Broadcom unveils combo 802.11n chip

Broadcom plans to introduce a new combination chip every 60 days

Broadcom has unveiled a new wireless combination chip that supports 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM radio on a single silicon die.

The company claims that the BCM4329 chip offers significant cost, size, power and performance advantages over discrete semiconductor implementations, making it ideal for handheld electronics.

Most device manufacturers prefer combination communication chips as they are smaller, less complicated, more power efficient and can share an antenna.

The BCM4329 forms part of Broadcom's recently announced plans to introduce a new combination chip every 60 days over the coming months, and is one of the industry's first to offer 802.11n support for mobile devices.

Broadcom said that the chip also includes FM transmit and receive capabilities, allowing users to listen to radio stations or stream music directly from a personal media player or mobile phone to car stereos or home cinema systems without having to purchase special adapters or use bulky cables.

"Handset manufacturers are excited about the opportunities that 802.11n brings, but they are looking for single antenna solutions that meet stringent size and power requirements," said Chris Berge, director of Broadcom's Embedded WLAN unit.

"The BCM4329 is another example of how Broadcom is driving the industry towards combination solutions, not by delivering a one-size-fits-all technology, but by integrating the right mix of technologies for the right applications."

Broadcom claims that the BCM4329 is the industry's smallest and cheapest dual-band 802.11n system, which allows Wi-Fi users to access the less crowded 5GHz spectrum for media applications that require faster guaranteed bandwidth.

The chip is now sampling to early access customers, and full-scale prod uction is scheduled for 2009.

The BCM4329 launch follows the October release of a new combination host controller interface from Broadcom that integrates Bluetooth and FM onto a single chip.