Monday, January 5, 2015

Broadcom Speeds Wi-Fi Forward with 4x4 MU-MIMO Chip

Broadcom debuted new 802.11ac chips for high performance and mass market retail routers, wireless cable/DSL/PON gateways and set-top boxes (STBs).

The new BCM4366 incorporates multiple 802.11ac Wave 2 features, including a MU-MIMO implementation, which delivers up to a 4x speed boost, and optimizations for broadcast-quality video.

Some key features:

  • NitroQAM modulation for higher peak throughput
  • Capable of 8x8 5G WiFi XStream configuration with 8 client MU-MIMO support
  • Dedicated hardware for enhancing video distribution while maintaining best-in-class data performance
  • Enhanced receiver performance in the presence of interference for better range
  • Enables 160MHz aggregation for mobile devices taking upload and download speeds to the next level
  • Zero Wait DFS allows access points to connect to more 5 GHz channels and achieve higher capacity to deliver better performance


The new portfolio also includes the BCM53573 and BCM47189 dual-band 2x2 5G WiFi SoCs for affordable and mid-tier residential routers, wireless repeaters, power line and MOCA Wi-Fi bridges. These two new SoCs are the first to integrate a 2x2 802.11ac radio on a single chip with a CPU and Ethernet switch, which reduces cost while delivering the powerful benefits of 5G WiFi to the entry-level segment.

"Broadcom continues to deliver the industry's highest performing 5G WiFi solutions," said Manny Patel, Broadcom Director, Wireless Connectivity. "The new 4x4 5G WiFi MU-MIMO architecture enables our customers to design faster, higher capacity, longer range access points that are equipped to address the growing number of connected devices in the home and continued demand for high quality wireless video streaming."

http://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=s889428