Toshiba Debuts 5 GHz WLan Chipset

By Bernard Cole
iApplianceWeb
(09/27/02, 03:03:04 PM EDT)

Tokyo, Japan -- Toshiba Corp. oration today announced a 5GHz-band local area network (LAN) chipset that provides the essential components for a high-speed, broadband wireless LAN that conforms to the IEEE802.11a specification.

The chip set consists of a baseband LSI and intermediate frequency (IF) IC. The baseband LSI, TC35672, integrates a dedicated circuit that can process data transferred at 54Mbps, and 10-bit AD and DA converters that operate at 40MHz. High speed processing and low power consumption are supported by Toshiba's proprietary TX39 core and power management system.

The IF IC, TA32151, designed expressly to interface with TC35672, integrates an orthogonal modulator and demodulator with a direct current (DC) offset function that removes the remaining DC elements in alternating current (AC).

The chip set is designed to support the Card Bus interface and integration in PCMCIA-based applications, such as PCI cards, access points, PCs and PDAs. The chip set's interoperability is secured by full conformity with the Wi-Fi specification.

Toshiba is now completing development of a complete chip set solution by developing an RF IC that includes blocks for a mixer, and phase-locked loop (PLL), power amplifier and switch.

The next generation chip set will cover both 5GHz and 2.4GHz operation, in full conformity to IEEE802.11a and IEEE802.11b, respectively. Smart antenna and security technologies, such as Temporal Keying Integrity Protocol and the Advanced Encryption Standard, will be introduced in the next-generation chip se.

The new chipset will also conform to the IEEE802.1x authentication specification. Both Mini-PCI and PCMCIA-based applications will provide potential markets.

Samples of TC35672 and TA32151 will be available in December.

For more information, go to www.toshiba.com.