As I pondered over this headline before starting, I couldn't shake off my concerns about whether it aligns with the content. Having worked in the WiFi industry for 10 years, I've been deeply troubled by the development of domestic WiFi chips two years ago. Back then, domestic digital transmission WiFi chips were mostly confined to the low-end market, with little visibility in the high-end market. Here, I'm compiling a summary. If there are any inappropriate parts, let's just overlook them as a joke.
WiFi chips are roughly divided into digital transmission WiFi and IoT WiFi. Apart from smartphones, hardware is primarily utilized in the form of modules.
Domestic IoT WiFi boasts high cost-effectiveness, with significant advantages closely tied to its characteristics. IoT WiFi is characterized by small data and control applications, featuring a built-in RTOS system that facilitates application development. It is primarily used in smart home and control scenarios, with devices like the ESP8266 serving as typical representatives. On the other hand, digital transmission WiFi is characterized by large data transmission, spanning various applications such as audiovisual and big data scenarios, which demand higher throughput, low latency, multiple connections, and stability. Consequently, chip design for digital transmission WiFi modules is more challenging. Today, we will mainly focus on the development of digital transmission WiFi modules.
Two years ago, WiFi technology had advanced to WiFi 6, while domestic digital transmission WiFi chips were mostly single-antenna 2.4GHz, still adhering to the WiFi 4 standard. Without exception, they were unable to break through to higher specifications due to issues like IP licensing restrictions and unassailable patents. At that time, WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 chips primarily came from Taiwanese and Western manufacturers, leading to fierce competition between domestic and Taiwanese companies for low-end WiFi 4 modules, resulting in intense price competition. Meanwhile, Taiwanese and Western companies dominated the mid-to-high-end WiFi 5/6 module market, reaping profits from niche markets. We could only sigh with frustration at our inability to compete on a global scale.
The year 2023 could be considered the dawn of true development for domestic WiFi chips. Domestic WiFi chips leaped directly from WiFi 5 to WiFi 6, ushering in a wave of new domestic WiFi chip players in the market. For instance, AIC's AIC8800 swiftly captured the market with its cost-effectiveness by initially focusing on 2.4GHz WiFi 6, then rapidly iterating to dual-band WiFi 6 to further consolidate its position. Amlogic's WiFi 6, coupled with its SOC, also gained recognition in the market. Meanwhile, WUQI, leveraging its technological edge and benchmarking against leading industry players, led the charge with its flagship WQ9101, guiding domestic WiFi chips towards greater heights with its technological advancement.
In 2024, there will be a plethora of domestically produced WiFi 6 chips and modules entering the market. Due to varying levels of technological prowess among chip manufacturers, there will be a prevalence of low-end offerings, resulting in significant homogeneity and inconsistent chip performance, primarily relying on cost-effectiveness to penetrate the market. Stronger players in the industry will pursue independent research and development, positioning themselves at the forefront of technology compared to their counterparts.
Parameters of domestically produced WiFi 6 chip modules:
Low-end domestic WiFi 6 chip module parameters:
1.2.4GHz single frequency
2.b/g/n/ax
3.1T1R single antenna
4.DBAC
Mid-range domestic WiFi 6 chip module parameters:
1.Dual-band 2.4/5.8GHz
2.a/b/g/n/ac/ax
3.1T1R single antenna
4.DBAC
High-end domestic WiFi 6 chip module parameters:
1.Dual-band 2.4/5.8GHz
2.a/b/g/n/ac/ax
3.1T1R single antenna or 2T2R dual antenna
4.DBAC+DBDC
Among high-end domestic WiFi 6 chips, the WQ9101 chip demonstrates advanced features compared to similar domestic counterparts. Based on RISC-V design, its main parameters are as follows:
1.Dual-band 2.4/5.8GHz
2.a/b/g/n/ac/ax
3.1T1R single antenna
4.DBAC+DBDC
Its DBDC feature (i.e., dual MAC, allowing two APs to work simultaneously on 2.4/5.8GHz, compared to DBAC which supports only one AP) benchmarks against high-end functions of Western counterparts, placing it ahead of domestic counterparts in the Chinese market in terms of WiFi chip technology.
The WQ9101 features two interface designs: USB and SDIO. Its USB module, the O9101UB, has also demonstrated top-notch performance in streaming tests.
The WQ9101, with its support for DBDC and top-notch performance, excels in high-reliability and complex scenarios such as video conferencing, HDMI transmission, projectors, commercial displays, robotics, and industrial control settings. Meanwhile, the WQ9201 goes a step further with the following parameters:
1.Dual-band 2.4/5.8GHz
2.a/b/g/n/ac/ax
3.2T2R dual antennas
4.DBAC (2T2R) or DBDC (1T1R)
Other notable features include:
1.Enhanced power management, with lower current compared to similar products
2.Multiple interfaces including PCIe, SDIO, and USB
3.Reserved RISC-V for differential development, such as power-saving mechanisms for WiFi
4.Compatibility with domestic operating systems
This makes it suitable for a wider range of applications including set-top boxes, laptops, tablets, and more. Corresponding modules include O9201UB, O9201SB, and O9201PM.
From the perspective of the development of domestic WiFi chips, low-end chips have already achieved cost-effectiveness comparable to their Taiwanese counterparts, while mid-to-high-end chips can compete head-to-head with Taiwanese counterparts. However, there still exists a gap between top-tier chips such as WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 and their Western counterparts. Nevertheless, with the efforts of domestic WiFi manufacturers, this gap should be narrowing rather than widening. We will witness more applications of domestic WiFi modules in various scenarios.
