Silex Unwired

Choosing the Right Wi-Fi Radio

SDIOvsPCIe-CoverPageWi-Fi is becoming ubiquitous, finding its way into all sorts of devices including those in consumer, industrial and automotive applications. Selecting a Wi-Fi radio module that is right for your application can be a very long and tricky process. Most processor platforms including Freescale’s i.MX6 and i.MX7 support multiple interface options to add either a SDIO or a PCIe radio module.

So, which Wi-Fi radio interface is best for your application?

When choosing a radio module, many design considerations must be taken into account.  Host processor, available communications busses, driver architecture, power consumption, and data throughput requirements are all key factors that influence the design decision.

  • Wi-Fi Radio Interface Options (PCIe, SDIO, SPI, UART etc.)
  • Wi-Fi Technology Throughput Limitations
  • System Performance Implications
  • Wi-Fi Driver Architecture
  • Wi-Fi Radio Power Considerations
  • Real Word Throughput Tests and Analysis

A radio host interface bus may seem like a minor consideration.  However, selecting the proper communication bus between the host and the radio can be a driving factor for picking the correct module.  Radio modules are inherently a means of data communication, so the way the data is transmitted and processed is critical to the overall function of the module.

Please download our newest white paper which is written to help you understand the pros and cons of different Wi-Fi radio options and other factors one should consider when selecting a Wi-Fi radio. This white paper discusses on the impact that the radio’s host bus has on the system performance.  It also discusses and analyzes power and throughput considerations for different busses.