Intel mentions Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (Cyclone Peak 2) and AX201 (Harrison Peak 2) network adapters

[Balance]

On Intel's Technical Libary two new wireless network adapters appeared, the Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (with code name Cyclone Peak 2) and the Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (with code name Harrison Peak 2).

Previously, we saw the Intel Wireless-AX 22260 (22260NGW) with code name Cyclone Peak and the Intel Wireless-AX 22560 (22560NGW) with code name Harrison Peak. This means the AX200 will be a successor of the AC 9260 and the AX201 will be the successor of the AC 9560 (probably with CNVi).

 

[RMerlin]

I wonder if there will be any CPU requirements, or if they could be paired with older CPU generations.

 

[Balance]

I wonder if there will be any CPU requirements, or if they could be paired with older CPU generations.

I guess there will be a standalone M.2-version (the AX200) and a CNVi version (AX201). That latter will probably be compatible with alle 300-series motherboards (exept Z370), while the former should work with any motherboard with M.2 slot (just a PCIe device).

I'm wondering what features are supported (DL and UL OFDMA? Uplink MU-MIMO?) and on which draft version the chips are based.

 

[sfx2000]

I wonder if there will be any CPU requirements, or if they could be paired with older CPU generations.

it is weird there...

Intel has decent NIC's for WiFi, but like you mention, there's some dependency on the CPU and PCH... The most recently announced WiFi NIC's from intel as closely coupled to the new CPU's and chipset...

Looks like they're moving the MAC back into the chipset, so the "adapter" is just RF...

 

[RMerlin]

it is weird there...

Intel has decent NIC's for WiFi, but like you mention, there's some dependency on the CPU and PCH... The most recently announced WiFi NIC's from intel as closely coupled to the new CPU's and chipset...

Looks like they're moving the MAC back into the chipset, so the "adapter" is just RF...

So, no upgrade for my Thinkpad Yoga 15 I guess.

 

[Balance]

So, no upgrade for my Thinkpad Yoga 15 I guess.

That's why I think their are two separate adapters with the same feature-set. AX200 is the stand-alone adapter with MAC, AX200 is the CNVi adapter which uses the MAC in the chipset. Just like the difference between the Wireless-AC 9260 and 9560.

 

[Balance]

External Product Specification and Manufacturing Assembly Specifications are now also published in Intel's Technical Libary. (image mirror)

 

[aSmallWorld]

I guess those datas are not accessible for everyone, right ? I'd be interested to know if they support 4x4 and 1024QAM modulation.Will probably update my wifi card with ax201 M2 when released if that quadstream and modulation is supported.

would be also interested to know the roadmap, or a guesstimate date of when this will hit the market.

 

[Internet Man]

I guess those datas are not accessible for everyone, right ? I'd be interested to know if they support 4x4 and 1024QAM modulation.Will probably update my wifi card with ax201 M2 when released if that quadstream and modulation is supported.

would be also interested to know the roadmap, or a guesstimate date of when this will hit the market.

They will probably support 1024QAM but only be two-stream.

 

[doczenith1]

This has me thinking...it seems as if most cell phones and small wifi cards/adapters are mostly two stream. Is this because of costs, not enough room for more antennas (or not enough room to get the performance out of them) or because someone feels that 866 Mbps is fast enough for those devices?

 

[aSmallWorld]

They will probably support 1024QAM but only be two-stream.

Actually I've found a card that supports 4x4, HT160 and 1024QAM, though it is mini pcie format while i'm looking for M2 CNVio...

https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Lite-On_WM6687

This one fits everything I want except its format.


But even with that, there seems to be no reseller (even on ebay/amazon) of that card so...

 

[Internet Man]

This has me thinking...it seems as if most cell phones and small wifi cards/adapters are mostly two stream. Is this because of costs, not enough room for more antennas (or not enough room to get the performance out of them) or because someone feels that 866 Mbps is fast enough for those devices?

Probably all of the things you mentioned, yes. I seem to recall reading that it's difficult to get enough separation between antennas to properly implement three and four spatial streams of Wi-Fi in a mobile phone. Also, the processing requirements and associated increased power consumption work against some of the primary goals of mobile phone designs.

Actually I've found a card that supports 4x4, HT160 and 1024QAM, though the format is mini pcie format while i'm looking for M2 CNVio...

https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Lite-On_WM6687

This one fits everything I want except its format.


But even with that, there seems to be no reseller (even on ebay/amazon) of that card so...

That card is intended for use within another product, not to be sold by itself. It is currently known to be used by the Riverbed XH2-240 outdoor access point.

 

[sfx2000]

So, no upgrade for my Thinkpad Yoga 15 I guess.

Maybe - maybe not - check the SKU's and see...

 

[sfx2000]

They will probably support 1024QAM but only be two-stream.

Intel tends to be conservative with optional items on their WiFi NIC's - so hard to tell...

 

[sfx2000]

Probably all of the things you mentioned, yes. I seem to recall reading that it's difficult to get enough separation between antennas to properly implement three and four spatial streams of Wi-Fi in a mobile phone. Also, the processing requirements and associated increased power consumption work against some of the primary goals of mobile phone designs.

With mobile phones - a lot of it is the SAR rating, which drives placement of the antennae...

Consider that they're RF porcupines - they need to have reliable RF for GPS, BT/WiFi, and all the 2G/3G/4G bands, and meet regulatory and carrier requirements...

With mobiles - the first priority is the WAN connection...

 

[avtella]

Fairly certain the AX200/201 are the standard and CNvi versions respectively as another person kept insisting above. The former should work with older CPU models.

 

[Balance]

Just landed at the FCC: https://fccid.io/PD9AX201D2

 

[Balance]

It looks like Intel is launching the mobile 9000 series CPU's early 2019, at least a i7-9550U, i5-9250U and i3-9130U. Since a new architecture or process node isn't ready, most improvements will likely come from the chipset and supporting hardware. 802.11ax wi-fi would be a big selling point.

My guess is that the AX201 is launching at CES 2019 with the mobile 9000 series.

 

[aSmallWorld]

Yeah but still a 2x2 antenna... So, technically, it'll be the same as the 2x2ac, unless they support the 1024 QAM modulation which would increase by roughly 25% the wifi speed.


FCC short term confidentiality :
Does short-term confidentiality apply to this application?: Yes
If so, specify the short-term confidentiality release date (MM/DD/YYYY format): 05/19/2019

So yeah, it'll be released around this date.

 

[Balance]

According to AnandTech, the new Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 can be configured with Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2x2) Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 5.0 LE. It should be available from March 2019.