Universal Digital Card for Multi-Interface DAS Interoperability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Distributed antenna systems (DAS) face limitations due to donor cards and distribution cards being specific to particular base station entities and vendor-specific access points, restricting flexibility and compatibility across different communication interfaces.
Innovation Solution
A universal digital card (UDC) is introduced, equipped with external digital interfaces to handle multiple external formats and a backplane interface for native DAS fronthaul data, enabling it to function as either a donor card or distribution card, and facilitating communication across various base station entities and non-DAS nodes using multiple interface formats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If donor cards and distribution cards are designed to be specific to particular base station entities and vendor-specific access points, then device reliability and performance are ensured, but device versatility and system compatibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal card design that can function as either a donor card or a distribution card depending on configuration. The card includes multiple interface types (CPRI, eCPRI, O-RAN, Ethernet) and can be programmed to support different base station entities and vendor-specific access points, eliminating the need for separate dedicated cards for each function while maintaining full functionality and reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple dedicated cards are used to support different interface formats and base station entities, then interface compatibility is improved, but device complexity and system cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple dedicated card functions into a single universal card. The card integrates support for multiple interface formats (CPRI, eCPRI, O-RAN, Ethernet) and can be configured to work with different base station entities, thereby reducing the total number of cards required in the system and simplifying both device and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal card employs dynamic configuration capabilities, allowing it to be programmatically adapted to different interface formats and base station entities through software configuration rather than fixed hardware design. This dynamic reconfigurability enables the same physical card to serve multiple functions without requiring separate dedicated hardware for each interface type.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment is directed to a universal digital card (UDC) for use in a node of a distributed antenna system (DAS). The UDC is configured to convert data between an external interface format used to communicate on an external communication link and a fronthaul interface format natively used in the DAS. The UDC is configured to be selectively used either as: a donor card to communicatively couple the node to one or more base station entities via the external digital interface or a distribution card to communicatively couple the node to one or more non-DAS nodes, hubs, switches, or remote radio heads or one or more other DAS nodes access points. Other embodiments are disclosed.