Infineon First to Roll Out Wi-Fi 7, 20-MHz Tri-Radio Device for IoT

At CES 2026, Infineon released the industry’s first Internet of Things (IoT) tri-radio combo chip. The part groups the most commonly needed IoT radio systems into a single package. The triple-band AIROC ACW741x includes Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth LE 6.0 (including channel sounding), and IEEE 802.15.4 Thread (with Matter ecosystem support) in a single device.
 

The new tri-radio AIROC ACW741x.

Growth in IoT device adoption shows no sign of slowing. Critical to that growth is the continuing evolution of wireless protocol support. The three major needs of wireless IoT devices are high-speed data links (covered by Wi-Fi), low-power, short-range data (covered by Bluetooth LE), and device mesh networking (covered by Thread and Matter). The AIROC ACW741x simplifies design while enhancing wireless support, as the industry’s first chip to support all three.

The product family is targeted at IoT applications such as smart home products, IP cameras, door locks, appliances, thermostats, Matter border routers and hubs, and wireless gaming. Infineon also intends for the chip to find a home in medical and industrial products, such as portable medical devices, payment systems, and asset-tracking scanners.

One Chip, Three Standards

The AIROC ACW741x family is designed to make IoT connectivity easier and faster for design engineers. By covering the three major radio standards, product designers can shorten design time, reduce component count, and shrink test and certification time. The ACW741x uses 45–70% less power when connected and up to 15x less in standby mode (70 µW) than alternatives. The focus on operational low-power consumption and even lower standby power draw makes the chip suited to battery-powered IoT products.

Diagram of the AIROC ACW741x family. 

Wi-Fi 7 Multi‑Link for IoT

Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) is the latest Wi-Fi networking standard. The ACW741x includes support for the latest Wi-Fi 7, 1x1, 20 MHz device category and multi-link to support concurrent operation on 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz Wi-Fi signals. Multi-link increases reliability through adaptive band switching and unifies bands into a single logical connection.

The broad support enables compatibility with a wide variety of IoT devices and interoperability with legacy products. Multi-band support also allows band switching and concurrent links across different speed links, reducing area congestion and improving data reliability.

The chip is the first in the industry to fully comply with the 20-MHz, 1x1 standard. 20 MHz-wide channel support provides Wi-Fi compatibility and interoperability for low-power devices that wouldn’t otherwise be able to connect to the internet without an intermediary hub. 1x1 refers to one transmit antenna and one receive antenna. This allows for lower-cost implementation in devices that don’t need full-speed, multi-channel, maximum-bandwidth support. Full Wi-Fi, 20 MHz, 1x1 brings Wi-Fi 7’s advanced capabilities to low-power devices.

Bluetooth LE 6.0 With Channel Sounding

Bluetooth support in the ACW741x family includes 6.0 core features, channel sounding for ranging and device position location, and LE extension support. 6.0 improves power consumption, signal robustness, and pairing reliability. One of the key IoT-relevant features in the 6.0 specification is channel sounding. Channel sounding is a device-to-device ranging system that determines distance, and with multiple devices, position. This can be used for “Find My Device” features, localized secure identification, and other IoT features.

IEEE 802.15.4 Thread with Matter Ecosystem Support

Many IoT devices rely on self-forming mesh networking for connectivity and operational control. The leading standard today is IEEE 802.15.4 Thread. Thread is a 2.4 GHz IPv6 addressable mesh transport layer. Matter is the increasingly popular application layer that sits on top of Thread. Matter-compatible devices have an easier setup and greater compatibility than early IoT products.

Created for Cost, Size, and Performance

Continued IoT and smart home proliferation depend on the ability to add support for ever-smaller, less expensive products. By combining the complete set of the top three radio systems into a 7 mm x 7 mm, 0.4 mm pitch QFN chip, Infineon hopes to enable electronics designers to continue pushing the IoT envelope.

Smart home applications for the AIROC ACW741x. 

By adopting a small QFN package, Infineon enables a simple two-layer board design and easy access to all signal pins. Using the 20 MHz Wi-Fi 7 reduces the need for exotic routing techniques. The ACW741x family is now available in sample quantities. Hardware development kits and an SDK are also available.

All images used courtesy of Infineon.