Broadcom launches new Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax chips aimed at repeaters and Mesh nodes

[Balance]

Broadcom introduced two news Wi-Fi 6 SoC's aimed mainly at repeaters and Mesh nodes. The BCM6752 contains a triple-core CPU, 2x2 802.11ax radio and dual gigabit ethernet ports in a single package, while the BCM6755 had a quad-core CPU, two 2x2 802.11ax radio's and a single gigabit ethernet port. Both can be combined with an additional BCM43684 4x4 802.11ax radio. Broadcom is working with Early Access Partners on extenders designs based on BCM675X.

Press release

Broadcom Expands Family of Wi-Fi 6 Solutions with New Mesh Networking Platforms
Broadcom elevates carrier grade whole home Wi-Fi with MaxWiFi 802.11ax technology

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO), the global leader in high performance Wi-Fi solutions for home networking announced the availability of two new highly integrated SoCs which combine the benefits of 802.11ax with mesh networking, allowing operators to provide subscribers a premium whole home Wi-Fi experience based on state of the art Wi-Fi 6 technology announced by the Wi-Fi Alliance. The new platforms were specifically designed to enable a variety of high performance smart repeater configurations that allow faster download and upload speeds, high capacity, better coverage, lower latency and enhanced battery life afforded by Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 6 implementation. Both devices were engineered to be highly integrated and power efficient to allow dualband or triband repeaters to fit into compact wall-plug form factors.

The first platform, BCM6752, combines a multi-core CPU complex, two ports of Gigabit Ethernet and a 2-stream Wi-Fi 6 radio into a compact package. The BCM6752 has an interface to externally connect the BCM43684 4-stream Wi-Fi 6 solution to build a high performance concurrent dualband smart repeater. The second platform, the BCM6755, is the industry’s most integrated repeater solution. It combines a multi-core CPU complex, one port of Gigabit Ethernet and two 2x2 Wi-Fi 6 radios enabling ultra-compact wall-plug form factors for “sprinkler head” deployment topologies. In addition, the BCM6755 can be combined with the BCM43684 radio for very high performance triband repeaters. The new platforms allow the productization of Wi-Fi 6 smart repeater solutions which span the spectrum of cost, form factor and performance.

The BCM6752 and BCM6755 platforms come with Broadcom’s SmartMesh multi access point management technology which is also offered on Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 6 enabled Cable, DSL and PON broadband gateway platforms. SmartMesh technology offers seamless onboarding and configuration of repeaters, in addition to intelligent channel management and dynamic client steering. Broadband gateway platforms with SmartMesh can be combined with smart repeaters to form an intelligent Wi-Fi 6 mesh network, enabling high speed broadband coverage to be deployed seamlessly throughout a home. The software suite also offers an application programming interface to enable third party cloud based managed Wi-Fi solutions. SmartMesh provides operators the assurance of multi-vendor interoperability driven by full compliance to the Wi-Fi Alliance EasyMesh industry standard.

“Broadband service providers around the world are offering consumers premium Wi-Fi services based mesh networking technology,” said Greg Fischer, senior vice president and general manager, Broadband Carrier Access at Broadcom. “With today’s announcement, Broadcomis first to offer broadband service operators a complete portfolio of Wi-Fi 6 solutions which spans multiple high performance wireless gateway platforms to Wi-Fi 6 range extenders that are optimized for cost and form factor. Broadcom’s eco-system of Wi-Fi 6 home networking products will allow operators to raise the bar on premium Wi-Fi services that provide whole home coverage and faster speeds to the ever increasing number of wireless devices in their subscriber’s homes.”

“Enabling modern services over a high performance and reliable Wi-Fi network throughout the home is a key focus area for Plume,” said Fahri Diner, co-founder and CEO of Plume. “Leveraging Broadcom’s newest extender platforms, Plume will offer multiple configurations of Pods based on Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 6 technology that compliments the 802.11ax broadband gateways we see operators adopting quickly. Combined with the benefits of sophisticated cloud management that is required in the Wi-Fi 6 era, this comprehensive solution with Broadcomallows our customers to upgrade subscriber homes to the latest generation of Wi-Fi technology, resulting in superior experiences over a higher capacity and lower latency Wi-Fi infrastructure.”

Broadcom is working with Early Access Partners on extenders designs based on BCM675X.

For more information about the Broadcom BCM675X and other 802.11ax Max WiFi products, visit Broadcom’s wireless LAN infrastructure page.

