Alereon's AL4300 is a highly integrated solution that provides all of the host interface, media access controller (MAC), and baseband processor functions needed to implement a Wireless USB device. Combined with the company's AL4100 RF transceiver, the chip set implements a device subsystem based on the Certified Wireless USB specification from the USB Implementer's Forum. The AL4300 is designed for applications where space and power consumption must be minimized. Compact Flash+, parallel local bus, and SDIO host interfaces enable a glueless connection to almost any popular host processor. The device is also designed to operate at full speed over-the-air while requiring minimal host processor memory resources, allowing for easy integration into embedded systems.
Together with the AL4100, the AL4300 implements all WiMedia data rates from 53 Mbits/s to 480 Mbits/s and supports data transfers of 200 Mbits/s over the SDIO interface. In addition, Alereon has demonstrated interoperability with both the Intel Wireless UWB Link 1480 MAC and the NEC μPD20170 Certified Wireless USB host controller. The AL4300 also features USB Wireless-on-the-Go capability, which allows it to establish a one-to-one connection with any Wireless USB-compliant device. To support designers developing Wireless USB designs, Alereon offers the AL4500 Software Development Kit and drivers for both Linux and Windows XP. Support for Windows CE and Mobile 5 and 6 is available from the company's software partners.
The AL4300 is available now for $13.31 in 10,000-unit quantities. For further information, go to www.alereon.com.