Atheros Communications, Inc., announced this week, an integrated single-chip
wireless LAN (WLAN) solution for access point and router products. The Atheros
AR5007AP-G features a complete 802.11b/g wireless access point system on a chip,
and combines the wireless network processor, media access controller (MAC),
baseband, and all radio functions up to the antenna in a single silicon
chip. The new AR5007AP-G offers a total component reduction of 40 percent
versus the Atheros’ AR5006AP-G access point solution, which has led the market
for total bill-of-materials (BOM) integration.
802.11g devices represent 80 percent of the current WLAN market based on IDC’s
latest unit forecast[1], and are expected to account for over two-thirds of the
market next year. Atheros’ advanced single-chip solutions reduce the cost of
implementing 802.11g Wi-Fi® in networking products for homes and small
businesses, which should advance widespread adoption of personal wireless LANs.
The Atheros AR5007AP-G offers many enhanced features, such as support for
IEEE 802.11i security and 802.11e quality of service (QoS) specifications.
Additionally, the solution supports Atheros XR® (eXtended Range) and JumpStart
for Wireless™ technologies. Atheros XR provides double the range of standard
802.11g devices to eliminate dead spots in homes and small businesses. The
JumpStart technology provides easy WLAN setup and security and is compatible
with emerging simple configuration solutions from major industry leaders
including Intel and Microsoft.
“We expect that 802.11g products will continue to make up over half of the
wireless LAN market over the next two years,” said Celeste Crystal,
semiconductor research analyst at IDC. “The arrival of this advanced,
highly-integrated single-chip WLAN solution to the market will enable
inexpensive feature-rich wireless LAN products for the consumer and corporate
market segments.”
Some of the key WLAN components that have been integrated onto Atheros’
newest single-chip include an on-chip power amplifier, low noise amplifiers (LNA),
antenna switch and transmit/receive filtering. Additionally, the Atheros
AR5007AP-G chip requires 100-150 fewer external components than competing
solutions. The high level of integration enables the use of a lower cost 2-layer
printed circuit board (PCB) and eliminates the need for any external RF
shielding.
“Atheros’ advances in single-chip integration significantly reduce the
cost and complexity of our customers’ highest volume 802.11g access points and
routers” said Todd Antes, vice president of marketing for Atheros. “We
continue to innovate on the entry-level as well as the mid- and high-tiers of
the wireless LAN product spectrum to enable our customers to build end products
that capture both market share and mind share.”
