CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ralink Technology Corporation (TAIEX:3534) (Ralink), a leading developer of high performance wired and wireless networking solutions, today announced the RT3290, the world’s only single chip 802.11n plus Bluetooth 3.0 + HS solution designed for mobile PCs. Delivering an unprecedented level of intelligent coexistence between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, industry-leading Wi-Fi and Bluetooth performance, and the highest level of integration on the market, RT3290 is the most advanced Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth combo solution available today.

The RT3290 is a highly integrated solution that contains all components necessary for both 802.11n and Bluetooth functionality on a single chip -- including antenna switches, and a Class I power amplifier to provide up to 10 dBm output power for Bluetooth. With significant cost savings over competing WLAN/Bluetooth combo products, OEMs also benefit from reduced manufacturing costs, ease of assembly, faster testing, and simpler inventory control.

“With this latest addition to our family of ultra-compact single chip solutions, we have further extended our technology leadership position in the industry,” said Paul Lin, General Manager of Ralink’s Wireless Business Unit. “Ralink continues leading the industry for size and power consumption reductions, and our single chip solutions now offer better performance and more cost-competitive price points than poorer performing and less integrated products from competitors.”

The RT3290 leverages the strengths of Ralink’s first generation RT3090BC8 and second generation RT5390BC8 multi-chip Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth combo solutions that are currently shipping in laptops from “tier 1” PC OEMs. The RT3290 single-chip combo solution incorporates Ralink’s sophisticated coexistence algorithm for improved harmony between co-located WLAN and Bluetooth radios. It dynamically adjusts WLAN and Bluetooth transmissions to reduce interference, and it responds automatically to the presence and operating characteristics of nearby Wi-Fi Access Points. This results in 80 percent faster WLAN throughput compared to competing WLAN plus Bluetooth combo devices for PCs.

Rapidly becoming an essential feature in multi-media centric devices, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity offers the extreme data rates of 802.11n Wi-Fi, while maintaining the simplicity of Bluetooth device detection and setup. Ralink’s new RT3290 was designed to support cutting edge applications such as stereo audio, video streaming, and rapid digital photo transfer for personal area network (PAN) applications. Peer-to-peer gaming and shared or tethered connections can now be initiated via the simplicity of Bluetooth 3.0+HS detection and setup while 1x1 MIMO 802.11n Wi-Fi boosts data rates to 150Mpbs.

“Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are being embedded in an increasingly diverse array of personal computer and consumer electronics devices, so Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth coexistence, cost, size, power consumption and ease of integration become ever more critical for our customers,” said Dave Borison, Vice President of Marketing at Ralink Technology. “Ralink’s continued focus on technology innovation is paying huge dividends as we deliver another industry first and enable our customers with unique competitive advantages.”

The RT3290 is sampling now and will be available in high-volume production quantities during Q4 2010.

About Ralink Technology

“Ralink Technology Corporation is a leading innovator and developer in the wireless home networking and broadband access semiconductor markets. Ralink products are recognized for their superior performance and reliability, rich feature set, low-power consumption, and high levels of integration. Ralink’s patented OptiLink™ technology extends Wi-Fi applications from traditional PC networking to a range of digital multimedia and handheld devices including mobile phones, digital cameras, printers, digital televisions, Blu-ray players, set top boxes, video game consoles and broadband access gateways. Ralink Technology was founded in 2001 with headquarters in HsinChu, Taiwan, R&D centers in Cupertino, California & Suzhou, China, and sales offices in China, Europe, Japan.”

Ralink, Ralink Technology and OptiLink^TM are Ralink’s registered trademarks; all other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.