Whole House 802.11n Media Streaming

Qualcomm is pleased to introduce the N-Stream Wireless LAN WCN1320 chip designed to distribute media content wirelessly throughout the home without the hassle of installing cables. The N-Stream Wireless LAN chip is the world's first 802.11n standards based solution to implement 4 spatial streams providing enhanced performance and range for downloading, streaming, and sharing premium high-definition (HD) media over WLAN. The N-Stream Wireless LAN chip delivers all the advantages of traditional 802.11n WLAN but overcomes legacy performance and range problems for the streaming of high quality media content throughout the home.

The Qualcomm N-stream Wireless LAN chip supports a family of reference design solutions including AP/Router, Ethernet Adapter, PCIe Module, and Ethernet Module. The reference designs enables OEMs to quickly develop end-to-end connectivity for consumer electronic devices including Set-top boxes, Digital Video Recorders(DVR), DVD players, Digital TVs, Digital Media Adapters and Media Servers, These reference design solutions support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio bands with the highest bandwidth available today at 600Mbps.

Features

• 600Mbps Industry-leading performance using 4 spatial streams
• Superior 802.11n range for whole house coverage
• Quality-of-Service traffic prioritization for multimedia applications
• Quick connect technology using Wi-Fi Protected Setup
• Draft 802.11n standards based solution
• Advanced security WPA2 (AES), WPA, and WEP support
• High speed interfaces: 1 Giga-bit Ethernet and PCIe (1-lane)
• Minimum host CPU load for easy system integration
• Dual band support: 2.4GHz or 5GHz configurable

Benefits

• Superior multimedia streaming with 4 spatial streams
• Advanced MIMO technology boosts range and performance
• Capacity to handle multiple HD streams, VoIP, and data traffic
• Delivers smooth streaming video, high frame-rate gaming, and industry-leading data transfers
• Standards-based 802.11n solution for reliable connectivity
• Flexible solution for embedding into consumer media devices

Reference Designs

The Qualcomm N-Stream Wireless LAN WCN1320 chip has been incorporated to several reference designs to enable OEMs to easily integrate the chip into their products. Each of the reference designs are briefly described below:

WCN1320 AP/Router
The WCN1320 AP/Router is designed to provide wireless network coverage throughout the home for media streaming, networking, and sharing content. The small form factor WCN1320 AP/Router provides industry-leading 600Mbps to deliver the best media experiences through the home. The AP/Router is designed with 4 LAN ports, 1 WAN port, and 1 USB port for easily connecting other devices to the AP/Router.

WCN1320 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
With more consumer devices adding Ethernet connectors, but lacking wireless LAN, the WCN1320 Ethernet Adapter can turn these devices from wired to wireless. The WCN1320 Ethernet Adapter’s simplified design provides a quick three step process for getting connected wirelessly: (1) plug in power, (2) plug in the Ethernet cable, (3) press the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button to automatically get connected to your network. With WCN1320 Ethernet Adapters plugged into consumer devices, consumers can enjoy being wirelessly connected throughout their home.

WCN1320 PCIe Module
The PCIe bus has quickly become one of the most widely used buses for AP/Routers and PCs today and is expected to gain further traction in fixed consumer electronic devices. The WCN1320 PCIe Module has a fully compatible PCIe mini card interface connector that allows easy integration into existing PCIe mini card designs. The reference design takes advantage of WNC1320 chip’s small 12x12mm package to create a modular design that allows it to fit into small form factor designs.

WCN1320 Gigabit Ethernet Module
Consumer electronic devices are quickly moving to digital connected devices in the home and an Ethernet connection is becoming more prevalent in these devices. The WCN1320 Ethernet Module can easily interface to chips supporting Ethernet for fast 1Gbps speeds down to 10/100Mbps speeds. The WCN1320 Ethernet Module can remove the need for Ethernet cables and provide the freedom and flexibility of wireless LAN to place components anywhere in the home.