Atheros Debuts Single-Chip Voice-over-WiFi Design

Atheros Communications introduced a highly optimized, wireless IP platform for compact Wi-Fi phones that use its Radio-on-Chip for Mobile (ROCm) family of embedded solutions.



The Atheros AR6101G for 802.11g and the AR6101X for 802.11a/g single-chip solutions are the first designs offered in this family. The solutions integrate multiple complex functions onto a single chip: computing, DSP, memory, power management, keypad, audio and display interfaces, in addition to mixed-signal and RF. Additionally, this new ROCm wireless IP platform includes the user interface, in an energy- and memory-efficient package. The AR6101 total component count is reduced by approximately 50 percent versus competitive designs.



Atheros' wireless IP platform initially offers a streamlined voice capability. With this first implementation, consumers will be empowered to make free or low-cost calls using any available WLAN. The scalable AR6101 platform supports Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) for Internet conferencing, telephony, presence and events notification, and instant messaging. XMPP is an open-source, XML- based protocol that has become the industry standard for leading instant messaging platforms and presence technology used by millions of people worldwide.



The Atheros AR6101 features a low-power RISC (MIPS) CPU core, full 802.11a/b/g functionality, and the integration of all major handset functions. Atheros also delivers a full suite of handset software applications and a complete application development environment. In addition, the AR6101 supports advanced features such as Quality of Service (802.11e and WMM), energy savings (WMM-APSD), and ease-of-use (with the forthcoming Wi-Fi Alliance configuration standard).



http://www.atheros.com