Tag Archive for Qualcomm Atheros

24 Oct 2012
AR6003

Qualcomm Atheros FAE Training Update

I just returned from the first day of the Qualcomm Atheros (QCA) FAE training on Monday in San Jose.  This is an annual event attended by approximately 200 Qualcomm Atheros FAE’s and select QCA Authorized Development Centers like Silex Technology America.  Silex Technology America is an extension of the Qualcomm Atheros FAE organization in providing support to QCA customers and we get access to the same training and resources as QCA FAE’s.

The FAE training is a five day event and it is being attended by two Silex Technology engineers.  The first day (which I attended) was a roadmap update by the three QCA business units (IBU, CBU and NBU).  I was particularly interested in the CBU (Consumer Business Unit) updates which included AR6004 plans as well as updated software schedule information.  Also of interest was a presentation by the IOE (Internet of Everything) which is a component of the NBU (Networking Business Unit).  This organization is driving “Ultra Low Power” Wi-Fi solutions, a market segment that is being investigated by the Silex Technology R&D organization.

After the first day roadmap overview, each business unit has separate “hands-on” break-out sessions that deep dive into various technical topics that we need to understand to help customers through the integration process.  Examples include:

  • General RF Debug Knowledge
  • Windows BT Overview
  • Android WLN Driver Overview
  • Wi-Fi Direct

The other value of participating is joining the evening activities which provide an opportunity to strengthen personal relationships with key QCA personnel.  All-in-all, this is time well spent to enhance the Silex Technology relationship with QCA in order to continue to provide the best support for Silex Technology America customers!

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26 Apr 2012
AR6003 • Silex • Wireless Module

Missions for Wireless LAN (3)

To Be Faster – 3:  Using Millimeter Wave

Since laws hinder the use of the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, we may come up with the idea to use a totally different frequency.  It is a 60GHz band and is called Millimeter Wave.  Consecutive bands more than 10GHz have been made available on an unlicensed basis in some countries.  The IEEE802.11ad standard has been now researched and developed as the Wireless LAN in the 60GHz band.  An organization called WiGig is also promoting to standardize this frequency band at the same time.

The millimeter wave can get a broad range of band and is less affected by interference.  The millimeter wave is attenuated because of a resonance of the oxygen molecule, so it shortens the communication distance in the air and doesn’t go through objects including walls and glass windows.  The millimeter wave has a directional characteristic like a laser beam (see note below). The radio wave hardly ever goes to the direction except the antenna’s radiation patterns.  In regard to the radio wave in 2.4GHz that freely goes to neighborhoods within a few meters radius, there is no chance for the radio wave in 60GHz to go through the next room separated by a couple inches of a wall.  It means that the radio rarely causes interference and is hardly ever tapped.

(Note) The millimeter wave technology has been developed for military operations, such as for missile guidance, because of its sharp directional characteristic.

on the other hand, the strong directional characteristic can be an obstacle when it is used as Wireless LAN.  If the angle of antenna placement is moved a little bit, it may cause a communication error.  Even for the fixed devices, it is difficult to use the millimeter wave. Furthermore, if the antennas try to send the millimeter wave to many devices, antennas have to move side to side and up and down to lock on to a target. How can we solve this problem?  I can tell you that there is a technology to do it.  It is named phased array antennas.  The phased array antennas control a directional characteristic by electrically adjusting antenna phases with many small antennas placed on a flat surface (see note below). The operation using this structure is called “Beam Steering”.

(Note) It used to be a military technology. Some people may know it as “hexagonal boards placed on the bridge of the Aegis”.

SiBeam in the U.S. took the initiative of Beam Steering with array antennas. It is used for WiHD (Wireless HDMI) specifications in the 60GHz band.  However, it still needs a larger area to be installed, and hasn’t been suitable for a smaller portable devices.

Summary

The millimeter wave technology has a new chance for high-speed wireless communication. It will be able to exceed the speed of 1Gbps . But it uses extremely high frequency as compared to existing Wireless LAN, so it needs some breakthroughs including Beam Steering to be put into practical use. The first generation products with WiHD have come out to the market.  It still needs more time to become popular and small enough for terminals.

