Silex Enables Plug-n-Play Wi-Fi for the NXP i.MX RT Crossover Processors

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Nov 07, 2018, 11:00 ET

SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Silex Technology, Inc., a global leader in wired and wireless networking solutions, today released the FreeRTOS wireless driver for its SX-SDMAC "Smart-Ready" SDIO module based on the Qualcomm® QCA9377 chip. The SX-SDMAC is a wireless connectivity solution designed to deliver superior integration of wireless local area network (WLAN) and Bluetooth low-energy technology – engineered to support 1 × 1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 + HS. This release offers "Plug-n-Play" solution allowing manufacturers to easily add Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability to their NXP's i.MX RT based devices.

"Robust connectivity is at the core of any IoT solution, and with this announcement, Silex is taking an important step to support developers with the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options they need to quickly and cost-effectively create new and exciting applications," said Joseph Bousaba, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "We are excited to build on our long-standing relationship with Silex to scale up channel distribution for our technologies and enable end customers with superior connectivity."

NXP^® i.MX RT crossover processors bridge the gap between microcontrollers (MCU) and applications processors. These processors bring applications processor-level performance into the MCU world to support real-time, performance-intensive processing functions. Silex offers hardware and software for users to easily add 802.11ac wireless connectivity to i.MX RT devices that require high performance for their target applications.

"By adding Wireless support to the i.MX RT Series, Silex now opens the doors for embedded developers using i.MX RT to add 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity easily," said Joe Yu, vice president and general manager, Low-Power MPU and LPC MCU Product Lines at NXP Semiconductors. "We have partnered with Silex Technology to bring Wi-Fi solutions for the i.MX RT series because of their track record of creating highly reliable embedded Wi-Fi technology and the proven support they offer to NXP customers."

SX-SDMAC
Dual-band 802.11ac + Bluetooth SDIO module delivering enterprise-grade Wi-Fi connectivity with link rates as high as 433 Mbps. It is easy to integrate and supports multiple software driver options including FreeRTOS for the i.MX RT series.

SX-SDMAC Features:

Based on the QCA9377 chip
IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wave 2 MU-MIMO Client
SDIO 3.0 WLAN host interface
Bluetooth 4.2 BR/EDR/LE Smart Ready
Link rate of up to 433 Mbps
Driver support included
Support for enterprise security, seamless roaming
FCC/IC/CE/MIC modular certification
Industrial Temperature range support
Available in surface mount, board to board connector, and SDIO card form factors

SX-ULPAN

In addition to the SX-SDMAC, Silex Technology offers SPI interface based single-band and dual-band Wi-Fi radios in the SX-ULPAN. SX-ULPAN is a lower cost option, based on the Qualcomm® QCA4004 dual-band 802.11n SoC, which may be suitable for typical IoT sensory applications that are low power.

The SX-ULPAN is an ultra-low-power Wi-Fi module available as either a single band or dual-band 802.11n module and available with industrial temperature support. This low power Wi-Fi module is based on the QCA4004 SoC from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. SPI interface drivers for SX-ULPAN are built into the i.MX RT SDK.

SX-ULPAN Features:

Ultra-low-power module features QCA4004 SoC
Single or Dual-Band 802.11n
Supports SPI/UART as Host interface
Driver support included in NXP BSP
Industrial Temperature range support
Hardware Supports Security- WPS, WPA and WPA2
Ideal for Low Power IoT applications
Onboard Antenna & U.FL Connector Add-on

To expedite the product development process, Silex also provides additional world-class engineering services including custom driver development, certification services, and hardware schematic design reviews.

Pricing and Availability
The SX-SDMAC driver for QCA9377 are available for immediate download for evaluation purposes. Users must complete the evaluation license agreement online. For usage in production, please contact our sales department at [email protected].

To learn more, visit: https://www.silextechnology.com/silex-i.mx-rt

About Silex Technology America, Inc.
Silex Technology builds on more than 40 years of hardware and software connectivity know-how and IP, custom design development experience, and in-house manufacturing capabilities, bringing value to customers with a foundation of technical expertise. With relentless attention to quality, access to Qualcomm Technologies' expertise, and strategic partnerships with leading semiconductor providers, Silex Technology is a global leader in reliable Wi-Fi connectivity for products ranging from a medical device to a document imaging product to a video or digital display. With Silex Technology, customers get a single vendor that provides hardware and software support from design through manufacturing for successful product after successful product. For more information, please visit www.silexamerica.com.

Qualcomm is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries.

QCA9377 and QCA4004 are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

SOURCE Silex Technology America, Inc.