Broadcom debuts new Wi-Fi 8 chips, optical network processor

Broadcom Inc. today debuted three new chips designed to power multi-gigabit Wi-Fi 8 routers.

Wi-Fi 8 is an upcoming version of the eponymous networking standard that is set to be finalized in 2028. Chipmakers have already started implementing key components of the specification in their products. One of Wi-Fi 8’s flagship features is SMD roaming, a technology that improves connection quality in large indoor spaces such as offices and factories.

Workplaces often include multiple Wi-Fi routers that each provide coverage to a different area. When users move from one section of the building to another, their devices switch to the new section’s router. That switch often causes networking disruptions. SMD roaming, the reliability optimization feature included in Wi-Fi 8 avoids such issues by connecting to the new router before dropping its connection to the previous one.

Broadcom‘s new Wi-Fi 8 chips are the BCM6772, BCM6774 and BCM6776. All three ship with a quad-core central processing unit. According to the company, the CPU offloads some tasks to a specialized computing module known as a network processing engine that boosts computing efficiency.

The BCM6772 is an entry-level chip that features four antennas for transmitting data and four that pick up Wi-Fi signals. The two other processors, which are designed to power higher-end network devices, feature 12 antennas that boost connection quality. 

Wi-Fi routers require more than a set of antennas and a system-on-chip to process network traffic. They also ship with a power amplifier, a component that strengthens Wi-Fi antennas’ radio signals. It’s supported  by a digital pre-distortion module, which fixes certain data transmission errors that power amplifiers are prone to making. 

The power amplifier and digital pre-distortion module are usually implemented as standalone components. Broadcom’s new chips feature integrated versions of the two parts, an arrangement that the company says reduces manufacturing costs. It can also cut routers’ power requirements. 

Routers are usually attached to fiber-optic cable that links them to an internet provider’s infrastructure. Before traffic is sent to the fiber-optic cable, it goes through a module known as PON gateway. The module turns electrical signals from the router into light that can be transmitted over the fiber-optic link and vice versa. 

“By condensing a complex, multi-chip architecture into a single, power-efficient SoC, we’re enabling our partners to deliver multi-gigabit Wi-Fi 8 mesh systems that are more affordable, more reliable, and easier to deploy than ever before,” said Mark Gonikberg, the senior vice president and general manager of Broadcom’s wireless and broadband cmmunications unit.

The debut of Broadcom’s three Wi-Fi 8 chips comes a day after it introduced a new PON gateway processor. The BCM68850, as it’s called, includes a CPU and a neural processing unit that enable it to run a range of applications. PON gateway makers can equip their systems with software that automatically fixes technical issues and prioritizes high-priority traffic when bandwidth is limited. The BCM68850 can also run post-quantum cryptography.

Broadcom is currently sampling the new networking chips to early customers. 

Image: Broadcom