International Consumer Electronics Show - Redpine Signals, Inc., a developer of multi-standard OFDM and MIMO silicon-based solutions, announced that it has released to the market the first member of its Lite-Fi product family, the RS9110 ultra low power 802.11abgn solution for battery constrained mobile handsets, consumer electronics devices, digital still cameras and personal navigation devices. The Lite-Fi RS9110 utilizes advanced power management techniques spread over system, algorithm and circuit levels.

    The RS9110 enables unparalleled levels of performance and power reduction for battery operated Wi-Fi products. By implementing unique & proprietary circuit design, system-level and advanced algorithm techniques, Redpine's solution extends the battery life for 802.11n products longer than rival 802.11b/g products. The RS9110 is the first product from Redpine's Lite-Fi 802.11abgn product family. The RS9110 was architected from the ground up for ultra low power & extremely efficient wireless connectivity.

    Low power 802.11n technology is critical to the growth of Wi-Fi specifically and wireless connectivity in general. ABI Research (Oyster Bay, NY) forecasts over 3.7 billion cumulative Wi-Fi IC shipments from 2008 to 2012. Of that, approximately 75% will be 802.11n. ABI predicts that the primary driver for this incredible growth is Wi-Fienabled battery sensitive products such as mobile phones and other consumer electronics devices. The missing piece for this significant market opportunity is ultra low power technology like single antenna 802.11n 1x1 Wi-Fi. This is the problem that Redpine Signals has solved. Redpine's 802.11n 1x1 technology meets consumers' expectations for battery life and user experience for coverage and quality of voice calls over Wi-Fi networks.

    "Unlike the conventional implementations which focus on silicon geometry to get lower power, we took system approaches to optimize the total average power. "Our research spanning over 6 years concludes that the silicon geometry has minimal effect on power consumption as compared to the effect on power due to wireless performance and system level optimization techniques," said Mr. Mattela.

    Utilizing Redpine's proprietary processing core, the RS9110 maximizes over-the-air throughput to deliver the most robust solution for multipath environments. Redpine's design team has gone well beyond circuit design techniques in an effort to build the industry's lowest power solution for 802.11n. System-level power savings protocols and highly specialized signal processing algorithms all contribute to the RS9110's low power consumption. In addition to unparalleled levels of performance and power reduction, Redpine's proprietary architecture is perfectly suited for wireless convergence and the customer-required need for multiple standards on a single monolithic die.

    Mattela went on saying: "Lite-Fi unveils intrinsic advantages of 802.11n for low power over 802.11b/g and we enhance it further with our unique and proprietary patented techniques to optimize the power for the total signal chain." The RS9110 is a single antenna, dual-band design that supports Bluetooth coexistence as well as the Wi-Fi Protected Setup program from the Wi-Fi Alliance.

    The RS9110 is available in WLCSP and UFLGA packages. Complete reference design kits are available in SD- & SiP-based form factors. A comprehensive software package that includes complete MAC firmware, reference drivers, manufacturing software and configuration GUI for Linux and Windows CE is available. Support for host/client communications, information exchange between host and RS9110, WLAN configuration and power management is also available.