Through my first article, I have introduced trends of Wireless LAN technology to get faster and their pros and cons. You understand there are no right solutions compatible for many applications.  It is hard to predict which technology will lead the market.  All of them may be used depending on applications or market demands. A totally new technology could enter the field and solve all issues. Nobody knows yet, but I personally think this is an interesting topic.

There are other high speed technologies including the Shannon theory and UWB.  But I would like to move on and introduce the “near future of Wireless LAN”.

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27 Feb 2012
AR6003 • Silex • Wi-Fi • Wireless Module

Missions for Wireless LAN (2)

To Be Faster – 2: Wide Band

Last week I discussed the performance benefits of multi-streaming. This week I will cover wide band technology. Have you ever heard of “HT20/HT40 mode” for 802.11n? Conventional wireless LAN (802.11a/b/g) uses 20MHz bandwidth for 1 channel. 802.11n has a new mode using 40MHz bandwidth as an option. When I mentioned last week that “each stream offers up to 150Mbps”, it assumed HT40 mode. The speed is reduced by half (75Mbps) with HT20 mode. The IEEE802.11ac standard is now under development which will be an evolving version of HT40 and provide extended band (80MHz or 160MHz) to achieve two or four times faster speed.

The wide band technology doesn’t require antennas like multi-streaming, so it is available for small portable devices. Moreover, the inner circuit design doesn’t need to be changed so no new parts are needed. It sounds good but it is not that easy. The number of channels available is decreased as the bandwidth is increased. As the number of available channels decreases, “interference” tends to occur. Neighboring wireless systems may occasionally suffer interference from each other which can result in decreased performance.

Japan allows the use of 13 channels in the 2.4GHz frequency range. Channels are overlapping in the 2.4GHz band, so there are only 3 channels available without interference for HT20. There is only one channel for HT40. Therefore, it is impractical to increase the speed in 2.4GHz with the wide band technology.

In the 5GHz frequency range, there are 3 bands (5.2, 5.3, 5.6GHz) assigned in Japan. There are 8 channels in the HT20 bandwidth that don’t overlap in 5.2GHz and 5.3GHz. In 5.6GHz (the newest frequency range), 11 channels (HT20) are reserved. Consequently, it seems the 802.11ac has ability to achieve higher speed. But this condition is just applicable in Japan.

Availability of channels in 5GHz is regulated by country. Some countries, including China and Korea, allow the use of HT20 channels only. It is impractical to increase the speed in such regions.

Summary

Wide band technology is also capable of achieving higher speed transfer without dramatic improvement of current technology. It is also good for smaller/lower-power products. However, there aren’t many channels available to secure the necessary bandwidth. It is hard to avoid interference which results in decreasing performance. 802.11ac might be popular as an upgraded version of HT40. It depends on the radio law by country and interference environmental condition to achieve two/four times higher speed transfer. The wide band technology is still unreliable as a resource for high speed.

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16 Feb 2012
Wi-Fi

10 Wi-Fi Predictions for 2012

Wi-Fi technology has become so ubiquitous that even computer publications like PC Magazine published Wi-Fi predictions for 2012. These trends have some relevance to Silex and our customers that are looking to add Wi-Fi connectivity to their devices. My comments are in parentheses.
1. Single-band routers go obsolete (dual-band is moving from being a “niche” technology used for high reliability applications to becoming a mainstream technology required to stream video content).
2. Death of legacy 802.11x (specifically 802.11b and 802.11g).
3. 802.11ac (all of the major Wi-Fi silicon vendors have already announced 802.11ac products including Qualcomm Atheros).
4. Wi-Gig (maybe more of a 2013 technology).
5. Wi-Fi in household items (first the TV and next the refrigerator?).
6. Remote Home Network Management (why not since apps are being used for remotely control other devices in the home?).
7. More widespread Wi-Fi (public access will expand beyond airports and coffee shops).
8. Easier Deployment (WPS and other proprietary efforts will continue to improve ease of use).
9. Coverage trumps speed (2012 should see vendors paying much more attention to “whole home” coverage to reduce dropped signals and dead zones since throughput speed is already often faster than the pipe into the home).
10. Client adapters play catch-up (clients like laptops will start incorporating higher performance technology that are already common in routers).

