Science & Technology
Science and Technology
Science and Technology
Tue, January 6, 2009 Atheros: Atheros Ships 50-Millionth Ethernet Chip
SANTA CLARA, CA--(Marketwire - January 6, 2009) - Atheros Communications, Inc. (
Since entering the Ethernet market, Atheros has designed a comprehensive line of products to meet the Ethernet requirements of its broad customer base in the wireless connectivity markets. Leveraging its industry-leading integration and attention to engineering detail, Atheros has developed a portfolio of solutions that feature superior performance, power and cost benefits. Atheros' Gigabit and Fast Ethernet solutions also now lead the industry in package size and advanced features. This product leadership has resulted in Ethernet controller design wins with six of the top ten notebook PC manufacturers and three of the top four desktop motherboard manufacturers, as well as switch designs with five of the top access point manufacturers.
ETHOS products are engineered to deliver enhanced performance and value for PC, retail networking and carrier gateway products, particularly those supporting the high-performance capacity of Atheros XSPAN®, the world's most widely adopted 802.11n technology. With the increasing adoption and performance capacity of 11n, demand for Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) networking is growing. To satisfy the requirement for more bandwidth by today's consumer applications and triple-play home networks, PC, retail networking and the carrier markets have adopted GbE technology for its ability to readily address multimedia applications, making Gigabit Ethernet the de facto standard in networking systems and PC platforms worldwide.
"We are pleased to have achieved this significant 50-million chipset milestone with our ETHOS products," said George Chu, vice president and general manager of the company's Ethernet business unit. "With our growing ETHOS portfolio of products, we are continually enhancing our ability to serve the complete networking silicon needs of our broad customer base."
New AR8131M and AR8132M PCI Express (PCIe) Ethernet Controllers for PCs Deliver Unparalleled Low Power Efficiency
The AR8131M Gigabit Ethernet and AR8132M Fast Ethernet controllers are Atheros' third-generation solutions, featuring best-in-class power, RBOM and size efficiencies, enabling PC makers to deliver high-performance, cost-competitive notebook and desktop LAN-on-Motherboard designs.
Market-leading energy efficiency is achieved in these controller solutions through power-saving techniques and protocols, including Automatic Power Savings (APS) technology, which dynamically manages Ethernet connection power levels by sensing when a PC is in sleep or no-activity state, and Atheros' Green Ethernet technology, which detects Ethernet cable lengths and adjusts power usage accordingly. Applying these methods, the AR8131M and AR8132M consume only 20mW during the notebook's wireless operation, and less than 10mW when in stand-by mode, to deliver power efficiencies unmatched by any competitor.
The Atheros AR8131M and AR8132M are the industry's smallest Gigabit and Fast Ethernet controller solutions, and are available in 48-pin, 6mm x 6mm QFN packages. These high-quality packages offer superior electrical and thermal performance versus leaded QFP packages. In addition, the AR8131M and AR8132M controllers feature the lowest RBOM costs by integrating the switching regulator and 512 bytes of EEPROM onto a single chip. These highly efficient designs ensure that customers benefit from the quality, reliability and value they have come to expect from Atheros.
Atheros AR8316 Gigabit Ethernet Switch Now in Volume Production
Atheros' flagship AR8316 Gigabit Ethernet switch, expressly engineered for wireless routers, carrier gateways and IP set-top boxes, is now shipping in volume. The AR8316 is Atheros' most energy-efficient Ethernet switch to-date, capable of consuming less than 0.1W of power when a device is idle, resulting in an extraordinary 96.5 percent power savings versus full-traffic operation. In addition, the switch uses Atheros' Green Ethernet technology to intelligently detect the length of the Ethernet cable and adjust power usage accordingly. In a typical home environment, where shorter cables are utilized, the AR8316 consumes only 2.4 watts of power.
Beyond its low-power efficiency, the AR8316 supports the programmable Access Control List (ACL) feature, which enables sophisticated QoS and security policies. Advanced carrier-class features, such as 802.1p, DSCP, Bandwidth Control/Guarantee, and Hardware IGMP, make the AR8316 one of the most innovative and economical switches available for carrier applications. These attributes are packed into the industry's smallest GbE switch, which is available in a 176-pin EPAD 20mm x 20mm TQFP package. Atheros also offers a more compact design for unmanaged switch applications, the AR8315, available in a 128-pin EPAD 14mm x 20mm LQFP package.
Availability
For more information about Atheros' complete portfolio of ETHOS solutions, please visit [ http://www.atheros.com/pt/ethernet_index.htm ].
About Atheros Communications, Inc.
Atheros Communications is a leading developer of semiconductor system solutions for wireless and wired communications products. Atheros combines its wireless and networking systems expertise with high-performance radio frequency (RF), mixed signal and digital semiconductor design skills to provide highly integrated chipsets that are manufactured on low-cost, standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes. Atheros technology is used by a broad base of leading customers, including personal computer, networking equipment and consumer device manufacturers. For more information, please visit [ http://www.atheros.com ] or send email to [ info@atheros.com ].
Atheros, the Atheros logo, ETHOS and XSPAN are trademarks of Atheros Communications, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the sole property of their respective owners.
NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including the features, benefits and performance of Atheros' ETHOS products, the anticipated growth of demand for GbE networking, and the expected success of Atheros in the Ethernet market, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, difficulties in the development of new and enhanced products, general economic conditions, the effects of competition and technological change, and the risks detailed in Atheros' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2008, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in other reports filed with the SEC by Atheros from time to time. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Atheros disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
