Communications: Wireless LAN Chip Set Lets Smart Antenna System Boost Throughput

Aug. 18, 2005

The RT2600 chip set for 802.11b/g wireless local-area network (LAN) applications incorporates a smart-antenna architecture dubbed MIMO XR. The set includes the company's Packet-Overdrive technology, which combines Packet Burst, Block ACK, and Frame Aggregation for up to 35-Mbit/s throughput without resorting to channel bonding. (Bonding would decrease the number of available channels and increase interference.) Range Overdrive, another scheme included on the chip set, incorporates smart-antenna technology in the receive chain and antenna diversity in the transmit chain to maintain high data rates over longer distances. The set's security engine can handle WPA/WPA2 as well as CCX 1.0/2.0/3.0 standards, ensuring secure transfers of wireless data. On-chip interfaces support miniPCI, Cardbus, and PCI host buses. For volume pricing, contact the company.

Ralink Technology Corp.www.ralinktech.com

About the Author

Dave Bursky

Technologist

Dave Bursky, the founder of New Ideas in Communications, a publication website featuring the blog column Chipnastics – the Art and Science of Chip Design. He is also president of PRN Engineering, a technical writing and market consulting company. Prior to these organizations, he spent about a dozen years as a contributing editor to Chip Design magazine. Concurrent with Chip Design, he was also the technical editorial manager at Maxim Integrated Products, and prior to Maxim, Dave spent over 35 years working as an engineer for the U.S. Army Electronics Command and an editor with Electronic Design Magazine.