NXP Semiconductor has introduced a multi-chip module that supports the IEEE's new 802.11n high-speed wireless LAN protocol. The MRX2000 enables higher throughput of multimedia data streams, including HD video, and can be “easily” integrated into consumer devices such as set-top boxes, digital media adapters, residential gateways, routers, and game consoles, the company said.

802.11n is claimed to overcome the “substantial limitations” of the existing 802.11a/b/g wireless networking standards, providing increased coverage area, higher throughput, and better Quality of Service. The improved performance results from a technique known as “MIMO” (multiple input multiple output), which is based on the use of multiple receiver and transmitter antennas.

MRX2000 block diagram
(Click image for larger view)
NXP says the MRX2000 uses a 2×3 MIMO configuration, meaning two receivers and three transmitters, which is claimed to be more cost effective than a 3×3 configuration without sacrificing performance. The module supports both the 5 GHz and legacy 2.4 GHz bands and includes other 802.11n features, such as Advanced Aggregation, which enhances MAC efficiency; Fast Link Adaptation (FLA), which optimizes real-tie performance; and embedded Quality of Service (QoS).

The MRX2000 offers several alternative interfacing mechanisms, including USB 2.0 and PCI-Express, and proprietary interfaces from NXP and ST Microelectronics. NXP says drivers are available for Linux 2.4 and 2.6 series kernels, as well as Windows CE 5.0 and 6.0.

The module is now sampling and is expected to reach mass production by the end of the third quarter, NXP said.

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