Newport Media Claims to Have Made the Smallest and Lowest-Power WiFi Chip Ever

A gadget can only be as small as its components allow, so Newport Media's invention might garner quite a bit of interest.

The fabless communications semiconductor company created the NMC1000, a 40-pin Wi-Fi SoC that measures 5 x 5 mm (0.19 x 0.19 inches). As if that wasn't enough, the company also offers 2.5 x 2.5 mm packages (0.09 x 0.09 inches). This small package needs the smallest external BOM (Bill of Materials) among WiFi chips. The NMC1000 combines all RF and Baseband circuitry required for IEEE 802.11b, g, n-compliant operation. That includes power amplifiers and switches.

Volume production won't begin until the fourth quarter of 2012, but engineering samples will start shipping next month (July, 2012). “As smartphones replace feature phones as the norm in wireless markets throughout the globe, there will be great demand for connectivity solutions that provide dramatically lower bill of material costs without compromises in performance,” said Mohy Abdelgany, president and chief executive officer for Newport Media.

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