Multi-standard 802.11a/b/g support for universal wireless connectivity to any 802.11 network, future-proofs WLAN deployments and delivers the highest performance.

AR5004X Solution Highlights

• Support for IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g

• Universal wireless connectivity for seamless roaming between any 802.11-based network

• Uses digital CMOS technology exclusively, minimizing power consumption and cost while maximizing reliability

• Highly integrated 2-chip set

• 2.4/5 GHz dual band Radio-on-a-Chip (RoC)

• Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor  that supports the RoC

• Wireless Multimedia Enhancements Quality of Service support (QoS)

• Super AG® mode delivers up to 108 Mbps raw data rate with typical end user  throughput exceeding 60 Mbps

• Super AG® utilizes Adaptive Radio to automatically identify clear channels
  for maximum throughout and standards compatible operation

• Hardware encryption for the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and IEEE 802.11i security specifications, provides Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) without performance degradation

• Extended tuning range (2.300-2.500 & 4.900-5.850 GHz) for worldwide use

• Dynamic Frequency Selection/Transmit Power Control (DPS/TPC) for international operation

• Support for draft IEEE 802.11e, h, and j standards

• Atheros eXtended Range (XR) technology to give Wi-Fi products twice the range of existing designs

• Power-saving design improvements reduce system power consumption by 60%

The AR5004X solution includes:

AR5112 Dual band Radio-on-a-Chip (RoC)

• All CMOS dual band radio chip

• Dynamic IF Dual Conversion architecture provides super-heterodyne performance at Zero IF prices

• Support for IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g

• Operates from 2.300-2.500 GHz and 4.900-5.850 GHz

• Integrated power amplifier (PA) and low-noise amplifier (LNA)

• External PA and/or LNA can be used for special applications

• Eliminates all IF filters and most RF filters; no external voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) or surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters needed

• Increased sensitivity and multipath tolerance

• Enhanced transmit and receive chains

AR5213 Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor

• Supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz RoCs

• Super AG®  mode includes dynamic 108 Mbps capability, real-time hardware data  compression, Fast Frames™ and standards-compliant bursting

• Atheros eXtended Range (XR) technology

• Integrated Wake-on-Wireless and Wake-on-Theft capabilities

• No external FLASH or RAM memory needed

• PCI 2.3 and PC Card 7.1 host interfaces with DMA support

• Integrated analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters

• Serial EEPROM, LEDs, GPIOs peripheral interfaces

• Low power operational and sleep modes

AR5004X WLAN System Architecture

AR5004X reference design highlights:

• Windows® drivers for Window XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows 98 SE and Windows NT 4.0
• A single driver and firmware code base supports all Atheros chipsets, and provides both backward and forward compatibility with Atheros previous and next-generation multi-standard designs.
• Integrated WPA supplicant supports Windows drivers for Window XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows 98 SE and Windows NT 4.0
• Client utility supports configuration profiles, current link status, statistics and diagnostics

* Theoretical wireless link rate based on applicable IEEE 802.11 standards. Actual user throughput will be lower than the theoretical link rate and will vary, as network conditions and environmental factors can lower actual throughput rate.