RF device stars in wireless video chipset

Athena Semiconductors and ViXS Systems have developed a new generation of wireless chipsets that combine to deliver high quality wireless video for the digital home entertainment market.

Athena Semiconductors and ViXS Systems have developed a new generation of wireless video chipsets that combine to deliver high quality wireless video for the digital home entertainment market.

The joint development between Athena and ViXS has resulted in the ViXS WaveTV reference design, which is the only fully standards-compliant 802.11 solution optimised for video.

The WaveTV reference design is built around Athena's ATS5400 a/b/g RF chip and ViXS' Matrix II baseband/networking chip.

WaveTV provides original equipment and design manufacturers (OEMs and ODMs) the only low-cost market-ready solution that can provide guaranteed high quality wireless video distribution.

The ViXS/Athena chipset-based products will support multimedia gateways, personal video recorders (PVRs), DVD-Rs and wireless provisioning of flat panel televisions.

The Matrix II 802.11 a/b/g chipset and WaveTV reference design is available now to select OEM and ODM partners.

Mass production and general market availability will occur in Q2 2005.

Pricing will vary by quantity.

Athena Semiconductors has pioneered a novel digital calibration technology to enhance the performance of CMOS-based RFICs.

Athena's patent-pending OptimRF technology enables the calibration and correction of key characteristics of the direct-conversion CMOS RF transceivers at a system level.

OptimRF-based RF transceivers deliver high performance at a low cost due to an increase in the yield of functional RF chips.

ViXS Systems provides the only robust, cost-effective solution for transmitting broadcast-quality video through IP-based wireless networks with a guaranteed quality of service (QoS).

ViXS' Matrix processor is capable of transmitting video across two 802.11 channels simultaneously as well as performing max-ratio receive diversity for robust operation.

Combining this with ViXS' XCode video network processor, ViXS' VQoS technology provides a full end-to-end wireless video solution.

The ViXS' VQoS technology enables extraordinary quality-of-service, guaranteeing broadcast-quality frame rates across "hostile" wireless networks.

ViXS' VQoS dynamically governs the bit rate of the video streams ensuring that the total video bit rate is less than, or equal to, the bandwidth constraints of the wireless network.

ViXS VQoS is the only technology available offering reliable wireless distribution of single or multiple high definition (HD) or standard definition (SD) video streams throughout the home, displaying high-quality video anywhere, on any device, and from any source.

"We are glad to have worked with ViXS and are excited about the radio technologies we have created for next-generation consumer devices", said Pratap Reddy, President and COO of Athena Semiconductors.

"ViXS' advanced wireless products have proven capable of fully utilising the superior performance of Athena Semiconductors' RF transceivers, resulting in a solid OEM and ODM solution to deliver multiple-antenna-based wireless video products for the home".

"Our partnership with Athena has already proved itself to be very successful", said Sally Daub, CEO of ViXS Systems".

The performance of our Matrix II IC and its cost-effectiveness has enabled rapid adoption with our customers".

"The chipset outperforms any other standard Wi-Fi solution for delivery of flawless video throughout the home".

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