Qualcomm Atheros, the networking and connectivity subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, will be showcasing a variety of next-generation wireless chipset technologies this week at the Computex Taipei 2011.
Qualcomm Atheros has been a leader in moving the consumer electronics industry towards dual-band Wi-Fi solutions that utilize both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, enabling consumers to access cleaner spectrum for reliable media-rich applications that require interference-free bandwidth and minimal latency. Qualcomm Atheros will be demonstrating new innovations that highlight the company's established expertise in 5GHz Wi-Fi, as well as new solutions that advance HomePlug powerline and Ethernet connectivity.
Qualcomm Atheros recently announced the AR9374, a single-chip, dual-band 802.11n MIMO solution that utilizes both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. The AR9374 brings reliable wireless connectivity to fixed consumer electronics, enabling consumers to enjoy content everywhere in the home with connected TVs, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, digital media adapters, home network-attached-storage, speakers, game consoles and wireless audio products. With an increased number of Wi-Fi devices crowding the 2.4GHz band and the growing abundance of HD-quality media content, consumers need the benefits of the 5GHz Wi-Fi band more than ever for uninterrupted downloads and smooth content streaming throughout the home. The AR9374 dual-stream chip also offers high bandwidth with 40MHz transmissions to support very high data rate applications without the limitations associated with previous Wi-Fi standards.
In addition to the AR9374, Qualcomm Atheros will demonstrate its recently expanded Hy-Fi hybrid networking solutions that integrate leading Wi-Fi, HomePlug AV powerline and Ethernet connectivity technologies to ensure HD content delivery to fixed and mobile devices in the most challenging coverage areas in the home. The expanded Hy-Fi solutions include hardware reference designs that incorporate performance, power and cost improvements, along with advanced software algorithms to deliver easier installation, highly reliable connectivity, substantially increased aggregate bandwidth and greater home coverage. The solutions also incorporate SmartLink, a new powerline technology that increases coverage by transferring data across all three electrical wires - line, neutral and ground - to extend the seamless multi-room HD video experience without the need for additional wiring inside the home.
At Computex, Qualcomm Atheros will demonstrate the AR9374 solution with integrated efficient power amplifiers (EPAs) and low noise amplifiers (LNAs), which enable reliable wireless connectivity and advanced streaming performance at comparable prices to previous single-stream solutions, eliminating cost barriers for consumer electronics manufacturers to upgrade to more media-capable Wi-Fi. Demonstrations will include peer-to-peer video streaming from PC to TV utilizing the new AR9374 and AR6004 dual-band, dual-stream 802.11n solutions, and HD video streaming from a tablet to a TV utilizing the AR6003 single-stream 11n solutions.
Additional Technology and Product Demonstrations:
Qualcomm Atheros XSPAN solutions, which use the latest 802.11n and 5GHz technologies to enhance multimedia connectivity in computers, TVs and routers
Qualcomm Atheros' new HomePlug Green PHY development kit, which offers ultra low-power, low-resource designs for smart grid/smart home product development
Qualcomm Atheros' Gigabit Ethernet solutions, which feature 802.3az energy efficient Ethernet, balancing performance and power for computing and networking
"The ongoing proliferation of connected devices within the home continues to drive tremendous momentum within the networking industry," said Dan Rabinovitsj, senior vice president and general manager, networking business unit, Qualcomm Atheros. "Qualcomm Atheros' expanding portfolio of solutions is playing a critical role in helping both device manufacturers and consumers take advantage of the technological advancements taking place in both wired and wireless networking and connectivity. Our commitment to continue driving the transition to 5 GHz Wi-Fi and next-generation powerline networking will help consumers realize the full potential of even more powerful devices, applications and experiences, whether with gaming, HD-video streaming or smart synchronization between devices."