SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ — Redpine Signals, Inc., a leading developer of ultra low power multi-standard wireless chipsets and systems, today announced the launch of its Connect-io-n™ series of modules, the industry’s first suite of highly integrated single-stream 802.11n Wi-Fi® IO modules to provide future-proof wireless connectivity for embedded systems, particularly those involved in connecting the Internet of Things. Redpine’s Connect-io-n technology offers self-contained single-stream 802.11n modules at a smaller size, lower cost and lower power than legacy 802.11b and 802.11g modules. Priced below many 802.11b/g modules, the Connect-io-n series removes the last barrier to widespread adoption of the 802.11n standard.

The products include the RS9110-N-11-23, a self-contained 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi client device with a standard serial or SPI interface to the microcontroller host, the RS9110-N-11-24, a fully contained 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi client device with networking stack included, the RS9110-N-11-27, a dual-band 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi client device with a standard serial or SPI interface to the microcontroller host, and the RS9110-N-11-28, a dual band 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi client device with networking stack included.  

Wireless connectivity for embedded devices is typically characterized by low throughput, low power consumption, and relaxed latency requirements. However, Wi-Fi embedded devices are seen in ever greater numbers in a variety of environments, many of which are 802.11n-based. Legacy 802.11b/g devices and 802.11b devices in particular, cause considerable disruption to an 11n network.  First, they occupy the airways far longer to transmit a given amount of information than other nodes in the network.  Second, they force the Access Point — and all nodes on the network — to adopt bandwidth-consuming protection mechanisms to accommodate the legacy device. The explosive growth in adoption of Wi-Fi into embedded devices has prompted major industry groups, such as the Wi-Fi Alliance, to start disallowing 802.11b devices in upcoming certification programs such as Wi-Fi Direct. (Wi-Fi Direct is the groundbreaking specification from the Wi-Fi Alliance® to support direct Wi-Fi connections between devices).

Redpine’s modules are the first in the industry to bring single-stream 802.11n connectivity to standard 8-bit microcontrollers. Aimed at plug-and-play integration of Wi-Fi into such platforms through an SPI or UART interface, these modules are available in software variants that can either provide a built-in TCP/IP stack or enable the use of the microcontroller’s networking stack.

The Connect-io-n series is based on Redpine’s mature Lite-Fi® chipset, the industry’s first Wi-Fi certified 802.11n single-stream device, which has been successfully integrated into a significant number of embedded systems over the past two years. Connect-io-n modules have best-in-class transmit power of 18dBm and receiver sensitivity down to -98dBm, enabling excellent range. With shutdown power of less than 0.01mW, associated mode power of less than 3mW and active operational power of less than 30mW (UART 115K baud), the Connect-io-n series enables ultra-low-power wireless battery operated applications, such as wireless sensors, with battery life of greater than 10 years and update rates faster than once in 15 minutes.

The module is small at 11mm x 13mm and it is FCC/IC/CE certified.  This means that the system integrator’s task is simplified when integrating it into an embedded system. The Connect-io-n family is also the first in the industry to offer variants that support dual-band 2.4/5GHz band operation for serial-to-WiFi applications that demand better reliability and QoS in crowded wireless environments.

“Our experience has shown that single-stream 802.11n always results in lower energy consumption, independent of the data rate at which a device communicates. The reason is that the 802.11n device is on air for a shorter time and hence uses up less network bandwidth and less energy per bit,” said Venkat Mattela, CEO of Redpine Signals.  “Redpine’s 802.11n Connect-io-n technology provides lower-cost, lower-power wireless connectivity to any device, with or without a TCP/IP stack.  At the same time, it future-proofs the customer’s investment into the wireless solution,” he added.

Price and Availability

The technology maturity of the Lite-Fi chipset and high levels of integration of the Connect-io-n modules enable Redpine to offer the modules at lower cost than competing legacy 11b or 11g modules. The Connect-io-n single-band (2.4GHz) modules are available now and are priced at less than $19 in volumes of more than 1000 units. Evaluation kits are available for $195.  

About Redpine Signals, Inc.

