Data Sheet

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BDE Technology Inc.
BDE-WF3235
BDE Dual-Band WiFi MCU Module
Datasheet
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The NWP can be active or in LPDS mode and takes care of its own mode transitions. When there is no network
activity, the NWP sleeps most of the time and wakes up only for beacon reception (see Table 5-3).
Table 5-3. Networking Subsystem Modes
NETWORK PROCESSOR
MODE
DESCRIPTION
Network active mode
(processing layer 3, 2, and 1)
Transmitting or receiving IP protocol packets
Network active mode
(processing layer 2 and 1)
Transmitting or receiving MAC management frames; IP processing not required.
Network active listen mode
Special power optimized active mode for receiving beacon frames (no other frames supported)
Network connected Idle
A composite mode that implements 802.11 infrastructure power save operation. The BDE-WF3235
NWPs automatically go into LPDS mode between beacons and then wakes to active listen mode to
receive a beacon and determine if there is pending traffic at the AP. If not, the NWP returns to LPDS
mode and the cycle repeats.
Network LPDS mode
Low-power state between beacons in which the state is retained by the NWP, allowing for a rapid wake
up.
Network disabled
The network is disabled
The operation of the application and network processor ensures that the module remains in the lowest power
mode most of the time to preserve battery life.
The following examples show the use of the power modes in applications:
• A product that is continuously connected to the network in the 802.11 infrastructure power-save mode but
sends and receives little data spends most of the time in connected idle, which is a composite of receiving
a beacon frame and waiting for the next beacon.
• A product that is not continuously connected to the network but instead wakes up periodically (for example,
every 10 minutes) to send data, spends most of the time in hibernate mode, jumping briefly to active mode
to transmit data.