Qualcomm could be all juiced up about getting its Snapdragon processor in 250 upcoming devices, but that does not mean the corporate has forgotten its wireless roots. The San Diego-based chip maker announced that its partnership with Wilocity has finally bore fruit inside the kind of the AR9004TB chipset. This tri-band wireless setup adds 60GHz WiGig to the standard 2.4 and 5GHz dual-band 802.11n formula for “multi-gigabit in-room performance.” Though faraway from finalized, the 802.11ad standard being pushed by the WiGig alliance have to be ready to hit speeds of 5Gbps — good enough to blast several HD video streams around your place. It also packs Bluetooth 4.0 on your less bandwidth intensive (and more battery sensitive) computing needs. Going smaller scale, Qualcomm also unveiled the WCN3660, a wireless chipset to counterpoint its Snapdragon CPU in smartphones and tablets. Inside this sliver of silicon is a dual-band Wi-Fi radio, Bluetooth 4.0, and an FM radio. It also supports Wi-Fi Display (to not be confused with WiDi) for beaming video to a WiFi-enabled TV or monitor. Head on after the break for more PR than you may shake an antenna at.
- Qualcomm Atheros AR9004TB Solution Adds In-room 5 Gbps Performance to Industry Leading Wi-Fi Technology -
TAIPEI, Taiwan and SAN JOSE, Calif., May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Qualcomm Atheros Inc., the networking and connectivity subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), and Wilocity, a number one developer of 60 GHz multi-gigabit wireless chipsets for the mobile computing, consumer electronics and peripheral markets, today announced the AR9004TB, the industry’s first tri-band Wi-Fi chipset that integrates the multi-gigabit performance of in-room 60 GHz band with seamless handoff to two.4 GHz and 5 GHz band Wi-Fi. The brand new AR9004TB solution is the primary chipset able to supporting a variety of applications, from I/O to video to networking, on the same speeds as equivalent wired connectivity technologies, while maintaining whole home coverage and complete interoperability.
AR9004TB is a major leap forward in delivering the foremost seamless, high-performance wireless networking connectivity. By way of a completely standards-compliant and interoperable approach, Qualcomm Atheros and Wilocity may help device makers deliver greater than 10 times greater speed in Wi-Fi performance, leading to faster data and video transfers between devices. These enhancements may help power much more advanced devices, applications and experiences, from gaming to video streaming, smart synchronization and wireless docking. New fast session transfer technology within the AR9004TB will drive a unbroken transition between multi-gigabit in-room performance to whole home and enterprise wireless coverage.
“The hot AR9004TB solution strengthens and expands our industry-leading portfolio of wireless and wired connectivity technologies for consumer and enterprise devices,” said Amir Faintuch, senior vp and general manager, consumer business unit, Qualcomm Atheros. “By incorporating 60 GHz multi-gigabit transfer with proven 802.11n Wi-Fi technologies, Qualcomm Atheros and Wilocity are creating an excellent more valuable offering for patrons trying to expand their presence available in the market. AR9004TB will allow users to enjoy new generations of wealthy applications in the house and at work while also helping keep their devices and data fully synchronized.”
“Because the promise of multi-gigabit wireless technology becomes reality, Wilocity is proud to take its place, with Qualcomm Atheros, on the head of the long line of future WiGig and draft 802.11ad products in an effort to follow,” said Mark Grodzinsky, vp of selling, Wilocity. “The AR9004TB solution is the primary to provide multi-gigabit Wi-Fi and wireless bus extension, coupled with dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 for a really wireless experience for quite a lot of applications from I/O to networking to video. For the 1st time, the fastest method to access data from products that implement this groundbreaking technology could be wireless.”
The AR9004TB solution is the primary tri-band Wi-Fi chipset to integrate support for two.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 60 GHz bands. As such, it’s the first chipset to bring standards-based, multi-gigabit wireless networking to the market, integrating 802.11n and WiGig/802.11ad technologies within the same form factor. Consumers utilizing devices in response to this technology will enjoy 802.11n Wi-Fi for whole home connectivity in addition to 802.11ad for networked synchronization of HD movies in seconds (versus tens of minutes), I/O connection to USB3/SATA hard drives, instant “sync and go” between mobile platforms, streaming display to projectors/TVs/monitors, and high-performance wireless docking.
