Intersil and Silicon Wave Unveil World's First Dual-Mode 802.11b and Bluetooth Mini-PCI Card Reference Design

Blue802™ Technology Delivers Simultaneous Operation of Bluetooth™ and Wi-Fi Wireless Connectivity

LAS VEGAS, Networld+Interop 2002, May 6, 2002 - Intersil Corporation, the world's leading developer of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks, and Silicon Wave, Inc., a world leading silicon developer and provider for Wireless Personal Area Networks, today announced availability of the world's first mini-PCI card reference design that allows simultaneous operation of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless connectivity in notebook PCs and other computing devices while delivering optimal throughput, range and responsiveness. Visit Intersil at Networld + Interop on May 7-9, 2002 in the Wi-Fi Pavillion, Booth #343, to learn more about Blue802™ technology and view a demonstration.

The dual-mode mini-PCI card reference design incorporates Blue802 technology that provides simultaneous optimal operation of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless functionality in a single device. This enables Bluetooth applications such as mouse, keyboard, printing, file transfer and portable device synchronization to run at the same time the user is wirelessly connected to the network via Wi-Fi. Existing solutions on the market that do not incorporate Blue802 technology require the user to manually operate either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to prevent interference and degradation of throughput, range and responsiveness.

"To date, coexistence between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi has been a significant issue impacting the adoption of these two complementary technologies," said Joyce Putscher, director of converging markets and technologies for In-Stat/MDR. "Silicon Wave and Intersil are the first to deliver technology that addresses this issue transparently to the end user - and helping to usher in a new era in wireless freedom."

The reference design allows OEMs to quickly bring mini-PCI cards to market at a lower cost than implementing separate modules. The reference design allows both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios to share the same PCB, host interface and antennas, saving integration and material costs. Incorporating Silicon Wave's Bluetooth qualified SiW1700™ series and Intersil's PRISM® 3 chipset featuring direct conversion technology, the reference design is optimized for low cost and high performance - proven strengths in Silicon Wave and Intersil's chip set families.

"The dual-mode mini-PCI card reference design is the world's first and only Bluetooth and Wi-Fi co-existence solution on the market today that incorporates proven silicon from market leaders, making this a low-risk implementation," said Jarvis Tou, vice president of marketing and product management for Silicon Wave. "The reference design is being sampled today and we expect products based on our Blue802 technology to appear in notebooks later this year".

"OEMs can quickly and easily adapt the dual-mode mini-PCI card reference design for use in any Wi-Fi enabled notebook on the market today. Since the reference design is based on a standard Type 3A mini-PCI card and uses a unique dual antenna switching matrix, no modifications to Wi-Fi enabled notebooks are required," said Dave Feller, director of Marketing for Intersil's Wireless Networking Business. "Now OEMs can add the benefits of Bluetooth wireless functionality while delivering simultaneous and optimal operation of both wireless technologies to consumers at the lowest possible cost today."

Technical Features

Simultaneous operation of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless functions
Intelligent MAC level collaboration avoids interference
Both radios are Zero-IF Direct Conversion
Uses proven & Bluetooth qualified Silicon Wave SiW1700 series and Intersil PRISM 3 WLAN chip sets
Low risk deployment
Shared dual antennas via switching matrix
Only 2 antennas required to support both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

Type 3A mini-PCI card reference design
 

The dual-mode mini-PCI card reference resign is licensed to manufacturers and is compatible with Microsoft Windows® XP Wireless Architecture. Packaged in a Type 3A mini-PCI card, samples of the reference design are currently available and are being sampled by select notebook and mini-PCI card manufacturers. Qualification samples are expected to be delivered in mid-2002 with volume ramp estimated in Q3'02 for the Fall refresh cycle. Mini-PCI card manufacturers are expected to be offering cards for under $50.

About Blue802™ Technology
Silicon Wave and Intersil have developed Blue802 technology, a unique collaborative real-time communications interface at the MAC layer that is transparent to the notebook PC or portable device user. Data can be transmitted without interference while optimizing system throughput, range, and responsiveness. This enables Bluetooth applications such as mouse, keyboard, printing, file transfer and portable device synch to run at the same time the user is connected to the network over Wi-Fi.

About Intersil
Intersil is a global leader in designing innovative wireless networking and high performance analog solutions that enable wireless access to video, data and voice in homes, offices and public places. Creating advanced power management products, Intersil provides reliable solutions for file servers, portable information appliances and over half of all computer microprocessors manufactured today. With a rich high performance analog and mixed signal portfolio, Intersil brings added value in providing complete silicon, software and reference design solutions to new products that bring portable connectivity to people wherever they live, work or travel. Headquartered in Irvine, California, Intersil has offices in cities throughout the US, Europe and Asia. For more information about Intersil or to find out how to become a member of our winning team, visit the company's Web site and career page at www.intersil.com.