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News Release from: ARC International | Subject: WLAN Now
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 22 January 2003
SoC development platform gains WLAN IP
option
WLAN Now is a complete IEEE802.11a/b/g modem/baseband and MAC soft IP building block solution for SoC-based wireless LAN access point and client devices.
WLAN Now is a complete IEEE802.11a/b/g modem/baseband and MAC soft IP building block solution for SoC-based wireless LAN access point and client devices WLAN Now is the latest application-specific soft IP extension for the ARC SoC development platform, a unified system development tool chain that includes the 32bit ARCtangent RISC/DSP microprocessor core, and is fully optimised for communications and consumer products
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 20 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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"As wireless LAN connectivity becomes more prolific in a range of embedded applications, design emphasis is shifting from a chipset model to an IP-based model", said Allen Nogee, Senior Analyst with In-Stat/MDR.
"By 2006, embedded-type wireless LAN applications will account for more than 50% of all wireless LAN applications.
ARC is one of the very few companies well positioned to execute on this trend".
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WLAN Now provides wireless LAN developers with a synthesisable architecture to integrate 802.11a, 802.11b or 802.11g, (draft standard), functionality into their SoC, ASSP or ASIC products.
ARC's highly configurable and extensible architecture allows developers to readily implement current IEEE specifications, custom specifications or potential software upgrade functionality that supports future IEEE standards such as 802.11e, quality of service (QoS) or 802.11i security features.
WLAN Now also supports 802.11a/g multimode functionality for developers who require maximum flexibility in their wireless LAN devices while reducing their time-to-market and development costs.
By providing a highly integrated, unified development tool chain, wireless LAN developers can also reduce the number of IP suppliers and overall design risks.
ARC's flexible, fully integrated SoC platform with WLAN Now peripheral extensions consists of the ARCtangent 32bit RISC/DSP microprocessor core, 802.11a/b/g modem/baseband processing, all hardware MAC accelerators and embedded MAC software stack.
ARC's freely intermixable 16/32bit ARCompact instruction set architecture incorporated into the ARCtangent-A5 microprocessor provides code size improvements of up to 30% over the ARCtangent-A4, making the WLAN Now platform ideal for low-cost devices.
"WLAN Now addresses the complex issues faced by system designers trying to add wireless LAN capability to their product lines", said Mike Gulett, President and Chief Executive of ARC International.
"WLAN Now extends ARC's commitment to providing system designers with the necessary building blocks they need to quickly implement, synthesise and fine-tune a complex system design before committing to silicon.
With the explosive market growth of WLAN, designers need the time-to-market and cost leverage that using the WLAN Now product offers".
ARC's WLAN Now product offering will be available in a variety of options including: single mode (802.11a, 802.11b or 802.11g draft standard), multimode (802.11a/b or 802.11a/g), STA or BSS.
Features include: broad support 802.11a/b/g data speeds; advanced digital modem design for increased interference rejection giving superior data throughput performance in a crowded RF environment; a complete hardware-accelerated baseband designed for the latest zero-IF low-cost radio architectures; an advanced encryption engine that supports WEP, TKIP and AES; a low-gate-count and fully synthesisable design; process independence; and a software based MAC running on the ARCtangent processor that enables future upgrades as IEEE standards evolve for features such as security, QoS, IAPP and 5GHz globalisation.
WLAN Now will be available in March 2003.
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