The PCS1100 Wi-Fi 6E 4x4:4 RF Transceiver chip is part of Palma Ceia SemiDesign’s family of Wi-Fi 6 products which support the buildout of Wi-Fi 6 networks, based on the IEEE 802.11ax specification. The PCS1100 operates as the RF part of a system for a Wi-Fi 6/6E AP-Access Point or STA-Station. The PCS1100 is a perfect companion chip to a host controller supporting Wi-Fi 6/6E MAC and baseband digital operation.
Highlights
- Operates as STA or AP
- 6GHz support
- 4x4, 2x2+2x2
- 4 spatial streams
- MU-MIMO
- Dual-band concurrent
- 1024 QAM
- UL/DL OFDMA
- Power Optimized
The PCS1100 also supports the tri-band RF radio operation as a complement to any ASSP or ASIC. Simple bridging logic and a SerDes link provide an efficient chip-to-chip connection. Analog I/Q interface is provided as well.
Features
The PCS1100 Wi-Fi 6E 4x4:4 transceiver features a robust RF architecture offering key features and performance indicators:
- Support for 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz (5.925–7.125 GHz)
- Up to 4 spatial streams
- Support for dual-concurrent operation, allowing simultaneous operation on two frequency bands
Excellent receiver sensitivity for reliable connections at longer range - Support for 1024-QAM modulation that delivers increased throughput
- Excellent phase noise and linearity performance to ensure Tx and Rx EVM (Error Vector Magnitude) significantly exceed specifications
The PCS1100 supports BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM and 1024QAM modulation schemes and achieves peak throughput of 4.2 Gbps utilizing 4 streams. It uses 78.125 kHz Subcarrier spacing and supports the additional symbol times of 6.4 μs and 12.8 μs (along with the 3.2 μs used in Wi-Fi 5) and the guard interval duration of 1.6 μs and 3.2 μs (along with the .8 μs used in Wi-Fi 5).
Designers who integrate the AP or STA Wi-Fi 6 digital modem functionality on their system-level ASIC or ASSP chip can use the PCS1100 as the RF companion chip supporting the radio operation of Wi-Fi 6. This reduces the risk of RF integration and allows use of advanced process nodes with the highest logic gate density.
Specifications
| Package | FCBGA |
| Standards | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax ac,n,g,b,a) |
| Spectral Brands | 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz |
| Channel Utilization | 20/40/80/160 MHz |
| MIMO Configuration | 4x4, 2x2+2x2 |
| Maximum Modulation | 1024QAM |
| Features | Dual Band Concurrent UL/DL OFDMA MU-MIMO |
Robust and Reliable
The PCS1100 is designed to the strictest RF standards using advanced tools in the hands of experienced RF engineers. The design approach provides exceptional margin that makes the PCS1100 perform reliably across a wide range of operating conditions. The PCS1100 includes digital functions for calibration, production test and signal path compensation.
Wi-Fi 6 and 6E
Wi-Fi 6 and 6E are the sixth and latest generation of Wi-Fi standards for wireless LAN applications. It is noteworthy for its high efficiency for large public venues, transportation hubs, Smart City and Smart Factory deployments, campus and universities, SOHO (small office home office), and Smart Home and Smart TVs (4K, 8K streaming). Wi-Fi 6/6E also supports IoT in all Wi-Fi environments.
Wi-Fi 6E adds 1200MHz of Greenfield spectrum (7 160MHz channels). MU-MIMO uses spatial multiplexing to increase the number of simultaneous users, increasing capacity, time efficiency and spectral efficiency. OFDMA reduces overhead and contention, reduces packet-to-packet latency, and increases efficiency in congested conditions.
WI-FI 6E
- 1200MHz of new spectrum
- Preferred Scanning Channels
- No 802.11n or ac devices allowed
- No probe request sent in 6G
Wi-Fi 6 APs use triggering to inform client devices how to make use of time and frequency, modulation, coding and spatial streams to minimize contention and improve network capacity.1520
Only new devices are allowed in the 6G spectrum. All these devices must support OFDMA and must support HE PPDU frames. No 802.11n or ac devices are allowed. Wi-Fi 6E uses Preferred Scanning Channels (Reduced Management Frame) for fast unobstructed association and authentication. 6G clients use PS Channels.
Learn More
To take advantage of Palma Ceia’s solutions for Wi-Fi connectivity, send an email to info@pcsemi.com or contact us at one of our worldwide offices.