Broadcom Corporation, a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Gigle Networks Inc., a privately-held company that develops system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions for home networking over power lines.
The momentum in implementing Smart Grid technology is growing in developed countries. Homes are being fitted with Smart Meters, home owners are installing advance connected solutions that monitor and manage how they use their electricity and gas. To further support this market the Wi-Fi Alliance and HomePlug Powerline Alliance have teamed up in a joint effort to promote the use of their respective technology in these modern digital home.
The TWG (Technical Working Group) of the Powerline Alliance has announced that they are making steady progress in the development of Homeplug AV2 specification. The group said they hope to finish the specification in the first quarter of 2011 and that they expect Homeplug AV2 specification to deliver a 5x increase in performance over existing Homeplug AV solutions. The AV2 specification will be fully interoperable with current Homeplug AV and future Homeplug Green PHY and IEEE 1901 products.
Gigle announced that Spanish company Blusens international is to use its MediaXtream Homeplug AV chip in the BluBrain Entertainment Center. The BluBrain Entertainment Center has integrated Gigle’s GGL541, a single chip solution that offers the highest performance of any wireline IC, with both a 1Gbps any wire channel and 200 Mbps over Powerline using Homeplug AV standard.
Plaster Networks announced availability of a new networking solution for delivering music, videos, and other multimedia content using existing electrical wiring within the home. In response to the growth of streaming video, IPTV, and over-the-top (OTT) applications, Plaster Networks offers a reliable alternative to wireless networks, and is more cost-effective than installing Ethernet cables in the walls.
Intellon Corporation, a leading provider of HomePlug-compatible integrated circuits (ICs) for home networking, networked entertainment, Ethernet-over-Coax (EoC) and smart grid applications, announced that ST&T Electric Corporation, a Taiwan-based broadband solution provider, has integrated Intellon’s newest HomePlug AV chipset, the INT6400, into its new HD Media Link System (Model HDAV 6490). The system moves HD video from source devices to TVs throughout a home using the existing electrical wiring.
Intellon Corporation has announced that NETGEAR is using its newest HomePlug AV-based INT6400 chipset in its new XAVB1004 Home Theatre Internet Connection Kit. The kit includes a four-port and a one-port powerline communications adapter.