DMHR is a new technology which allows Wi-Fi multi-room speakers to form a chain where each device can receive streaming audio from the previous link in the chain - rather than individual speakers only receiving content from a single router or access point (AP). With its Minuet solution, Frontier is the first audio company to introduce DMHR in a commercially available solution.
For smart speakers, DMHR allows the range of a multi-room network to be extended, and the number of speakers in a network is no longer constrained by the capacity of the router (particularly useful for high quality audio), while the reduction in network congestion frees up Wi-Fi bandwidth for other domestic uses such as video streaming.
DMHR is available on Marvell’s 88W8887 Avastar Wi-Fi chipset, which is used in Frontier’s Minuet module. The module is part of Frontier’s speaker toolkit, a design platform which enables audio manufacturers to develop wireless speakers incorporating Google Cast, quickly and cost-effectively.
According to Frontier Silicon’s Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Prem Rajalingham, “Minuet is a market leading solution for Google Cast speakers. Our relationship with Marvell enables us to offer customers a full range of innovative solutions. The introduction of DMHR is a great example of how this partnership can deliver for our customers and their end users.”
Kevin Tang, Associate Vice President of Marketing, Wireless Connectivity Business Unit at Marvell Semiconductor, added: “DMHR is an important new element of our Wi-Fi solutions for the smart home. As we continue to drive innovation, collaborating with Frontier provides direct access to the smart audio market, where we believe our technology will bring significant consumer benefits.”
Frontier Silicon’s audio products offer solutions for DAB/DAB+, Internet Radio and Wi-Fi enabled wireless speakers and soundbars - from silicon through software to production-ready platform designs. Marvell provides complete complete platform designs and silicon solutions, from storage to cloud infrastructure, Internet of Things (IoT), connectivity and multimedia, at the core of the world’s most powerful consumer, network and enterprise systems.
Marvell’s Dynamic Multi-Hop Relay (DMHR) technology, when integrated with its advanced Avastar wireless connectivity devices 88W8887, 88W8997 and 88W8977, enables Wi-Fi devices to support a robust extended wireless coverage by intelligently linking and sharing data or audio/video in a daisy chain topology. DMHR technology enhances the user experience in various indoor and outdoor environments where robust wireless connection helps ensure uninterrupted multimedia and cloud services, whether in infrastructure or peer-to-peer configurations. This capability combines a core Wi-Fi technology developed by Marvell and application stack, system-level intelligence and synchronization developed by Libre Wireless.
The technology allows relay network of up to 15 devices, all connected with each other in a daisy-chain fashion. It extends the range of traditional Wi-Fi network by 15x, from 40m to almost 600m in a typical home and each node can further connect up to 15 more devices, forming a cluster network of over 200 wirelessly connected devices – ideal for indoor as well as outdoor use.
www.frontier-silicon.com | www.marvell.com
