Broadcom releases 40nm Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo chip

Broadcom released the BCM43142 InConcert combo chip which combines Wi-Fi Direct connectivity with seamless proximity-based pairing, simplifying wireless connectivity in the home.

The combo chip supports a variety of platforms including Windows and Android-based systems.

The single-die BCM43142 is the industry’s first 40nm Wi-Fi Bluetooth Combo Chip for notebooks and netbooks. With its high levels of integration, it provides a significant reduction in footprint and a lower bill-of-materials and a 40 percent reduction in power consumption.

The BCM43142 software development kit includes APIs for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Bluetooth High Speed and 802.11n Wi-Fi Direct functionality. This allows devices to automatically recognize and communicate with each other directly, delivering innovative applications such as proximity-based PC security, router-less collaboration and instant photo/video sharing.

BCM43142 highlights:

• It supports single stream IEEE 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.0 + HS. It also features integrated power amplifiers and a low noise amplifier.
• The BCM43142 is optimized for cost and power. It is available in a 68-pin QFN package and uses the PCIe interface for Wi-Fi and USB interface for Bluetooth.
• Broadcom continues to support its widely deployed Bluetooth stack and software for Windows. This also includes support for Bluetooth Low Energy. The software package includes APIs for BT4.0+HS and BLE.
• Broadcom’s support for Wi-Fi Direct enables devices to communicate directly with one another without having to interact with an access point. This allows simpler, faster communication with high-density video resolution. The software package includes APIs for Wi-Fi Direct.
• The BCM43142 implements the industry’s most advanced and proven radio coexistence algorithms and hardware mechanisms to allow a collaborative Wi-Fi and Bluetooth coexistence scheme internal to the device. The chip also provides support for coexistence schemes with additional wireless technologies such as LTE and WiMAX. As a result, enhanced overall quality for simultaneous voice, video and data transmission is achieved in a laptop computer.