Product category:
Wireless Communications
News Release from: Intersil | Subject: Bluetooth/WiFi reference design
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 29 May 2002
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi come together
Intersil and Silicon Wave have developed the world's first mini-PCI card reference design that allows manufacturers to combine Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless connectivity.
Intersil and Silicon Wave have developed the world's first mini-PCI card reference design that allows manufacturers to simultaneously combine Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless connectivity while delivering optimal throughput, range and responsiveness Called Blue802, the dual-mode mini-PCI card reference design allows optimal simultaneous operation of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless in a single device such as a desktop or notebook PC, PDA and other computing devices
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 6 Oct 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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Existing solutions on the market that do not incorporate Blue802 technology require the user to manually choose either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to prevent interference and degradation of throughput, range and responsiveness.
"To date, coexistence between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi has been a significant issue impacting the adoption of these two complementary technologies", said Joyce Putscher, director of converging markets and technologies for In-Stat/MDR.
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"Silicon Wave and Intersil are the first to deliver technology that addresses this issue transparently to the end user and helping to usher in a new era in wireless freedom".
The reference design allows OEMs to quickly bring mini-PCI cards to market at a lower cost than implementing separate modules.
The reference design allows both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios to share the same PCB, host interface and antennas, saving integration and material costs.
Incorporating Silicon Wave's Bluetooth qualified SiW1700 series and Intersil's Prism 3 chipset featuring direct conversion technology, the reference design is optimised for low cost and high performance proven strengths in Silicon Wave and Intersil's chipset families.
"The dual-mode mini-PCI card reference design is the world's first and only Bluetooth and Wi-Fi co-existence solution on the market today that incorporates proven silicon from market leaders, making this a low-risk implementation", said Jarvis Tou, vice president of marketing and product management for Silicon Wave.
"The reference design is being sampled today and we expect products based on our Blue802 technology to appear in notebooks later this year".
OEMs can quickly and easily adapt the dual-mode mini-PCI card reference design for use in any Wi-Fi enabled notebook on the market today.
Since the reference design is based on a standard Type 3A mini-PCI card and uses a novel dual antenna switching matrix, no modifications to Wi-Fi enabled notebooks are required.
OEMs can add the benefits of Bluetooth wireless functionality while delivering simultaneous and optimal operation of both wireless technologies to consumers at the lowest possible cost today.
Technical features include: simultaneous operation of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless functions; intelligent MAC level collaboration avoids interference; both radios are zero-IF direct conversion; uses proven and Bluetooth qualified Silicon Wave SiW1700 series and Intersil Prism 3 WLAN chipsets; low risk deployment; shared dual antennas via switching matrix; only two antennas required to support both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi; and type 3A mini-PCI card reference design.
The dual-mode mini-PCI card reference resign is licensed to manufacturers and is compatible with Microsoft Windows XP Wireless Architecture.
It is available as a Type 3A mini-PCI card with samples for delivery in mid-2002 with volume quantities in Q3'02.
Mini-PCI card manufacturers are expected to be offering cards for under GBP 50.
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