Date: 12/01/2009

New device to build entry level Wi-Fi router out of single IC

New Wi-Fi router chip BCM5356 from Broadcom can be used to build entry-level Wi-Fi routers equivalent of higher-end models.

The BCM5356 integrates an 802.11 media access controller (MAC) and baseband, a 2.4 GHz radio, a 333 MHz MIPS 74K CPU core, a 5-port Fast Ethernet switch and physical layer (PHY) device, and couple of options for system memory interfaces. The new Wi-Fi chip also integrates efficient CMOS power amplifier replacing external power amplifiers.

Approximately 60 percent of today's retail Wi-Fi routers are basic models that use older WLAN technologies such as 802.11g, enhanced G and pre-standard MIMO (multiple input/multiple output). Broadcom's BCM5356 enables Wi-Fi vendors to deliver entry-level routers with throughput and range that are similar to more expensive 802.11n routers.
"Routers based on the BCM5356 will allow Wi-Fi users to upgrade the wireless experience throughout their home without breaking the bank," said Satish Ganesan, Product Manager for Broadcom's WLAN line of business.

The Broadcom BCM5356 Wi-Fi router solution leverages elements of the new 802.11n standard to achieve data rates of up to 150 Megabits per second (Mbps) over a single antenna (when connected to an 802.11n device). The BCM5356 solution uses space time block coding (STBC), enhanced output power, and a better radio and digital architecture to provide robust connections in the far corners of a home. STBC eliminates the "cold spots" to improve the coverage of single-stream Wi-Fi devices such as mobile phones based on Broadcom's new BCM4329 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/ FM solution.

The BCM5356 consumes 25 percent less power of previous 802.11g solutions. It also features a unique "Green Wi-Fi Mode" that reduces a router's overall power consumption by dynamically adjusting system parameters, based on the router's typical usage patterns. The 2-layer printed circuit board (PCB) is enough to connect this chip rather than the typical 4-layer PCBs.

Availability: Now in samples