Abstract: A method and apparatus for supplying a timing signal from a central unit to at least one radio head connected to the central unit via a communications link. An external signal, typically generated by a MSC, is received at a first framer of the central unit and the first framer generates a reference clock signal based thereon. This reference clock signal is used as the transmit clock for a second framer, known as the radio head framer. The radio head framer transmits a radio head downlink signal to the radio head(s) via the communications link. The radio head downlink signal typically includes payload information and an associated timing reference signal, typically in the form of an embedded clock signal. This timing reference signal of the downlink is based on the reference clock signal from the first framer, rather than being based on a clock signal from an oscillator within the central unit.

Abstract: A thermally and electrically conductive (TEC) pad is disposed between a PCB and a heat sink in a cellular telephone base station. The TEC pad includes at least one aperture that overlies one or more signal vias on a ground plane of the PCB. The TEC pad apertures are larger than any underlying signal vias in order to electrically isolate the signal vias from the conductive material of the pad and the heat sink. The TEC pad allows ground vias on a PCB ground plane to ground to the heat sink.

Abstract: A transceiver board for use in a cellular radiotelephone base station comprises a first cellular radio transceiver including a first controller that controls the operation of the first transceiver, a second cellular radio transceiver including a second controller that controls the operation of the second transceiver, common local oscillator that generates a tuning signal used by the first and second transceivers for tuning a radio signal, and an arbitrator that is connected to the first and second controllers and that determines which of the first and second controllers communicates with the common local oscillator. Preferably, the arbitrator is implemented by a programmable device such as a programmable logic device (PLD) that monitors the first and second controllers to determine which controller attempts to communicate with the common local oscillator first so that that controller is allowed to communicate with a common local oscillator to the exclusion of the other controller.