially, both configurations offer the flexibility to allow customers combine their own proprietary algorithms and IP, such as channel estimation or advanced equalization, with the PentaG2 platform via standard interfaces.

PentaG2 includes a complete set of programmable accelerators and coprocessors, constituting end-to-end in-line signal processing chains. Accelerators introduced for the first time as part of the PentaG2 platform include:

Bit-demodulation unit, supporting entire Rx bit and LLR processing
Bit-modulation unit for entire Tx bit processing
Equalizer and MAC engine co-processor unit
5G LDPC encoder/decoder
5G polar encoder/decoder

PentaG2 is available for licensing to lead customers today and for general licensing in the second half of this year. For further information, visit the product webpage.

About the Author

David Maliniak | Executive Editor, Microwaves & RF

I am Executive Editor of Microwaves & RF, an all-digital publication that broadly covers all aspects of wireless communications. More particularly, we're keeping a close eye on technologies in the consumer-oriented 5G, 6G, IoT, M2M, and V2X markets, in which much of the wireless market's growth will occur in this decade and beyond. I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, developers, and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

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About me:

In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy, leaving to rejoin the EOEM B2B publishing world in January 2020. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.