Broadcom Latest 4x4 Radio Ups On Range and Efficiency

[Julio Urquidi]

Broadcom recently announced the BCM4366E, a new 4x4 wireless radio SoC to be used in upcoming MU-MIMO routers, gateways, and set top boxes. Aside from serving up current wireless AC services, the BCM4366E adds a couple of new Wi-Fi technologies to boost performance, including:

RangeBoost – Thanks to a 9 dB improvement, the radio receiver will get better reception for connected devices at longer ranges over what’s currently available with other wireless AC radios. This basically means higher speeds and less dead spots.

DoubleZero Acceleration – “DoubleZero” stands for zero packet loss and zero host CPU consumption for SoC platforms. The feature offloads workloads, such as video, and bypasses the CPU, allowing the processor to focus on other system dependent applications.

Broadcom hasn’t yet announced availability or which specific products will be getting the BCM4366E.

 

[RMerlin]

The one-letter bump to the SoC model makes me wonder if this is a drop-in replacement for the previous BCM4366. If so, it would make easy for manufacturers to upgrade their existing design, possibly with just an SDK update.

I wonder if the absence of BCM4908 products on the market despite a CES release is explained by OEMs waiting for this "missing piece" to the next BCM-based product lines.

 

[sfx2000]

RangeBoost – Thanks to a 9 dB improvement, the radio receiver will get better reception for connected devices at longer ranges over what’s currently available with other wireless AC radios. This basically means higher speeds and less dead spots.

9dB - erm - that's a really big freaking number....

DoubleZero Acceleration – “DoubleZero” stands for zero packet loss and zero host CPU consumption for SoC platforms. The feature offloads workloads, such as video, and bypasses the CPU, allowing the processor to focus on other system dependent applications.

Not sure what this is honestly...

Anyway - looks like a die-shrink, which is a positive this, excluding marketeering above, can reduce some level of cost...

 

[pete y testing]

a new 4x4 wireless radio SoC to be used in upcoming MU-MIMO routers

lets see if this even gets close to some sort of mu-mimo as well as the current broadcom mu-mimo is par useless esp on 4 x 4 clients which i have 2 and atm its nothing

 

[thiggins]

lets see if this even gets close to some sort of mu-mimo

I have confirmed from multiple sources that a BCM4300C0 version PLUS updated firmware is needed for decent MU-MIMO performance. Either or both of these reasons (hardware and firmware) could account for the very poor MU-MIMO performance of all Broadcom-based MU-MIMO routers tested to date.

I would imagine these changes have also been included in the BCM4366E, but see why BRCM would not want to make mention of this.

 

[RamGuy]

So they admit that their first wave of 4x4 has been a complete mess that cannot be fixed by software/firmware? It almost sounds to me like they should be replacing existing 4x4 routers for free....

 

[thiggins]

So they admit that their first wave of 4x4 has been a complete mess that cannot be fixed by software/firmware? It almost sounds to me like they should be replacing existing 4x4 routers for free....

It may not be that bad. The new revision is a drop-in replacement and could be phased into production without FCC recertification.

My sources are fuzzy on the chip's timing, but it is possible BRCM MU-MIMO routers introduced later have the new chip and are just waiting for Broadcom to fix the firmware...which is still a work in progress.

 

[RamGuy]

That might be. It still sounds like customers like me that have already gotten the RT-AC5300 might get stuck in a loop-hole?