Product category:
Communications ICs (Wired)
News Release from: Broadcom Corp | Subject: BCM4705 GbE processor
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 11 December 2006
Processor links Wi-Fi with Gigabit
Ethernet
Wi-Fi Gigabit Ethernet processor that extends Intensi-fi family of draft-802.11n solutions.
Broadcom Corp has announced a new Wi-Fi Gigabit Ethernet processor that extends its Intensi-fi family of draft-802.11n solutions Although current generations of 802.11n products deliver four times the throughput of 802.11g, performance is actually bottlenecked by the Fast Ethernet switch and network processor
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 19 Oct 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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By integrating a GbE controller and increasing the processor's clock speed, Broadcom's latest offering eliminates those bottlenecks, allowing the system to achieve the theoretical maximum wireless 802.11n performance, nearly eight times that of 802.11g.
The new Broadcom Wi-Fi GbE processor is available today in products from leading OEMs, including Linksys and Buffalo.
In real world tests conducted by Broadcom and validated by a third-party testing company, products powered by the new Broadcom BCM4705 GbE processor produced industry leading Wi-Fi throughput in excess of 160Mbit/s.
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In addition, highlighting the power of the Intensi-fi architecture, these products have also demonstrated a consistent data throughput of up to 200Mbit/s and achieved over 250Mbit/s in a simultaneous dual band configuration in "clean air" laboratory tests.
"The performance of draft-802.11n wireless routers shouldn't be gated by associated networking components that can keep these products from reaching the performance targets of the forthcoming 802.11n standard", said Rahul Patel, Director of Marketing for Broadcom's Wireless LAN business unit.
"By offering the industry's highest performing Wi-Fi network processor, Broadcom is enabling manufacturers to deliver premium access points, routers and residential gateways that deliver the full value of 802.11n networking".
Announced today is the BCM4705 network processor, the latest addition to Broadcom's popular Intensi-fi family of IEEE draft-802.11n solutions that are currently found in nearly 70% of draft-802.11n routers and client devices.
The new network processor provides a significant boost in performance compared with other draft-802.11n processors, while maintaining compliance with the current draft of the standard.
Products based on the BCM4705 will provide the bandwidth needed to wirelessly stream high definition video content throughout a typical home and support the increasingly diverse ecosystem of Wi-Fi products being adopted by consumers.
The highly integrated BCM4705 processor combines a powerful 300MHz/500DMIPS MIPS32 core and Gigabit Ethernet controller to provide high-speed routing and bridging capabilities.
When implemented with Broadcom's best-in-class Intensi-fi radio and media access controller/baseband chips, the BCM4705 processor can substantially enhance the throughput of devices connected to a gigabit network - providing greater than 160Mbit/s of TCP/IP throughput for wireless clients while also offering Gigabit Broadcom's flexible draft-802.11n processor platform provides several configuration and connectivity options that enable manufacturers to balance performance and cost in developing router/gateway products.
The dual-band BCM4705 processor supports 2.4 and/or 5GHz radios and accommodates two-, three- and four-antenna configurations, enabling single-band, dual-band or simultaneous dual-band Wi-Fi routers.
The chip also integrates USB 2.0 host/device interfaces, enabling dynamic end products that allow end users to add several application specific peripherals such as printers, network attached storage, and digital cameras, to the Wi-Fi or wired network.
Like all of Broadcom's award-winning Wi-Fi solutions, the BCM4705 processor uses a highly integrated, all-CMOS architecture that enables cost-effective, high volume manufacturing.
In addition, the BCM4705 processor supports Broadcom's proven OneDriver software, which not only provides a consistent driver platform for manufacturers, but also delivers superior performance, ease-of-use and security features.
One such feature is SecureEasySetup software, which enables users to configure their Wi-Fi networks and activate WPA security with the push of a button.
OneDriver software also supports Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM), which provides important quality of service (QoS) features by prioritising audio, video and voice traffic on a Wi-Fi network.
Broadcom's high performance AirForce wireless LAN product line includes 54g (the world's most popular Wi-Fi technology), and Intensi-fi (the industry's leading draft-802.11n chipsets).
In addition to transceiver solutions that provide single and dual band wireless connectivity, Broadcom integrates wireless network processors, communications technologies and its OneDriver software solutions into reference designs that speed customer time to market.
The industry's leading manufacturers are developing computers, routers, peripherals, phones, broadband modems and a variety of consumer electronics devices connected by Broadcom technologies.
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