Headquartered in San Jose, California, Redpine Signals, Inc., is a fabless semiconductor and wireless system solutions company focusing on ultra-low-power and high-performance products for next-generation wireless applications. Redpine was founded in 2001 and was the first in the industry to launch an ultra low power and low-cost single-stream 802.11n chipset in late 2007. Redpine offers chipsets, modules and solutions covering multiple market segments including industrial, consumer electronics, medical, mobile, PC, and smart energy. Its technology portfolio includes multi-stream 802.11n along with mobile WiMax (802.16e) and 3GPP LTE technologies. The company has more than 130 employees worldwide. For more information on Redpine products, visit www.redpinesignals.com  or contact Redpine at info@redpinesignals.com.

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ — Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA) today introduced a new digital-to-analog (DAC) converter development kit adaptor designed to create a compact solution for developing and testing an FPGA-DAC interface.

The new DKXC5VADAPT-1 implements a high-performance interface, combining the power of the Xilinx Virtex(TM)-5 FPGA with the Fujitsu high-speed MB86064/5 DAC. The MB86065 is a 14-bit, 1.3GSa/s, single-channel DAC derived from the MB86064 dual 14-bit, 1GSa/s DAC (see December 7, 2006 press release,  http://www.fujitsu.com/us/news/pr/fma_20061207.html).

The kit adaptor provides a physical link between the data headers on the Fujitsu DK86064-2 and DK86065-2 development kits and the HiTech Global V5-PCIE2 FPGA prototype board. The adaptor features six Samtec sockets that plug into the headers on the two boards, connecting 28 matched LVDS data pairs, the DAC Loop Clock pairs and two divided clock signals between the two boards. All clock signals are routed to dedicated global clock inputs on the FPGA.

The Hi-Tech Global V5-PCIE2 development platform features tri-mode Ethernet (10/100/1000), a 4-lane PCI Express end-point connector (upstream), and a DDR2 SO-DIMM socket (up to 4GB). The platform also includes a 512MB DDR3 component, 128MB Platform Flash XL for configuration, user Flash memory and on-board clocking.

Fujitsu Microelectronics development platforms are designed to deliver value to customers’ prototyping phases. The DKXC5VADAPT-1 comes with example firmware and, once combined with the appropriate Fujitsu DAC development kit, creates a compact platform that covers all aspects of the FPGA/DAC interface design.

“The platform speeds product time-to-market while significantly reducing the risk and cost of developing and debugging a custom development platform,” said Tong Swan Pang, senior product marketing manager at Fujitsu Microelectronics America. “Standalone evaluation boards have limited benefits compared to this fully integrated and proven platform. This new adaptor ensures that Fujitsu’s development kits accelerate the development of realistic system solutions platforms.”

The MB86064 and MB86065 DACs Use Loop Clock System to Maintain Clock-to-Date

The Fujitsu MB86064 and MB86065 DACs maintain valid clock-to-date timing by using a proprietary Loop Clock system. The Loop Clock is generated in sync with the DAC data at the FPGA output. The clock is passed through a user-programmable delay in the DAC, and then routed back to the FPGA’s PLL feedback input. Altering the delays in the divided clock or Loop Clock signals allows the user to advance or retard data timings to find the optimal data eye. Once calibrated, the system automatically compensates for the effects of device-to-device variations in phase, voltage and temperature (PVT).

Availability

The Fujitsu DKXC5VADAPT-1 DAC development kit adaptors are available now. Pricing is available upon request. To help customers get started with the platform, Fujitsu offers a sample implementation for the FPGA/DAC interface.

The Fujitsu DAC development kits, DK86064-2 and DK86065-2, come complete with a rich set of development tools and documentation. Optional SMA adaptor board, DK86064-1-SMA, additional PC USB Control cable and software, and DKUSB-1, are also available to facilitate development.

The Hi-Tech Global V5-PCIE2 FPGA prototype board is available directly from HiTech Global (http://www.hitechglobal.com/) with a number of different Virtex-5 parts, including the XC5VLX50T and the XC5VFX100T. The FPGA can either be programmed directly over JTAG or via the on-board 128MB Flash memory. The configuration can be saved into Flash memory, removing the need to reprogram the device at power on. Programming is performed via a Xilinx USB programming cable.

About Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc.

Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA) leads the industry in innovation. FMA provides high-quality, reliable semiconductor products, design and manufacturing services for the wireless, consumer, automotive, and other markets throughout North and South America. For product information, visit the company web site at http://us.fujitsu.com/micro/DAC or address e-mail to inquiry@fma.fujitsu.com