Airoha's Airlink AL2210 uses a single-chip, direct conversion (zero IF) architecture. Transmit current consumption is 75 mA; receive is 80 mA. Tx power is 21 dBm and, depending on the baseband, sensitivity ranges from 78 dBm to 80 dBm, the company said. The system noise figure is 4.5 dB and it is highly integrated, including a PA, VCO and Balun. The direct conversion architecture obviates the need for an external IF SAW filter. It is made on a 0.35-micron SiGe BiCMOS process at Jazz Semiconductor.

Airoha also has an .11g sample, but said it needs to fine-tune it. Mass production should start in November. An .11a/g sample arrives in the fourth quarter and ramps to volume production in the second quarter of 2004.

GCT's GRF5101 uses a single-chip, direct conversion (zero IF) architecture. Transmit current consumption is 73 mA; receive is 93 mA. Tx power is more than 17 dBm and, depending on the baseband, sensitivity ranges from -88 dBm to -82 dBm, the company said. The system noise figure is 4.5 dB and the chip integrates a VCO and Balun. The PA is external. The direct conversion architecture obviates the need for an external IF SAW filter. It is made on a 0.25-micron RF CMOS process at United Microelectronics Corp.

The .11g sample is available in August. Volume production is planned for end of this year or early next year. The .11a/g sample arrives at the end of 2003.

The Ralink RT2421 is a two-chip, superheterodyne architecture. Transmit current consumption is 56 mA; receive is 48 mA. Tx power was unavailable. With its RT2469 baseband/MAC, sensitivity is -87 dBm, the company said. The system noise figure is 3.5 dB and the chip integrates a VCO. The PA and IF SAW are external. It is made on a 0.35-micron SiGe BiCMOS process at TSMC.

Ralink already has a test chip for .11g and plans on ramping it into volume production in October. Its .a/g will sample in October and run into volume at the end of the year.