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09 Feb 2012
AR6003 • Product Introduction • Wireless Module

Press Release: Silex Technology America Introduces 802.11a/b/g/n, Dual-Band Solutions Based on Qualcomm Atheros AR6003 Chip

Silex Technology America Introduces 802.11a/b/g/n, Dual-Band Solutions Based on Qualcomm Atheros AR6003 Chip

SANTA ANA, Calif., Feb. 9, 2012 – Silex Technology, a global leader in wired and wireless networking solutions, today launched the SX-SDPAN System-in-Package (SiP) and the SX-SDMAN wireless radio module.

According to ABI Research, the Wi-Fi equipment market is expected to see more than nine percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2011 to 2016, with the enterprise segment contributing the bulk of the growth at more than 21 percent CAGR. With a skyrocketing number of Wi-Fi devices crowding the 2.4GHz band, Wi-Fi users are looking for dual-band products that leverage the 5GHz band for applications requiring relatively interference-free bandwidth. The SX-SDPAN and SX-SDMAN provide a cost-effective way for manufacturers to add dual-band wireless capabilities in addition to integrated Bluetooth 4.0 support.

Silex Technology based the SX-SDPAN on Qualcomm Atheros’ third-generation SDIO WLAN technology (AR6003). The SX-SDPAN brings 802.11n throughput, range and power efficiency to portable electronic devices.

The SX-SDPAN features:

  • High-performance, ultra-low power, single stream (1×1) dual-band SDIO SiP with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN plus advanced Bluetooth 4.0 combo solution.
  • Bluetooth 3.0+HS (High Speed) and Bluetooth 4.0+LE (Low Energy) standards enabling seamless integration of Bluetooth/WLAN.
  • Best-in-class receive sensitivity for superior throughput.
  • Industry leading security including WPS and WEP/WPA/WPA2.
  • Near zero power consumption in idle and stand-by enables user to leave WLAN and BT “always on.”
  • Advanced BT/WLAN coexistence and concurrent RX for superior rate-over-range and very low frequency.

The SX-SDMAN wireless radio module integrates the SX-SDPAN SiP to offer the following benefits:

  • Highest product quality (design and production validation). Silex Technology significantly reduces RF-related design integration and tests its design to perform to IEEE standards. In addition, Silex Technology tests each module individually to ensure that each of its products will perform to the published specification.
  • FCC/Telec modular certification. Silex Technology eliminates the need for re-testing radio intentional radiation for obtaining regulatory approvals.
  • Upgrade path. The SX-SDMAN is pin-compatible with the SX-SDMGN wireless radio module released in 2011, providing device manufacturers with the option to offer both a single-band and dual-band solution. In addition, Silex Technology expects to introduce modules that incorporate  next-generation Qualcomm Atheros radios into the same physical form factor.

“We are quite pleased with Silex Technology’s radio frequency and design capabilities because they give our customers the opportunity to leverage the AR6003 Wi-Fi chip for optimized throughput, size and energy efficiency for mobile and embedded devices,” said Gary Szilagyi, vice president and general manager, consumer electronics group, Qualcomm Atheros. “Consumers of smartphones, mobile gaming and portable consumer electronic devices will benefit from the combined technology expertise of Silex Technology and Qualcomm Atheros.”

“We are exceptionally qualified to enable device manufacturers to integrate Qualcomm Atheros AR6003 technology into products,” said Keith Sugawara, vice president, business development, Silex Technology America. “Silex Technology America can help shorten the time to market with our new products and engineering design services. Plus, as a Qualcomm Atheros Authorized Design Center (ADC), we provide the driver and security supplicant to provide an efficient and seamless single-vendor total solution.”

The SX-SDPAN and SX-SDMAN samples now are available for evaluation. Silex Technology also provides an evaluation kit (part number SX-6K3-EVK-DB), which includes a sample radio driver and tools to test basic wireless functionality, throughput and RF characteristics.

A photo of the SX-SDMAN is available at: http://www.silexamerica.com/images/products/wireless_modules/sx-sdman_large.jpg

About Silex Technology America, Inc.
Silex Technology America, Inc. is a subsidiary of Silex Technology Inc., a 35-year developer and leading network technology company specializing in network and wireless technology, providing hardware, software, embedded modules and turnkey connectivity products. Silex Technology has regional offices for sales, marketing and development in Japan, United States and Germany. Silex Technology is integrated vertically to support customers from design to production, maintaining the highest quality standards. For more information, please visit www.silexamerica.com.

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