December 11, 2012 – Broadcom, a global wired and wireless semiconductor company, introduced two new types of NFC (Near Field Communication) solutions. These new products are scheduled to be announced at the upcoming CES in Las Vegas, USA, in 2013. The new products launched by Broadcom are the industry's first quad combo chip that integrates proven NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and FM technologies into a single chip, and a single card solution that integrates industry-leading single NFC technology and a 5G Wi-Fi combo chip.

The smartphone-embedded NFC market is expected to grow fourfold over the next three years, and this growth is anticipated to lead to the widespread adoption of NFC in consumer electronics markets, such as game controllers, TVs, remote controls, computer keyboards, mice, headsets, and printers. For example, by touching two devices together using NFC technology, videos recorded on a smartphone can be instantly viewed on a smart TV, and data such as music or business cards can be securely tap-to-print or tap-to-shared. Furthermore, with the projected transaction volume of the mobile payment market increasing from US$4.2 billion in 2012 to US$116 billion in 2015, the outlook for NFC adoption is bright.

Quad Combo Chip Product Highlights
The BCM43341 is Broadcom’s 6th generation quad combo chip that offers OEM companies various advantages in terms of size, power, and cost, and provides a flexible interface along with various security elements that ensure payment business models. In addition, Broadcom’s standards-based software stack implements NFC Forum specifications, such as the NFC Controller Interface (NCI), which supports various operating systems. Broadcom recently supported the NFC software stack for the Android 4.2 operating system.

- Integrates NFC, WLAN, Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio, and wireless coexistence technology into a single chip for reduced radio interference and simple connectivity.
- 40-nanometer CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) process with improved size and power consumption
- Supports HT40 (high throughput 40MHz rates) and dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) WLAN
- Integrated WLAN/BT PA, LNA, TR switch reducing total space and Bill of Materials (BOM)
- Integrated support for Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Certified Miracast, and Wi-Fi Certified Passpoint technologies
- Low-cost PCB Chip-On-Board (COB) applications
- Wireless power harvesting feature that supports NFC transactions even when the battery is discharged

Single Card Solution Product Highlights

While the quad combo chip facilitates adoption in mass-market devices, the single card solution integrates the BCM20793 NFC chip and the industry's first 5G Wi-Fi combo chip to enhance the performance of high-end smartphones and tablets. To provide an ideal platform for mobile devices, the single card solution integrates the speed, coverage, and performance benefits of easy-to-use NFC and 5G Wi-Fi, as well as tap-to-pair functionality. For example, high-throughput high-definition video transmission via 5G Wi-Fi is expected to be significantly enhanced along with the simplified capabilities of NFC.

- Integration of the industry's first 5G Wi-Fi combo chip, mass market, and payment authentication NFC into a single chip on a single card
- Provides 433 Mb/s WLAN PHY, an improved wireless processing speed compared to the previous generation

- Provides Broadcom’s TurboQAM™ technology, boasting speeds 10% faster than 802.11n, including support for up to 256-QAM modulation in 2.4GHz band wireless subscriber network environments.
- Integrated support for Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Certified Miracast, and Wi-Fi Certified Passpoint technologies
- Optimized component cost and PCB, module layout design

Broadcom's quad combo chip and single card solutions are being supplied as samples to early access customers, and mass production is scheduled for the first quarter of 2013.

"Broadcom is committed to actively expanding its wireless product ecosystem to meet ever-changing demands," said Michael Hurlston, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom's Wireless Connectivity Combo Business Unit. "We look forward to device manufacturers rapidly adopting NFC capabilities in their electronic devices with the introduction of this first-ever NFC combo chip. Following the initial launch of 5G Wi-Fi products, Broadcom will provide incredible benefits to consumers as the only chip manufacturer to combine the power of 5G Wi-Fi with the ease of use of NFC."