OREANDA-NEWS. Fujitsu Laboratories Limited announced the development of a digital signal processor (DSP) for use in mobile device baseband processing. By employing a vector processing architecture as used in supercomputers, the DSP can efficiently run highly repetitive processes common in LTE(2) and other wireless processes. This, in turn, allows for greater energy efficiency.

By using 28-nanometer (nm) process technology and when running at 250 MHz, DSP is capable of processing data at 12 GOPS (12 billion operations per second). Excluding memory, the DSP measures only 0.4 mm2, and it consumes only 30 milliwatts (mW) of power, 20% less than existing DSPs.

The new DSP is expected to help lengthen talk times, usage times and standby times for smartphones and other mobile devices. In addition, revisions to the signal processing algorithm can be implemented through modifications to the DSP program, enabling fine-tuning of reception characteristics after the wireless baseband LSI has been manufactured, thereby contributing to shorter development lead times.

Details of the new technology will be presented at the 2013 International Symposium on VLSI Design, Automation and Test (2013 VLSI-DAT), scheduled to open on April 22 in Taiwan.