Base Transceiver Stations

BTS Overview
ƒ Base stations also known as Base Transceiver Stations
(BTS) are fixed stations that enable wireless devices to
communicate with a land-based transmission network
within a give range (typically a cell site)

ƒ A number of base stations are connected to a Base

station controller (BSC)

ƒ A Base station usually consists of a cabinet or a small

building containing electronic equipment and the
associated antennas. Antennas may be mounted on a
dedicated structure, or on an existing structure, such
as a water tower or building
 Macro, Micro, Pico BTS
Macro BTS
ƒ Typically have a maximum output power of 40-45 dBm and support
about 100 channels

Micro BTS
ƒ Smaller than the Macro BTS and usually used to relieve capacity in hot
spots

ƒ Typically 20-30 dBm supporting 8-20 channels

Pico BTS
ƒ Even smaller and more discrete than micro base stations and necessary
for good indoor coverage

ƒ Typically 10-20 dBm supporting 8-20 channels

RFM supplies IF filters to Macro, Micro and Pico BTS
 Technologies
Base stations support different technologies which have evolved over time

Source: www.3g.co.uk
 1G / Analog
First generation of mobile technology using non-standardized analog
radio systems which carried only voice traffic
Less secure and prone to interference when signal is weak

ƒ AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System)

- Original standard for analog cellular phone service
- Used primarily in North America, Latin America, Australia, and
parts of Russia and Asia

ƒ ETACS (Extended Total Access Communication System)

- Developed in the UK and available in Europe and Asia

ƒ TACS (Total Access Communication System)

- Used in Britain for the 900 MHz frequency band
- Based on the US AMPS system and later adopted in other
countries including Hong Kong and Japan
 2G
2nd generation of mobile telephony systems using digital radio technology
and supporting high bit rate voice, limited data communications and
improved quality
ƒ GSM (Global System for Mobile communications)
- Uses 900 MHz and 1800 MHz in Europe and 1900 MHz in America
- Widely adopted in Europe and Asia and weakly supported in North America

ƒ CDMA One (Code Division Multiple Access)

- Uses a spread spectrum technique to scatter a radio signal across a wide
range of frequencies
- Widely deployed in the United States, South America and parts of Asia

ƒ TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access)

- Divides each cellular channel into time slots in order to increase the
amount of data that can be carried
- Operated in the Americas, New Zealand, parts of Russia and Asia
 2.5G
2.5G is a bridge from the voice-centric 2G networks to the data-centric
3G networks and incorporates higher speeds to support data transport

ƒ GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)

- An upgrade to GSM and TDMA networks which introduces packet data
transmission and to be deployed in all regions

ƒ EDGE (Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution)

- Technology upgrade for GSM and TDMA networks beyond GPRS to
allow greater data rate per time slot
- Deployed mainly in the United States and Europe

ƒ CDMA 2000 1x (Code Division Multiple Access 1X)

- Technology upgrade for CDMA one networks
 3G
3G offers enhancements to current applications including greater data
speeds, increased capacity for voice and data and a broader range of services

ƒ CDMA2000 1xEV-DO (CDMA 1x Evolutionary- Data Only)

- Evolution of the CDMA2000 air-interface standard for greater spectral
efficiency and optimized for data traffic alone

ƒ CDMA2000 1xEV-DV (CDMA 1x Evolutionary- Data and Voice)

- Evolution of the CDMA2000 air-interface standard for greater spectral
efficiency and optimized for data and voice traffic

ƒ WCDMA (Wide Code Division Multiple Access )

- Evolution path by the GSM world and optimized to support high-speed
mobile multimedia

ƒ TD - SCDMA (Time Division - Synchronous CDMA)

- Developed by the Chinese Academy of Telecommunications Technology
(CATT) and Siemens, combines TDMA with a synchronous CDMA
component and very well suited for data and voice transmission
3G connections by
Region
 3G connections by
Technology

RFM supplies filters to both CDMA2000 as well as W-CDMA platforms

 BTS - Market Growth
Factors
ƒ Growth in the demand for newer wireless applications and
services

ƒ Deployment of 3G networks by major operators in

developed countries will advance at a rapid pace

ƒ Subscriber growth predicted to rise in developing

countries enabling new infrastructure deployment

ƒ Rise in popularity of public WLANs will facilitate adoption

of wireless data services

ƒ Regulations, as in South Korea where CDMA operators are

currently seeking to deploy additional WCDMA networks
 Typical BTS Architecture
Antenna
Diversity IF SAW IF SAW
Receivers FILTER FILTER

To Receiver
Back-end

RF BPF

IF SAW IF SAW
FILTER FILTER

To Receiver
Back-end

Transmitter
Antenna

From
Transmitter
Modulator

RF LPF
IF SAW
FILTER
 RFM products for BTS
ƒ RFM specializes in IF filter solutions which provide
channelization for 1G/2G/2.5G and 3G (GSM, CDMA,
TDMA, GPRS, EDGE, W-CDMA, TD - SCDMA and 3G
CDMA2000) base stations

ƒ RFM’s filters represent state-of-the-art SAW design

and provide the desired intermediate frequency
filtering solutions

ƒ RFM IF filters provide optimum size to performance

ratios for the base station market
 Summary
ƒ The BTS market will grow as demand for newer
wireless services will propel industry
infrastructure move towards 3G

ƒ RF Monolithics has developed multiple IF filter

products for various technologies

ƒ RFM has remained in existing platforms

throughout the telecom downturn and also has
secured new design wins with major wireless
infrastructure providers

ƒ Wireless is…BTS. Wireless is…RFM!