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Virtually all laptops and netbooks have built-in wireless local-area network (WLAN) connectivity with at least 802.11g. Most newer laptops come with the faster 802.11n version, but Atheros Communications expects about 50% of netbooks to have 11n as well by next year. Atheros projects that as many as 50% of netbooks will also have Bluetooth (BT) wireless. Bluetooth is widely used with headsets, speakers, MP3 players, smart phones, and wireless mice or keyboards.

To make that combination practical and economical, Atheros has announced its AR9002WB-1NGB 11n/BT Combo solution. It combines Atheros’ proven WLAN and BT chips on a single Half Mini-Card with PCI Express form factor (see the figure). The WLAN part of the design uses the AR9285, which integrates the radio transceiver and the media access controller/baseband sections into a single chip along with the power amplifier, low-noise amplifiers, and antenna switch. This fully compliant 11n single stream (1x1 SISO) transceiver can deliver a data rate to 150 Mbits/s under the right conditions.

The Atheros Communications AR9002WB-1NGB is a combination 802.11n WLAN and Bluetooth radio module designed for netbooks. The combination saves space, cuts costs, and ensures full interoperability between the WLAN, Bluetooth, and any resident 3G cellular radios.

The Bluetooth connectivity is implemented with the AR3011 chip complying with the Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (extended data rate) standard. It is upgradeable to Bluetooth 3.0. The Combo board includes LEDs and the antenna connectors for the external antennas embedded in the netbook. The full combination results in a 20% reduction in bill of materials (BOM) over standalone WLAN and BT solutions.

The 11n/BT Combo’s Universal Wireless Cooperation suite of advanced wireless techniques mitigates interference among multiple wireless technologies now commonly being embedded into netbooks. As manufacturers integrate more wireless technologies into each PC, multi-radio coexistence becomes increasingly essential to ensure a reliable wireless user experience. Atheros’ combo solution goes beyond coexistence to enable cooperationbetween WLAN, Bluetooth, and even 3G cellular technologies co-located in a netbook.

The suite consists of channel protection and timesharing mechanisms, custom 3G coexistence optimization, and Atheros’ proprietary WLAN/Bluetooth Coexistence Agent. This high-performance coexistence scheme allows faster Web surfing and file transfers, smooth media streams, and clear voice transmissions on the WLAN link, all with uninterrupted synching of wireless PC peripherals like mice and keyboards on the Bluetooth link. Atheros has also optimized its combo solution for coexistence with 3G technology utilizing protection mechanisms and RF filters. As a result, PC manufacturers can confidently employ the AR9002WB-1NGB in netbooks or notebooks to successfully enable WLAN, Bluetooth, and 3G cellular data on the same device.

In addition to implementing coexistence techniques on the PC side, Atheros is leveraging its expertise in access point/router networking to support WLAN/Bluetooth cooperation on PCs connected to routers employing Atheros’ 11n solutions. Intelligent software features enable access points to detect the presence of Bluetooth interference on the client side and intelligently adapt their transmission rates to reduce interference between client WLAN and Bluetooth radios. This AP-based cooperation results in faster Wi-Fi transmissions and improved netbook battery life.

The AR9002WB-1NGB supports Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Linux. It is sampling now.