What Is It & How Does It Work [AzureWave]

AzureWave Technologies is one of the most popular wireless connectivity providers. The company also offers image processing solutions. In addition, it is known for generating Wi-Fi elements for both PC and IoT devices. What the provider does is that it creates many small modules thanks to computerized processing which can then be combined into the wireless availability of any device.

Also, the brand is popular for providing PCIe adapters which users can install on their systems. This will help them integrate Near Field Communication or Wi-Fi Bluetooth directly into their legacy device without them needing to dedicate a USB port.

About AzureWave

Established in 2005, AzureWave is a Taiwan-based company with locations in different parts of the world, including Tokyo, Shenzhen, Taipei, and San Jose. The company is chiefly engaged in producing wireless communication and digital image modules like GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi products. In addition, they also offer products like Wi-Fi routers and cameras.

AzureWave has two main competitors: ZTE and Huawei. Also, you may not know this, but the dongle of Chromecast (first-generation) was powered by the company’s AW-NH387 2.4GHz wireless N chip.

AzureWave: Wi-Fi Products Produced by the Company

The company is currently offering two modules – camera, and wireless. For the latter, the company is offering the following products:

• 802.11n 1×1
• 802.11ac 1×1
• 802.11ac 2×2
• Wi-Fi & Microcontroller Unit

Please note that 1×1 and 2×2 are also known as the transmit and receive data stream chains. It is suggested not to go for a 1×1 module when upgrading Wi-Fi connectivity to your legacy device. Since 802.11n supports MIMO, it is really puzzling why the company doesn’t provide a MIMO 802.11n 2×2 module. So, now the question is should you disinter the motherboard of your mobile device to get it wirelessly connected? Well, no! Instead, you can use the provider’s 802.11ac 2×2 solution. Add the Spectrum mobile plans to the mix and you will definitely get a decent connectivity speed. 

However, you will have to make sure that your router supports multi-user MIMO. If not, then it’s bad news for you as you might be stuck with the single data stream speeds.

802.11ac 2×2 Wi-Fi Modules by AzureWave

There are three modules that come with the company’s 802.11ac 2×2, and they are as follows:

• AW-CM389NF
• AW-CM276NF
• AW-CM235NF

All of these modules are designed for portable devices such as a tablet, gaming, and notebook. You now must be wondering about how secure AzureWave products are. Well, they do a great job in providing security as their products are based on the IEEE 802.11i standard, which utilizes WEP 64 and WPA/WPA2 encryption. You will be delighted to know that these three offerings are equipped with the Advanced Encryption Standard. They also have Counter Mode with Cipher Chaining Message Code Protocol. Moreover, these products support the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol.

The CM389 and CM276 module is designed with 802.11e Quality of Service which is important for video applications and VoIP. In addition, they include the Manvell 88W8997 combo system on a chip (SoC) and a dual-band circuit of 2.4GHz and 5GHz, which is used to process the BT and WLAN applications.

Although the two modules have a lot of similarities, they do differ from one another. For example, the CM276 relies on BT 5.0, whereas the CM389 supports BT 4.2. This means that the former has a much higher data transfer speed than the latter. 

What About AW-CM235NF?

This module, just like the CM389 and CM276 is equally powerful, if not more. It supports 802.11e QoS, and 802.11i AES. Plus, similar to CM276, this module also relies on BT 5.0. However, keep in mind that in 802.11ac mode, it will run 80MHz and 40MHz channels that can deliver data speed as high as 867Mbps. CM235NF makes use of the Cypress CYW4354 SoC, which can run 5G. It also has a decent power efficiency along with a good range courtesy of the LDPC codes.

The Wi-Fi MCU Modules of AzureWave

Let’s shed some light on the MCU modules that are produced by AzureWave. These units hold the power to turn different devices into IoT devices. This happens due to Wi-Fi connectivity. The modules are not meant for mobile devices. However, they can be used to revamp other gadgets such as security cameras. The company produces two modules:

• AW-CU300
• AW-CU427-P

AW-CU300 supports Manvell 88MW320 SoC, whereas the AW-CU427-P is dependent on the Cypress CYW43438 SoC. Both of these modules offer identical data speeds. However, there’s one difference. The former uses BT 4.2, while the latter doesn’t have anything to do with BT.

Conclusion

AzureWave is widely known for its quality services and products. The reason why people trust them so much is that they are highly reliable. With that said, you can consider opting for their Wi-Fi and MCU modules if you desire fast connection speed and stability.