Underlying this product is Atheros' commitment to orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) as the preferred modulation for wireless LANs at all frequencies. The IEEE has endorsed the broad adoption of OFDM for WLANs because of its efficient use of spectrum and its resistance to interference. OFDM has become the basis for all new wireless standards.

"Given the difficulties and complexities associated with OFDM and CMOS, Atheros has a considerable lead on its competition," said Aaron Vance, Industry Analyst for the Synergy Research Group. "Furthermore, they are the first to extend the performance and benefits of OFDM across the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands in their WLAN combo chipset."

A Highly Integrated Combo Solution

Like the highly acclaimed first-generation products from Atheros, the Combo 802.11a/g/b Chipset uses standard CMOS technology to achieve highly integrated system-level solutions at a low cost. The solution is composed of three chips: a 5 GHz radio-on-a-chip with a super-wide 5.150-5.850 GHz tuning range, a 2.4 GHz RF chip, and a multiprotocol MAC and Baseband Processor that supports both RF front ends. The chipset supports 802.11a, 802.11b and the 802.11g draft standard's OFDM implementation.

The radio-on-a-chip (RoC) integrates a second-generation power amplifier (PA) and low noise amplifier (LNA) and minimizes the need for other external components. No external flash or SRAM memory, surface acoustic wave (SAW) or intermediate frequency (IF) filters, or voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) are needed.

In a future plug-compatible chipset, Atheros will use its expertise in OFDM technology to provide an enhanced mode that extends the range and robustness of wireless networks, and will incorporate any changes required to be fully compliant with the developing 802.11g standard.

"Our new combo chipset covers all the bases," said Rich Redelfs, president and chief executive officer of Atheros. "We're expanding our leadership position across the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands with both 11a and 11g, while bringing advanced features to legacy 802.11b networks."

Enterprise-Class Security

The new chipset features the industry's most comprehensive security solution, covering four key areas-AES encryption, 802.1x authentication, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and Virtual LANs (VLANs).

AES is the state-of-the-art technology selected by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology to replace the 3DES (Triple Data Encryption Standard) standard currently used for banking and other high-security applications. AES is universally considered the best commercially available encryption and integrity-checking technology. The chipset also supports Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and WEP functionality for legacy systems that do not support AES.

For authentication, Atheros uses 802.1x to verify that clients have the credentials to be on the network. The 802.1x standard enables centralized network authorization, dynamic key management, and centralized user administration to enhance the security and interoperability of wireless LANs.

Support for VPNs enhances end-to-end security through the use of tunneling protocols and certificate authorities. The VLAN feature allows for the separation of guest user or "hot spot" traffic from private traffic over the same physical wireless network.

108Mbps Support, International Features, Quality of Service, Power Trickle Architecture

Other second-generation features include an improved Atheros Turbo Mode™, which increases wireless data rates to 108 Mbps, and both Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) and Transmit Power Control (TPC) to support European operation. Quality of Service enhancements assure real-time delivery of audio, video, and voice data. The chipset is compatible with the developing IEEE 802.11e, f, h, and i standards.

Product Availability

The Atheros Combo 802.11a WLAN Chipset (AR5001X) is sampling now and will be shipping in volume in the second quarter of this year. End user products will be launched by a variety of computing and consumer electronics manufacturers in the second half of the year.

The solution is one of three new WLAN chipsets that Atheros is introducing today. For more information about today's overall Atheros technology announcement, the second-generation 802.11a chipset and the integrated access point chipset, please see the separate news releases on these topics.

About Atheros Communications, Inc.

Atheros Communications is the leading developer of networking technologies for secure, high-performance wireless local area networks. As the industry innovator and market-share leader in wireless OFDM technology compliant with the IEEE 802.11 specifications, Atheros is driving transparent connections among electronic devices in the office, home and on the road. Atheros technology is being used by many of the world's leading wireless equipment manufacturers including Accton, Actiontec, ALPS Electric, Intel, Intermec, Netgear, Proxim, SMC Networks, Sony, TDK, UltraDevices and others. For more information, visit www.atheros.com or send email to info@atheros.com.

For press and analyst inquiries contact: Cheryl Patstone, 408-773-5344, cheryl@atheros.com or Greg Wood, A&R Partners, 650-762-2838, gwood@arpartners.com.