The 60 GHz technology present in AR9004TB is predicated at the latest specifications from the Wireless Gigabit Alliance and IEEE 802.11ad and can be Wi-Fi Alliance certified. The AR9004TB also supports the most recent Bluetooth 4.0 specification, which contains both high-speed and coffee-energy operation to increase personal area connectivity to a lot of devices. It features a new message-based coexistence interface that enables superior interference avoidance and cancellation for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth coexistence.
Qualcomm Atheros and Wilocity might be demonstrating the AR9004TB tri-band Wi-Fi solution in Taipei, Taiwan at the side of the COMPUTEX TAIPEI trade event, with product sampling expected to start in summer 2011.
Apart from the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth on this press release, including the features, benefits and function of Qualcomm Atheros’ and Wilocity’s products and technologies, including the AR9004TB chipset, the predicted sampling of the AR9004TB beginning in summer 2011, and the expected growth of the multi-gigabit wireless market, are forward-looking statements inside the meaning of the personal Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to vary materially, including, but not limited to, difficulties inside the development of recent and enhanced products, general economic conditions, the results of competition and technological change, and the hazards detailed in Qualcomm Atheros’ (formerly Atheros Communications, Inc.) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, as amended, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 , as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in other reports filed with the SEC by Qualcomm Incorporated every so often.
About Wilocity
Wilocity is a number one developer of next-generation 60 GHz multi-gigabit wireless chipsets for the mobile computing, consumer electronics and peripheral markets with the intention to enable mobile device manufacturers to deliver the skinny and light-weight platforms that customers want without sacrificing the performance and functionality that buyers need. In line with the Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig) specification, Wilocity’s wireless bus extension technology will enable truly multi-gigabit wireless for a variety of applications from I/O to networking to video. For more info, please visit www.wilocity.com.
About Qualcomm Atheros
Qualcomm Atheros Inc., the networking and connectivity subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, is a number one provider of wireless and wired technologies for the mobile, networking, computing and consumer electronics markets. The organization is concentrated on inventing technologies that connect and empower people in ways in which are elegant and accessible to all. With its broad connectivity portfolio, Qualcomm Atheros provides its global customer base with high-performance, end-to-end solutions, featuring Wi-Fi®, GPS, Bluetooth®, Ethernet, HomePlug® powerline and PON technologies. Qualcomm Atheros leverages its substantial expertise in RF, signal processing, software and networking to deliver highly integrated, low-power, system-level solutions that enable customers to create high-performance, differentiated products. For additional information, visit www.qca.qualcomm.com.
Qualcomm Atheros is a hallmark of Qualcomm Atheros Inc. HomePlug is a registered trademark of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. All other trademarks are the only property in their respective owners.
WCN3660 Combo Chip Brings Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM Radio Connectivity to Qualcomm’s 28nm Snapdragon Family of Mobile Processors
TAIPEI, Taiwan and SAN JOSE, Calif. – May 31, 2011 – Qualcomm Atheros Inc., the networking and connectivity subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), today announced it has begun sampling its new WCN3660 combo chip, that’s designed to bring expanded connectivity options to the Qualcomm Snapdragon™ family of mobile processors. Optimized to be used in smartphone and tablet devices, the WCN3660 supports an intensive suite of advanced Wi-Fi connectivity options with multiple Wi-Fi standards. The WCN3660 chip also supports Bluetooth 3.0 and Bluetooth 4.0 and the global FM radio frequency band. Designed to interface with Qualcomm’s 28nm Snapdragon mobile processors, the brand new WCN3660 is a highly integrated solution, enabling customers to supply enhanced connectivity in mobile devices, while reducing the board area required for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth® and FM radio support by as much as 50 percent over existing solutions.
