editor's blog
Subscribe Now

Full Networking Offload

Eight months ago, Atheros (now part of Qualcomm) released a WiFi offload chip, their AR4100. It’s part of a push to enable internet-of-things applications with good-to-go 802.11b/g/n connectivity; it includes everything except the antenna. (And NVM, which is cheaper to implement with a second chip.)

They just announced some upgrades to that product, but they’ve also launched a new chip, the 4100P, which adds full networking offload. The 4100P has UDP and IPv4/v6 stacks, freeing up 60-100K of microcontroller NVM since the microcontroller no longer has to worry about this.

Meanwhile, they’ve cut down both the code store (formerly around 38K, now 24-25K) and the working memory requirements (was 11K, is now 8K) for the 4100 drivers.

While the difference between just 802.11 and UDP and IP is mostly handled in software, there apparently are some OTP settings on the chip that are different between the 4100 and the 4100P; the latter is somewhat more than simply the former with different software.

You can find more info in their release

Leave a Reply

featured blogs
Jul 1, 2025
I don't know which of these videos is better: humans playing games with water pixels or robots playing games....

Libby's Lab

Libby's Lab - Scopes out Littelfuse C&K Aerospace AeroSplice Connectors

Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and Littelfuse

Join Libby and Demo in this episode of “Libby’s Lab” as they explore the Littelfuse C&K Aerospace Aerosplice Connectors, available at Mouser.com! These connectors are ideal for high-reliability easy-to-use wire-to-wire connections in aerospace applications. Keep your circuits charged and your ideas sparking!

Click here for more information

featured paper

AI-based Defect Detection System that is Both High Performance and Highly Accurate Implemented in Low-cost, Low-power FPGAs

Sponsored by Altera

Learn how MAX® 10 FPGAs enable real-time, high-accuracy AI-based defect detection at the industrial edge without a GPU. This white paper explores a production-proven solution that delivers 24× higher accuracy, 488× lower latency, and 20× lower power than traditional approaches, with a compact footprint ideal for embedded vision systems.

Click to read more

featured chalk talk

New Infineon MCUs offering TRAVEO™ T2G Cluster/Display + Qt HMI software
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and Infineon
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Marcelo Williams Silva from Infineon and Amelia Dalton explore the mega trends driving innovation in microcontrollers for automotive applications and the benefits that the TRAVEO™ T2G Body & Cluster Portfolio brings to these types of designs. They also investigate the true firmware over the air update capabilities included in this family of MCUs and how the Qt for MCUs on TRAVEO™ T2G can help you create next-gen HMIs without compromising performance.
Jun 19, 2025
22,881 views