Wifi Revolution

Staccato Communications added the new SC4503 PCI Express (PCIe) to the Ripcord2 family of single-chip UWB ICs. The SC4503 is a Wireless Host Controller Interface (WHCI) solution for Wireless USB host applications.

 

The single-chip SC4503 is designed in a 65nm CMOS technology which implements a fully integrated WiMedia MAC and PHY and a PCIe interface. It suits home and office applications like notebook PCs, ultra-mobile PCs, netbooks and mobile internet devices (MIDs). The Ripcord2 WHCI Host offering includes a universal solution in a single device and is most suitable for host-side Wireless USB applications.

 

The SC4503 comes in a small 5mm x 5mm package allowing for compact form factor designs at less cost. The SC4503 solution has achieved WiMedia PHY certification in Band Groups 1, 3 and 6 offering PV OEMs a single-chip solution compatible for world wide operations.

 

Staccato offers Ripcord2 WHCI reference design in two form factors, a PCIe Half-Mini Card and PCIe Express Card/34. Both the reference designs include the necessary hardware, software, firmware, documentation and support needed for reducing development time and hence time to market.

 

Brian O’Rourke, principal analyst at In-Stat (News - Alert) said that early Gen1 solutions were unable to meet the expectations of the market in terms of cost, power, performance and worldwide operation. As a result volume shipments were slow although early adopters of UWB technology have introduced many products. Chipset vendors are now introducing Gen2 solutions to meet market demands after solving problems which existed previously.

Staccato’s Ripcord2 is a suitable solution delivering UWB technology, he said.

 

“As evidenced in the past with wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, meaningful market adoption does not occur until the underlying technology solutions are able to meet the strict market requirements of low-power, high-performance and low-cost,” said Marty Colombatto, CEO for Staccato Communications (News - Alert).

 

Colombatto continued: “Our Ripcord2 WHCI solution provides the appropriate technology triggers to meet these demands for host-side Wireless USB applications, while also enabling OEMs to deploy a worldwide compatible product in a single SKU design. This latest offering demonstrates our continued commitment to drive innovation and further solidifies Staccato’s leadership position in the Wireless USB space.”

 

Ripcord2 WHCI Host offering includes a single-chip 65nm all-CMOS implementation and a fully integrated RF front-end, digital baseband, MAC and PCIe interface. It also offers support for all Time Frequency Codes (TFC 1-10) and data rate modes (53.3-480 Mbps) besides supporting detection and avoidance (DAA). Its Protocol Independent Kernel architecture supports multiple protocols.

 

Staccato Communications is an Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology provider specializing in wireless USB, high-speed Bluetooth and IP connectivity. The fabless semiconductor company caters to various industries including personal computing, mobile phone and consumer electronics industries providing a small form factor, single-chip, all-CMOS high-speed wireless solutions.

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