BCM6752 Product information

BCM6752
Multicore SoC with Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11ax Wi-Fi
The BCM6752 SoC enables cost-efficient, small form factor 11ax extenders. The SoC integrates CPU, 11ax radio, and Ethernet connectivity.
Features

• Tri-core CPU
• 2x2 11ax selectable dual-band Wi-Fi
• 2 ports of Gigabit Ethernet
• PCIe Interface

Optional products

• BCM49408: 64 bit Quad-Core ARM v8 compliant Processor for Enterprise Access Point Applications

BCM6755 Product information

BCM6755
Multicore SoC with Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11ax Wi-Fi
The BCM6755 SoC enables cost-efficient, small form factor 11ax extenders. The SoC integrates CPU, multiple 11ax radio, and Ethernet connectivity.
Features

• Quad-core CPU
• Two 2x2 11ax selectable dual-band Wi-Fi
• 1 port of Gigabit Ethernet
• PCIe Interface

Optional products

• BCM49408: 64 bit Quad-Core ARM v8 compliant Processor for Enterprise Access Point Applications

 

[Balance]

This could be very interesting for a better version of the Asus RT-AX92U. Right now this unit it based on the IPQ4019 and contains 3 radio's:

• 2,4 GHz 2x2 MIMO 802.11n (400 Mb/s)
• 5 GHz 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac (867 Mb/s)
• 5 GHz 4x4 MIMO 802.11ax (4804 Mb/s)

It would be much more interesting if it contained three 802.11ax radio's, with a BCM6752 plus BCM43684:

• 2,4 GHz 2x2 MIMO 802.11ax (1201 Mb/s)
• 5 GHz 2x2 MIMO 802.11ax (2402 Mb/s)
• 5 GHz 4x4 MIMO 802.11ax (4804 Mb/s)

 

[Internet Man]

This could be very interesting for a better version of the Asus RT-AX92U. Right now this unit it based on the IPQ4019 and contains 3 radio's:

• 2,4 GHz 2x2 MIMO 802.11n (400 Mb/s)
• 5 GHz 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac (867 Mb/s)
• 5 GHz 4x4 MIMO 802.11ax (4804 Mb/s)

It would be much more interesting if it contained three 802.11ax radio's, with a BCM6752 plus BCM43684:

• 2,4 GHz 2x2 MIMO 802.11ax (1201 Mb/s)
• 5 GHz 2x2 MIMO 802.11ax (2402 Mb/s)
• 5 GHz 4x4 MIMO 802.11ax (4804 Mb/s)

View attachment 14887

As far as I know, the IPQ4019 is not yet confirmed to be used in the RT-AX92U. It was just assumed based on the announced specs and publicly known chipsets at the time. It could be Broadcom-based.

 

[RMerlin]

As far as I know, the IPQ4019 is not yet confirmed to be used in the RT-AX92U. It was just assumed based on the announced specs and publicly known chipsets at the time. It could be Broadcom-based.

The RT-AX92U is Broadcom-based.

 

[Balance]

@RMerlin In that case Wikidevi is wrong. Do you know which Broadcom hardware?

 

[RMerlin]

@RMerlin In that case Wikidevi is wrong. Do you know which Broadcom hardware?

I don't know the details, sorry. Only that in the latest Asuswrt GPL code, the build profile for the RT-AX92U is based off the bcm94908 HND SDK (same as the RT-AX88U):

export RT-AX92U := $(HND-94908_BASE)

 

[CrystalLattice]

When will all the new routers be released? Anyone have any dates? Thanks!

 

[RMerlin]

When will all the new routers be released? Anyone have any dates? Thanks!

The Asus RT-AX88U was launched about two weeks ago. The Asus GT-AX11000 is currently targeted for sometime in November according to Newegg.

No word on the other models.

 

[Internet Man]

@RMerlin In that case Wikidevi is wrong. Do you know which Broadcom hardware?

The CPU is a BCM4906 and the 4x4 ax radio is likely to be a BCM43684 but it's not clear what the two 2x2 radios will be. I'll guess they're BCM4352(0) but ASUS could just use BCM43684 radios and disable two streams on each and remove 802.11ax support like they seem to have done with the unreleased (qualcomm-based) GT-AC5400.

 

[Marica Calma]

Thanks for sharing this interesting resource to the readers. I find it helpful for knowing the two new platforms that was designed to allow faster download and upload speeds, high capacity, better coverage, lower latency and enhanced battery life afforded by Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 6 implementation.

 

[iwod]

I can't wait to see this being tested by SNB.

And why is it none of the announced AX product support 802.11 ax on 2.4Ghz band?

 

[Internet Man]

I can't wait to see this being tested by SNB.

And why is it none of the announced AX product support 802.11 ax on 2.4Ghz band?

Most do. The ASUS RT-AX92U is the oddball with no 802.11ax support on 2.4GHz.

802.11ax limits channel bandwidths on 2.4GHz to 40MHz, like 802.11n and 802.11ac because there are so few channels available and the potential for interference is so high since 2.4GHz signals travel farther. 802.11ax @ 2.4GHz would benefit from things like 1024QAM and OFDMA to improve capacity and speed a bit.

 

[RMerlin]

I can't wait to see this being tested by SNB.

And why is it none of the announced AX product support 802.11 ax on 2.4Ghz band?