Texas Instruments helps connect iot applications to more robust and affordable Wi-Fi technology

Texas Instruments has introduced the new SimpleLink family of Wi-Fi 6 companion integrated circuits (ics) that help designers achieve highly reliable, secure and efficient Wi-Fi connectivity at an affordable price for applications operating in high-density or high-temperature environments up to 105ºC.

The first products in Texas Instruments' new CC33xx family include devices that only support Wi-Fi 6, as well as devices that support Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth Low Power 5.3 connectivity in a single IC. When connected to a microcontroller (MCU) or processor, CC33xx devices provide secure Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity with reliable radio frequency (RF) performance for a variety of industrial markets such as power grid infrastructure, medical and building automation.

Wi-Fi Alliance CEO Kevin Robinson said: "With the accelerated adoption of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, global shipments of Wi-Fi 6 devices are expected to reach 2.5 billion units in 2023. Today's Wi-Fi is ideally suited to address a wide range of industrial iot application needs, and innovative technologies from companies like Texas Instruments can help expand the number of applications, such as electric vehicle charging systems, smart meters and smart appliances, that can rely on Wi-Fi to provide reliable, consistent and efficient connectivity in the iot market."

Robust Wi-Fi performance at an affordable price

The new SimpleLink CC3300 Wi-Fi 6 companion IC and CC3301 Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth Low Energy 5.3 companion ics build on Texas Instruments' growing portfolio of wireless connectivity products. The 2.4GHz CC33xx device provides greater Wi-Fi network efficiency and stable connectivity across more than 230 access points, and can operate at temperatures from -40 ºC to 105ºC. The device also enables designers to connect their iot edge nodes directly to a home or enterprise access point at an affordable price, without the need for additional equipment.

Wi-Fi 6 companion devices use orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technology and Basic Service set (BSS) coloring to provide fast and consistent network performance and connect more devices simultaneously without congestion interference. The device also supports Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security features, including new WPA3 encryption for personal and enterprise networks and secure boot with firmware authentication.

Flexible connection of MCU and processor

The SimpleLink CC3300 and CC3301 Wi-Fi 6 companion ics easily connect to Linux - or real-time operating system (RTOS) -enabled MCUS and processors from Texas Instruments and many other companies. For example, CC33xx products can easily connect to artificial intelligence (AI) enabled processors such as Texas Instruments' new AM62A Arm Cortex vision processor to reliably connect Wi-Fi-enabled smart devices to the cloud in edge AI applications such as smart appliances and security cameras.

Industrial design engineers can also use the Texas Instruments CC3300 with host MCUS such as the Texas Instruments 2.4GHz CC2652R7 SimpleLink Multi-protocol wireless MCU or AM243x MCU host system. Achieve greater iot flexibility with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth Low Power 5.3, Thread, Zigbee 3.0 and Matter protocols.

"Adding safe and robust wireless connectivity to industrial designs such as electric vehicle charging systems that operate outdoors or in harsh environments is challenging and expensive for designers," said Marian Kost, vice president and general manager of connectivity at Texas Instruments. Our new SimpleLink family of Wi-Fi devices makes it easier to implement new Wi-Fi technologies in more places and at more affordable prices than ever before."