Staccato Unveils High-Performance, Single-Chip Wireless USB Host Solution for Worldwide Operation
New addition to Ripcord2™ family supports PCI Express interface and is the first and only single-chip solution to achieve WiMedia PHY certification in Band Groups 1, 3 and 6
San Diego CA – November 10, 2008 Staccato Communications, an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wireless technology pioneer and leader in Wireless USB from the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), today announced the latest addition to the Ripcord2TM family of single-chip UWB ICs, the new SC4503 PCI Express (PCIe) Wireless Host Controller Interface (WHCI) solution for Wireless USB host applications. Designed in a leading 65nm CMOS technology, the single-chip SC4503 implements a fully integrated WiMedia MAC and PHY and a high-performance PCIe interface. Targeted for home and office applications, including notebook PCs, ultra-mobile PCs, netbooks and mobile internet devices (MIDs), the Ripcord2 WHCI Host offering provides a worldwide-compatible solution in a single device and delivers the optimal performance required for host-side Wireless USB applications.
The SC4503 features a small 5mm x 5mm package enabling low cost and small form factor designs. In addition, the SC4503 is the first and only single-chip solution to achieve WiMedia PHY certification in Band Groups 1, 3 and 6, providing PC OEMs a single-chip, high-performance, cost effective solution that is capable of worldwide operation. Staccato also offers Ripcord2 WHCI reference designs in two form factors: a PCIe Half-Mini Card and PCIe Express Card/34. Each reference design includes all the necessary hardware, software, firmware, documentation and support required to shorten customer development time and allow them to quickly bring solutions to market.
“It has been fairly clear that early Gen1 solutions were unable to meet the expectations of the market in terms of cost, power, performance and worldwide operation,” said Brian O’Rourke, principal analyst at In- Stat. “Consequently, volume shipments have been slow to take off, though early adopters of UWB technology have introduced products. In response to market expectations, chipset vendors are now introducing Gen2 solutions that resolve these early barriers. Ripcord2 is one such solution, and due to Staccato’s aggressive technology approach, they are in a great position to finally deliver on the true promise of UWB technology.”
“As evidenced in the past with wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, meaningful market adoption does not occur until the underlying technology solutions are able to meet the strict market requirements of low-power, high-performance and low-cost,” said Marty Colombatto, CEO for Staccato Communications. “Our Ripcord2 WHCI solution provides the appropriate technology triggers to meet these demands for host-side Wireless USB applications, while also enabling OEMs to deploy a worldwide compatible product in a single SKU design. This latest offering demonstrates our continued commitment to drive innovation and further solidifies Staccato’s leadership position in the Wireless USB space.”
As the solution capable of delivering the upper-band support necessary for worldwide operation, the Ripcord2 WHCI Host offering delivers:
- Single-chip 65nm all-CMOS implementation
- Fully integrated RF front-end, digital baseband, MAC and high-performance PCIe interface
- WiMedia PHY certification Band Groups 1, 3 and 6
- Support for all Time Frequency Codes (TFC 1-10) and data rate modes (53.3-480Mbps)
- Support for detection and avoidance (DAA)
- Protocol Independent Kernel™ (PIK) architecture supporting multiple protocols
For a product brief and image of the Ripcord2 WHCI Host solution, please visit www.ripcord2.com.
Availability and Pricing
Samples of Staccato’s Ripcord2 WHCI Host solution are currently available. Pricing is available upon request.