Date: 01/06/2010

3-Stream 802.11n router solutions from Atheros for high bandwidth applications

Atheros has released 3-stream 802.11n router solutions that support reliable video-over-wireless applications. Atheros has optimized its 3x3 wireless LAN (WLAN) solutions as well. This allows it to perform a variety of bandwidth-hungry usage scenarios thus enabling to build Wi-Fi products for the digital home and enterprise.

Atheros' latest XSPAN router solutions (the AR938x and AR9390) combine the 3x3 802.11n architecture with a set of range enhancements called Signal Sustain Technology-3 (SST3) said to boost throughput by 50 percent across the entire wireless link. Its 3-stream WLAN solutions has been for use with the industry's leading network processors, which streamlines the design of high-performance routers and access points that support enterprise security and management features, or multimedia and gaming applications in the home. Its 3-stream XSPAN solutions has been optimized to work with network processors from the industry's leading vendors, including AppliedMicro (formerly AMCC), Freescale Semiconductor and Ubicom. It also has a dual-band feature using 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands i.e. it can simultaneously use both these frequency bands to perform the tasks in hand.

"Performance is essential in both corporate and home networks, due to the proliferation of high-bandwidth applications like HD gaming, video distribution and Voice-over-IP," said Gary Szilagyi, vice president and general manager of the Computing and Consumer Business Unit at Atheros Communications. "Atheros is pushing the envelope of Wi-Fi performance, and has invested heavily in efforts that improve the wireless video experience while meeting customers' growing demands for bandwidth, quality and reliability."

"Atheros 3-Stream 802.11n solutions propel the industry forward and meet the diverse needs of both consumer and enterprise applications," said George Jones, associate vice president of North American sales at AppliedMicro. "Our Power Architecture®-based embedded processors deliver a powerful combination of performance and features that enable Atheros' Wi-Fi platforms to achieve the high-throughput required for high-quality video streaming around the digital enterprise or home."

"The combination of Freescale's QorIQ P1020 processor and Atheros 3-stream 802.11n technology helps meet requirements for high performance and low power operation in Enterprise and SMB markets," said Preet Virk, director of strategy for Freescale Semiconductor's Networking Processor Division. "Freescale and Atheros have collaborated to create a reference design leveraging these technologies to help speed time to market and reduce R&D expenses for our shared customers."

"Streaming media is now hitting mainstream with all major TV OEMs, audio OEMs and service providers launching products and services in the market," said RK Parthasarathy, vice president of marketing at Ubicom. "Ubicom is proud to work with Atheros to enable high performance and reliable Wi-Fi solutions with intelligent Quality of Service to move media around the home and from the cloud."

Availability:
Atheros' 3-stream 11n products are ramping to production in Q3, with samples and evaluation boards available now.

For more information visit: http://www.atheros.com