Samsung, Athena Develop Three-Transceiver RF Device For MIMO In Single IC
Fremont, CA -- Athena Semiconductors and Samsung Electronics' Digital Media R&D Center today announced a new product for the emerging wireless multiple input multiple output (MIMO) standard -- the world's first three-transceiver RF device for MIMO in a single integrated circuit (IC). This next generation device offers a small footprint while offering cost, power, and integration advantages.
The tight integration of the single-device, called TRINI, makes it less costly than solutions requiring multiple devices to implement MIMO applications. At the heart of TRINI is OptimRF technology that Athena Semiconductors pioneered to build high performance complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) RF transceivers at low cost. OptimRF transceivers use Athena's patent-pending, modified direct conversion architecture designed for extensive digital calibration at system level. It results in OptimRF transceivers delivering high performance at low cost due to an increase in the yield of functional RF chips.
The newly developed OptimRF-based three-transceiver ICs aid in fulfilling MIMO's capabilities of providing a data rate that is far higher than existing 802.11a/g standards-based equipment, increasing from 54 Megabits per second (Mbps) to more than 200 Mbps. All the while, OEMs and ODMs implementing the TRINI can realize go-to-market advantages from this smaller footprint single-device. Use of familiar CMOS technology provides a low power-consumption, low-cost solution for MIMO implementations that also enables seamless integration all with a single device.
Athena and Samsung will demonstrate this new technology at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 6-9. The demonstration will show consistent link throughputs in excess of 50 Mbps. A transmission of two simultaneous high definition television (HDTV) streams and a single standard definition television stream will be demonstrated to illustrate the product's feature set. The TRINI will be available from Athena Semiconductors to select OEM and ODM partners in 1Q of 2005 and will be in mass production for availability to the general market in 2Q of 2005.
"We're very excited about the TRINI device created by Athena Semiconductors working closely with Samsung's Digital Media R&D team," said Dr. JaeMoon Jo, VP of Samsung Electronics. "Our ability to jointly develop the market's first single-device three-transceiver MIMO solution is a testament to the innovation, vision and capabilities of both companies. Samsung has aggressively participated in the IEEE committee to help develop the MIMO-based 802.11n standard that is expected to be widely used in Samsung consumer equipment in the future. Athena's single-chip three-RF transceiver solution will significantly lower the cost/area/power of 802.11n standard based implementations and will help fuel the growth of 802.11n. We look forward to seeing the worldwide adoption of 802.11n-based products in environments demanding the Wi-Fi bandwidth that MIMO promises to deliver."
"We've achieved a true milestone with Samsung, for MIMO and for wireless access products to deliver the solid bandwidth that MIMO promises," said Pratap Reddy, president and COO, Athena Semiconductors. "The high levels of integration we've achieved enable extremely competitive pricing that make this solution viable today, even rivaling price points of existing WLAN access devices. We are excited to have Samsung Digital Media group as a user and partner in the development of this MIMO RF chip. We will also make the solution available to all OEM, ODM, and other design houses worldwide."
Source: Athena Semiconductors