Basic Product Information
Part Number: RTL8197H-VE5-CG
| Field |
Value |
| Manufacturer |
Realtek Semiconductor (瑞昱) |
| Device Type |
RTL8197H-VE5-CG |
| Package |
QFN-128 |
| Compliance |
RoHS Compliant |
| Grade |
Commercial (0°C to +70°C) / Industrial (-40°C to +85°C) |
Core Electrical Parameters
| Parameter |
Value |
Unit |
| Product Category |
WiFi SoC / Network Processor |
– |
| CPU Core |
ARM Cortex-A9 (Single-Core) |
– |
| CPU Frequency |
1000 (1 GHz) |
MHz |
| Wi-Fi Standard (2.4 GHz) |
802.11b/g/n, 2T2R, up to 300 Mbps |
– |
| Wi-Fi Standard (5 GHz) |
802.11a/n/ac/ax (Wave2), 2T2R, up to 1201 Mbps |
– |
| Wi-Fi Class |
AX1500 (Wi-Fi 6) |
– |
| Ethernet Switch |
5-Port Gigabit (Integrated) |
– |
| Memory Interface |
DDR2 / DDR3 |
– |
| Flash Interface |
SPI NAND / SPI NOR |
– |
| USB Interface |
1 x USB 2.0 Host/Device |
– |
| PCIe Interface |
1-Lane |
– |
| Typical Flash/RAM Config |
128 MB / 128 MB |
– |
| Supply Voltage |
3.3 / 1.2 / 1.0 (Multi-Domain) |
V |
| Max Power Consumption |
~11 |
W (system-level) |
| OFDMA |
Yes |
– |
| MU-MIMO |
Yes (DL) |
– |
| Beamforming |
Yes |
– |
| BSS Coloring |
Yes |
– |
| WPA3 |
Yes (SAE) |
– |
| EasyMesh |
Yes |
– |
| Operating Temperature |
0 ~ +70 / -40 ~ +85 |
°C |
| ECCN |
5A991 / 7A994 |
– |
Core Features & Advantages
The RTL8197H-VE5-CG is Realtek’s entry-level Wi-Fi 6 (AX1500) network SoC — integrating a 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, dual-band 802.11ax 2T2R radio, and a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch into a single QFN-128 package, enabling the lowest BOM cost for AX1500-class consumer routers and mesh nodes.
- Primary Function: Single-chip Wi-Fi 6 (AX1500) SoC with 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n (300 Mbps) + 5 GHz 802.11ax (1201 Mbps) 2T2R radios, integrated 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch, SPI NAND/NOR flash boot, USB 2.0, and PCIe in a 128-pin QFN package.
- Advantages:
- Wi-Fi 6 Feature Set at Entry-Level BOM: The RTL8197H-VE5-CG brings OFDMA, MU-MIMO, BSS Coloring, and 1024-QAM — the full Wi-Fi 6 feature set — to the AX1500 price tier. This enables manufacturers to ship Wi-Fi 6 routers at Wi-Fi 5 price points, delivering 4× capacity improvement in dense apartment deployments without increasing retail cost.
- 5-Port Gigabit Switch — Zero External PHY: The integrated 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch eliminates the external switch chip (e.g., Realtek RTL8367RB) that typically adds $0.80–$1.50 to the BOM. For a 1-WAN + 3-LAN router configuration, this integration saves PCB area, reduces power consumption by ~0.5 W, and simplifies layout with fewer high-speed differential pairs to route.
- Turnkey SDK with Production-Ready Firmware: Realtek provides a complete Linux-based SDK with web management UI, TR-069 remote management, EasyMesh support, and WPA3 authentication — enabling OEMs to go from schematics to mass production in 3–4 months. This dramatically reduces NRE compared to Qualcomm IPQ or Broadcom BCM platforms, which require 6–12 months of firmware development.
Typical Application Scenarios
- Industry: Consumer Networking / IoT / Smart Home / ISP CPE
- Equipment: Wi-Fi 6 routers (AX1500), mesh nodes, WiFi extenders, 4G CPE, IoT gateways
- Use Cases:
- AX1500 Entry-Level Wi-Fi 6 Router: The RTL8197H-VE5-CG serves as the sole SoC in single-chip AX1500 router designs — handling CPU, 2.4 GHz radio, MAC/baseband, and Gigabit switching. Paired with a Realtek RTL8832BR 5 GHz FEM, it delivers the full AX1500 experience (300 Mbps + 1201 Mbps) at a total chipset cost under $8, enabling sub-$30 retail pricing.
- Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Extender Node: With EasyMesh support built into the SDK, the RTL8197H-VE5-CG powers mesh extender nodes that seamlessly interconnect with primary routers. The integrated Gigabit switch provides a wired backhaul port for hybrid mesh topologies, while the 1 GHz Cortex-A9 handles mesh routing protocol overhead without bottlenecking wireless throughput.
- 4G/5G CPE Gateway: The PCIe interface connects external 4G/5G modem modules (e.g., Qualcomm SDX55), while the USB 2.0 port supports legacy 4G dongles. The integrated Gigabit switch provides multiple LAN ports for home networking, creating a complete cellular-to-WiFi gateway on a single SoC with minimal external components.
Market Reference Price
| Market |
Price Range |
Currency |
| Huaqiangbei Spot |
$1.00 – $3.50 |
USD |
| Overseas B2B |
$0.25 – $3.67 |
USD |
Note: Realtek SoCs are typically sold through authorized distributor channels, not standard catalog distributors (DigiKey/Mouser). Prices vary significantly based on volume and relationship. Contact Realtek or authorized agents for formal quotation.
Related Models Comparison
| Model |
Difference |
Application |
| RTL8198D |
Dual-core 900 MHz, higher throughput (AX1800+) |
Mid-tier Wi-Fi 6 routers needing more CPU headroom |
| MT7621A |
MediaTek MIPS-based, Wi-Fi 5 only, lower cost |
Cost-optimized Wi-Fi 5 designs (no Wi-Fi 6 requirement) |
| IPQ4018 |
Qualcomm 4-core Cortex-A7, Wi-Fi 5, enterprise features |
Enterprise AP with advanced QoS and roaming |
| IPQ6000 |
Qualcomm 4-core Cortex-A53, Wi-Fi 6, higher performance |
Premium Wi-Fi 6 router upgrade path |
