Broadcom has released its new BCM43752 chip meant to extend the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 to the broader smartphone market where high performance and total solution cost are equally important design considerations. It is a highly integrated chip that brings together the latest innovations in Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 to offer smartphone makers a low-cost, high-performance connectivity solution for their mass market products.
The BCM43752 supports key Wi-Fi 6 innovations including OFDMA and MU-MIMO technologies for better performance in crowded environments, advanced roaming capabilities supporting multi-band operation (MBO), and WPA3 security protocols. With these new features, it brings steady, high-speed Wi-Fi and unprecedented quality of service to the mass smartphone market, adding to the ever-growing Wi-Fi 6 ecosystem of access points and routers in homes, offices and high-traffic venues.
The BCM43752 significantly reduces smartphone bill of materials by integrating RF components such as power amplifiers (PAs) and low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) into the device. In addition, it is engineered to support “chip-on-board” designs providing further cost reduction opportunities for manufacturers. Different packaging options for the chip also create flexibility for phone designers to balance space constraints, cost and radio performance.
According to Phil Solis, Research Director at IDC, Broadcom's BCM43752 Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5 combo has reduced costs by going down to single core, 2X2 MIMO for Wi-Fi, integrating the PAs and LNAs, and offering flexible package options while keeping the same functionality as their flagship combo chip. As a lower-cost, yet higher performing solution, this chip is well-suited for the mid-tier smartphone market.
Key features of the BCM43752 include:
- Support for two-stream Wi-Fi 6
- Bluetooth 5 features including Low-Energy 2 Mbps (LE2) and Low-Energy Long Range (LE LR)
- FM radio receiver
- 1.2 Gbps Wi-Fi PHY Rate
- Wi-Fi 6 features including 1024-QAM Modulation, OFDMA, MU-MIMO, MBO and WPA3
- Concurrent Access Point - Station (AP-STA) function
- Dual-band integrated PAs and LNAs for reduced cost
- Module or chip-on-board packaging options for design flexibility
- Support for PCIe 2.0 and SDIO 3.0 interfaces for Wi-Fi
The BCM43752 is available now for mass production.
