Data Plane
The Data Plane (D-Plane) subsystem is programmed in high level C code and is able to execute the entire signal processing requirements of the modem from front-end symbol processing, right through to back-end data packet bit level processing. The VSP is augmented by several modem-specific processing units to ensure optimal performance under all circumstances; these include a dedicated FEC unit and a configurable RF interface unit.

The VSP combines advanced Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) techniques with power efficient vector arithmetic and datapath to fully exploit instruction and data level parallelism in the algorithmic code it executes. The unique capabilities of the VSP mean that even highly complex MIMO OFDM equalisation algorithms may be developed in software and executed in realtime at a power consumption which is comparable with the dedicated hardware which it replaces.

Control Plane
The Control Plane (C-Plane) subsystem manages and sequences the operation of the Data Plane ensuring that data movement and the processing of that data are co-ordinated according to the on-air requirements of the overall wireless Radio Access Technology (RAT) specifications. The C-Plane is built around a standard ARM processor and related support components to ensure ease of use and an efficient power-performance trade off. In addition, the use of a dedicated micro-sequencing engine provides a highly power-efficient means of controlling the individual PHY tasks running on the VSP, especially in low power states such as idle mode and sleep mode.

L1PHY Runtime and Modem Management Software
The Runtime System and Modem Management software form an underlying scheduling and management layer which sits beneath the target Layer 1 and provides background services necessary to keep the control and data processing on-task and within time, power and performance budgets. A clear and concise API provides a familiar interface to experienced modem development engineers.