14 DAY TRIAL // Ralink will be demonstrating a full array of wireless connectivity solutions at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show. These technologies were developed as a response to the growing demand, on the part of end-users, for high performance networking solutions housed in compact form factors. The actual product range includes not only new technological achievements in the area of 802.11n and BT3.0 connectivity, but also a set of partnership solutions dealing with a variety of applications in home networking, mobile computing, broadband connectivity and consumer electronics.
Ralink will be showcasing the only 802.11n + BT3.0 mobile computer connectivity solution currently available (RT3090BC4), as well as the RT3572 single chip 300 Mbps dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi USB device and various consumer electronics and home-networking devices (through strategic partnerships). Most importantly, however, Ralink will demonstrate the world's first single chip 450Mbps 3x3 802.11n access point and Client (RT3883 and RT3593).
The RT3090BC4 Half MiniCard is meant for use in notebooks, netbooks and high-volume PC and commercial platforms. What this technology does is enable data rates of up to 150MB/s while preserving the Bluetooth device detection, setup, and management simplicity. This is achieved thanks to a patent-pending coexistence algorithm that more harmoniously leverages the capabilities of both WLAN and Bluetooth radios, thus enabling the intelligent coexistence of both Bluetooth and WiFi. The end-result is a WLAN throughput 80% faster than that of other PC-oriented WLAN+Bluetooth devices.
A product that is also capable of 150Mbps of performance is the RT8070, an adapter the size of a USB connector (11mm x 17mm). It is aimed for use in mobile devices and employs the optimized RF architecture and baseband algorithms as well as a patented omni-directional antenna with a 3.2dB gain and 89% radiation efficiency. This device supports high-performance video, voice and data communications over Wi-Fi while being compatible with all the major PC operating systems: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7 (inbox driver), Mac OS X and Linux.
The third means by which Ralink products are becoming more widespread among consumer electronics is the single chip 300 Mbps dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi USB device known as the RT3572. This chip enables the wireless connectivity between HDTVs or Blu-ray players and networks of IPTV Services, Internet TV, Wireless DLNA content, InfoLink RSS and BD Live services. The maximum throughput achievable through this method is of 300Mbps. Also, the wireless range and reliability may also be improved by use of the Maximum Likelihood Detection (MLD) and Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) radio and baseband processing techniques.
The more notable devices that the company is set to demonstrate are the world's first commercially available Single Chip 450Mbps 3x3 802.11n access point and station solutions. The RT3883 and RT3593 employ the Beam Forming technology and make use of a 500MHz MIPS74K CPU, three dual-band 2.4/5GHz radios and various connectivity interfaces. Among the solutions with an embedded media access controller, baseband processor, and three dual band 2.4/5GHz radios on a single chip, the official press release touts these products as “the most highly integrated 450Mbps 3x3 client.”
“The RT3883 and RT3593 chips are also the first single chip 802.11n solutions which support the IEEE standard’s optional Beam Forming functionality. With Beam Forming technology, the RT3883 and RT3593 intelligently determine a receiver’s distance and location, control various transmission parameters, and optimize the Wi-Fi signals to maximize throughput, range, and reliability. This break-through technology enables superior Wi-Fi coverage, interference mitigation, and more reliable connections for data-centric and video-over-WiFi applications,” the press release noted.
The IEEE’s optional 802.11n Explicit Beam Forming standard and Ralink’s 802.11n Implicit Beam Forming technology are merged in this single-chip solution in such a way so as to improve performance even when communicating with 802.11a/b/g or 802.11n devices without the IEEE Beam Forming protocol support.
“Ralink's Wi-Fi solutions are featured in millions of desktop and portable PCs worldwide, as well as the entire ecosystem of WLAN products including consumer electronics, broadband connectivity, and home networking devices,” Dr. Horen Chen, president of Ralink Technology, added. “We are delivering the requisite level of performance with the aggressive pricing and industry leading support to our customers across all key market segments and geographies.”
For full product information and details on other Ralink products, end-users may visit the official website.