Broadcom introduced the BCM4335, world's first single-chip solution for the implementation of a fifth-generation Wi-Fi (5G Wi-Fi) in portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, ultrabooks, iPhone, iPad and beyond. BCM4335 chip provides support for standard 802.11ac (in this case the promised data rate is 10% higher than with 802.11n, and a physical data channel can provide up to 433 Mbits / c), is backwards compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n and also supports Bluetooth 4.0.
BCM4335 includes a circuit channel (MAC) and Physical (PHY) level, as well as radio frequency device (RF), FM-radio and ROM. The device will be manufactured using 40nm process technology, its size is less than the currently used solutions, and low power consumption helps to extend the time of the mobile device. New technology has integrated support for Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Miracast and Wi-Fi Passpoint. The first smart phones and tablets using the new chip will appear in the firstquarter of 2013.
The advent of 802.11n standard went very slow and difficult, but with its successor, developments are a lot smoother. The new standard for WiFi networks, 802.11ac, works on the 5 GHz frequency and can then reach speeds up to 1.3 Gbps. Because the 5 GHz frequency of the radio signals are sent to the new standard known as'5G 'WiFi. This is yet again a lot faster than the more expensive 802.11n routers and receivers, with three antennas, the speed can get up to 450 Mbps.
The first hardware 802.11ac is already ready, because Broadcom announced today the arrival of four controller chips. First samples of these chips are already shipping to its partners and the major system builders, expected few months before the hardware. With the faster 802.11ac standard, it makes it even easier for large amounts of data to be transmited wirelessly, for instance: what is useful for transferring files and streaming HD video. Especially in an era where more and more different devices communicate via WiFi is a good throughput important to avoid delays and waiting times.
The 802.11ac standard is faster because it works with a wider frequency band (80 or 160 MHz) or 802.11n (40 MHz) and 2x as much as it can control MIMO channels simultaneously (8 instead of 4). In addition, 802.11ac controllers also handle four times quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). For the high speed performance, many antennas are required, so not all 802.11ac devices will achieve the maximum throughput. Only when three or more antennas are connected, Broadcom promises speeds up to 1.3 Gbps, while two antennas a bandwidth of 867 Mbps remains. On a channel, the throughput rate is still not mistaken for a maximum of 433 Mbps.
The BCM4335 features the industry's most advanced idle power consumption performance, which significantly extends a mobile device's battery life
Broadcom's TurboQAM technology implements the highest data-rate 256-QAM mode in 2.4 GHz and enables devices equipped with the BCM4335 to deliver 10 percent faster throughputs than 802.11n speeds when communicating with other 5G WiFi devices
Key high-throughput mobility interfaces, including SDIO 3.0, PCIe and HSIC, make it suitable for smartphone, tablet and computing platforms
PHY rates of 433 Mb/s significantly boost the wireless throughput compared to previous generation wireless solutions
Advanced beamforming, Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) code and Space-Time Block Code (STBC) support for better coverage and more reliable connectivity
Built-in media processing to off-load host processor
Integrated support for Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint technologies
The four chips from Broadcom have different specifications. Two works through the PCI Express interface, while the other two works on USB 2.0. The controllers are baked on the 40nm manufacturing process and are therefore also quite economical.Broadcom will demonstrate its new 5G WiFi hardware at CES fair in Las Vegas in a few days.
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