HIGH-DEFINITION (HD) broadcasting and wireless home networking are both expanding, thanks to their popularity with consumers. In the vision of the true "connected home," however, they would ideally be part of one solution. Now, the EDIMAX video-over-wireless (VoW) bridge is bringing homes closer to that state of connectivity (see photo). Based on Qualcomm Atheros' AR9580 chip, this bridge delivers carrier-grade, multi-HD video streaming throughout the home.
The EDIMAX WV-A900APN bridge is well suited to glitch-free, in-home video-services distribution. It vows to provide the necessary range, performance, and energy efficiency at a competitive cost point. It also promises a better experience for end users, thanks to quality-of-service enhancements like transmit buffering, video-stream optimization, and range improvement.
The three-stream IEEE 802.11n solutions from Qualcomm Atheros are optimized for VoW applications. The AR9580, for example, integrates the company's signal-sustain technology to virtually eliminate packet loss. In doing so, it minimizes latency while providing error-free transmissions. The chip also supports smart-antenna-array approaches. Among its key features are three-stream, 3x3 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), and an internal software regulator.
The AR9580 also is at the heart of a new embedded video-over-WiFi solution and integrated board. The WiFi solutions from Qualcomm Atheros' are now integrated with Mindspeed's Comcerto 1000 broadband packet processors, simplifying development for original-equipment and design manufacturers (OEMs and ODMs). This is expected to advance the processing of voice- and video-over-IP media streams in next-generation media gateways and systems (e.g., those performing the media resource function processing for IP-multimedia-subsystem networks). Applications include video and voice content conversion in support of telephony, multimedia messaging services (MMS), and video ad insertion. The chip also is a fit for high-end fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) Ethernet uplink gateways, which support 1-Gb/s data rates, and carrier-grade voice and video services.