Marvell Moves to 802.11n Beamforming

Marvell will integrate transmitter beamforming technology into its family of Avastar 802.11n solutions to improve link robustness for clients ranging from new and existing 1x1- 4x4 MIMO products to legacy devices.



Beamforming is a specialized method of radio-frequency (RF) transmission used in Wi-Fi access points (APs), substantially enhancing signal reception at the client and, as a result, extending Wi-Fi signal coverage by two to four times. It can also be used between two clients in conjunction with Wi-Fi Direct.



Marvell said its beamforming does not require special antennae or any other cost increase of the wireless subsystem and provides greater than 10dB of perceivable gain in over-the-air tests in home and enterprise
environments. This gain translates to an increased throughput of 2x to 20x depending on the environment.



"Existing wireless solutions still presents different challenges when it comes to the long range and high throughput required for applications such as HD video streaming. Marvell raises technology bar with Wi-Fi solutions leveraging beamforming technology, increasing throughput at range and delivering consistent performance at all times, ultimately providing greater user experience with Wi-Fi than what has traditionally been possible. Marvell's leading Wi-Fi solutions will fundamentally change how the technology is used today and enable a plethora of new applications and innovative products," stated Weili Dai, Co-founder of Marvell.http://www.marvell.com