February 21, 2012 -- CEVA, Inc. and CEVA-XCnet partner Antcor SA, a provider of software baseband IP for the communications and connectivity chip industry, announced today a new software-based, reference architecture targeting multi-mode Wi-Fi 802.11ac mobile stations (STA).

With the new 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard yet-to-be ratified, and numerous other derivatives including 802.11af, 802.11p and Wi-Fi Direct, this software-based approach enables complete flexibility to address changes in the standard and support for various use-cases through software updates. Based on the new CEVA-XC4000 DSP architecture framework, this scalable Wi-Fi reference architecture is ideal for cost-efficient, ultra-low power applications, requiring as small as 1.5-mm² die area at a 28-nm process.

The Wi-Fi 802.11ac reference architecture addresses both the PHY and Lower-MAC layers in software with minimal hardware acceleration, to deliver outstanding performance without compromising on power consumption. The solution supports the full channel bandwidth up to 160MHz and offers maximal throughput of 867Mbps using a 4x2 MIMO beam-forming with 256-QAM modulation support, and can be scaled to support up to 1.7Gbps. The reference architecture supports a wide range of Wi-Fi standards, including 802.11a/ b/ g/ n/ ac, providing customers with ample headroom to add additional features and functionality on the same platform and further differentiate their product offering.

"The plethora and continuous evolvement of Wi-Fi standards dictates a new silicon-design approach that will enable semiconductor companies to reduce development time, minimize risk and also extend product's life-cycle," said Costas Meimetis, CEO at Antcor. "This solution leverages the expertise we have accumulated with previous commercial success with Wi-Fi products. The CEVA-XC4000 processor series is capable of supporting even the most-demanding communication standards and proves to be an excellent fit with our PHY and Lower-MAC software offerings."

Streamlined Software Development

The Wi-Fi 802.11ac reference architecture is supported by CEVA-Toolbox, a complete software development environment, incorporating Vec-C compiler technology for advanced vector processors, enabling the entire architecture to be programmed in C-level. An integrated simulator provides accurate and efficient verification of the entire system including the memory sub-systems. In addition, CEVA-Toolbox includes libraries, a graphical debugger, and a complete optimization tool chain named CEVA Application Optimizer. The Application Optimizer enables automatic and manual optimization applied in the C source code.

Availability

CEVA and Antcor's Wi-Fi 802.11ac reference architecture is available today for lead customers.

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