Wireless technologies unite on Mini Card

New from Staccato Communications is the SC3224R combo Bluetooth Mini Card reference design kit. The SC3224R is the industry's first solution that combines both Bluetooth technology and Certified Wireless USB onto a single PCI Express Mini Card form factor design to provide a fully integrated wireless PAN solution for notebook PC and wireless desktop applications. Marking the first-phase completion of Staccato's Bluetooth convergence roadmap, previously announced in March 2006, the SC3224R design is proof that Bluetooth and Certified Wireless USB can simultaneously function in close proximity on a single Mini Card design, simplifying integration in notebook PCs by sharing the same antenna and Mini Card interface.

By combining both wireless PAN technologies onto a single Mini Card, OEMs are only required to use a single Mini Card slot on a notebook PC, leaving the other slots available for other radios for WLAN and WWAN.

The initial version of the SC3224R reference design kit will support current-generation Bluetooth and Certified Wireless USB for dual-mode wireless PAN applications.

Future generations of the reference design, when allowed by the Bluetooth 3.0 specification, will support tri-mode functionality by adding Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities.

Staccato's multiprotocol MAC architecture and protocol independent kernel (PIK) uniquely enable the simultaneous support of multiple protocols on a single chip.

'Until this reference design, Certified Wireless USB was only available on a dedicated Mini Card, requiring OEMs to devote a Mini Card slot for this feature or add it as an external dongle', said Ray Lin Senior Product Marketing Manager, Cameo Communications.

'With Staccato's design, notebook PCs can now add Certified Wireless USB without the need for an additional slot or antenna placement'.

'Phase one of our convergence roadmap is complete'.

'This reference design coupled with our complete coexistence studies prove that the two radios can work in close proximity with no harmful interference in either direction', said Roberto Aiello, cofounder and Chief Technical Officer for Staccato Communications.

'With only one Mini Card slot available for Wireless PAN technology customers need a small-form-factor solution that combines both Bluetooth and Certified Wireless USB.

Staccato is uniquely able to solve this problem because of Ripcord's highly integrated, single-chip, all-CMOS design, achieving an extremely small form-factor'.

'Our Ripcord device family is the only single-chip, all-CMOS solution on the market today, which affords OEMs low-cost and low-power benefits for their designs'.

The SC3224R design enables the use of a single antenna shared simultaneously by both radios through a diplexer without any significant degradation in performance to either radio.

Antenna placement is an increasing problem in notebook PCs because of the increasing number of radios that are included.

Sharing a single antenna and a single Mini Card slot this reference design eliminates the need for additional antennas or Mini Card slots to the system.