“With the launch of the WCN3660, Qualcomm Atheros is demonstrating its commitment to present an in depth connectivity portfolio of discrete, combo and integrated platform solutions to our smartphone and tablet customers,” said Amir Faintuch, senior vp and general manager, consumer business unit, Qualcomm Atheros. “Qualcomm Atheros is pleased to aid enable a brand new generation of mobile devices that connect users to the growing array of must-have social, media and cloud applications.”
The WCN3660 chip features single-stream, 802.11n with dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) operation to improve mobile wireless multimedia applications. The chip also supports mobile hotspot functionality for as much as 14 clients with industry standards-based Wi-Fi Direct™ for peer-to-peer wireless connections without an access point present. The WCN3660 will also support the emerging Wi-Fi Display™ standard for streaming video directly from a smartphone or tablet to a Wi-Fi-enabled display or television.
The WCN3660 chip has an integrated dual-band power amplifier, transmit antenna switch and on-chip matching circuit, which permits the chip to fulfill probably the most stringent carrier requirements while minimizing solution size and tool consumption. Bluetooth standards supported by the WCN3660 chip include high-speed Bluetooth 3.0 for audio streaming and device connectivity, and coffee-power Bluetooth 4.0, that is designed to work with low-power sensors, health monitoring devices and other low data-rate applications. The FM radio capabilities of the WCN3660 include support for both FM receiver and transceiver functionality; worldwide FM band support (76 to 108 MHz); RDS support for Europe and RBDS support for the U.S.; autonomous search, seek and manual tuning; and active noise cancellation.
The WCN3660 chip is compatible and directly interfaces with Snapdragon devices manufactured within the 28nm process, including the MSM8960™, MSM8270™, MSM8x30™ and APQ8064™. It uses an absolutely calibrated, wafer-level package smaller than 15mm-squared for direct mounting to a PCB for ease of design and implementation. The WCN3660′s small size and occasional power consumption in both active and standby modes help provide excellent battery life in mobile devices. To reduce interference and supply high LTE data throughput and optimal audio quality, the WCN3660 interfaces directly with the centralized coexistence manager within the Snapdragon device to supply real-time, intelligent packet arbitration and scheduling, providing an LTE/ISM coexistence solution that’s optimized beyond the capabilities of normal filtering approaches.
“Qualcomm Atheros is utilizing its systems expertise to deliver a highly innovative and integrated architecture for connectivity solutions in smartphones and tablets,” said David Favreau, vp of product management, Qualcomm Atheros. “The hot WCN3660 combo chip with the Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile processors provides a strong solution for always-connected mobile devices that support WAN, WLAN and WPAN connections.”
The WCN3660 is optimized to work with a broad range of mobile operating systems including Android, next-generation Windows and Windows Phone, Palm® WebOS™ and QNX®. Samples of the WCN3660 chip can be found now, with a commercial release scheduled for late 2011.
Other than the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth on this press release, including the features, benefits and function of Qualcomm Atheros’ products and technologies, including its WCN3660 combo chip, and the anticipated timing of economic release of the WCN3660 chip in late 2011, are forward-looking statements throughout the meaning of the non-public Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to vary materially, including, but not limited to, difficulties within the development of latest and enhanced products, general economic conditions, the consequences of competition and technological change, and the dangers detailed in Qualcomm Atheros’ (formerly Atheros Communications Inc.) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, as amended, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 , as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in other reports filed with the SEC by Qualcomm Incorporated every now and then.
About Qualcomm Atheros
Qualcomm Atheros Inc., the networking and connectivity subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, is a number one provider of wireless and wired technologies for the mobile, networking, computing and consumer electronics markets. The organization is targeted on inventing technologies that connect and empower people in ways in which are elegant and accessible to all. With its broad connectivity portfolio, Qualcomm Atheros provides its global customer base with high-performance, end-to-end solutions, featuring Wi-Fi®, GPS, Bluetooth®, Ethernet, HomePlug® powerline and PON technologies. Qualcomm Atheros leverages its substantial expertise in RF, signal processing, software and networking to deliver highly integrated, low-power, system-level solutions that enable customers to create high-performance, differentiated products. For additional info, visit www.qca.qualcomm.com.
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