Two companies joined forces today to design modules and mini-PC cards featuring integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support for the embedded market.

Mobilian Corp. provides its patented Sim-Op technologies to allow the virtually interference free coexistence of 802.11b and Bluetooth. Smart Modular Technologies Inc. provides engineering and manufacturing know-how, plus the support of its parent company, electronic manufacturing services provider Solectron Corp.

Mobilian is fables semiconductor company, whose core competency is wireless system design, according to Gordon Schenk, VP of sales for Mobilian. The company aims to develop products providing what he calls true connectivity, allowing consumers to detect, select and connect to whatever network is present.

Mobilian is responsible for the interference management and radio integration of the resulting chip. The necessary antenna IP, analog IP and digital IP is encompassed in a single chip approach. According to Schenk, the partnership takes Mobilian’s TrueRadio combination Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth chipset and uses Smart’s board-level wireless design acumen and large volume manufacturing experience to succeed with a single-chip approach.

“Most companies take the approach of using a Bluetooth chip and a Wi-Fi chip and then combining them by adding a glue chip to connect the two,” Schenk said. “Smart takes a ground-up approach, placing 90 percent of the capability on an analog chip. Very few extra components are then required, significantly lowering the bill of materials. The digital portion combines basebands, radios and MACs for both wireless technologies on a single-chip, and is responsible for interference mitigation management.”

Robert Ragusano, VP and GM of the communications product division for Smart Modular Technologies, explained that the chip’s engineering design is finalized at Smart’s facilities in Fremont, Calif. It is then put into production in Asia. The target customers for the combined 802.11b/Bluetooth chip are tier one PC OEMs, especially those in the North American market. The company has samples ready to go, which will be demonstrated publicly in June, before the chip begins shipping to customers in Q3.

By: DocMemory
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