UWB wireless implementations get boosts
Rick Nelson, Chief Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 10/1/2005
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| The Wireless USB Explorer 300 can record and decode WiMedia and Certified Wireless USB protocols. Courtesy of Ellisys. |
The WiMedia Alliance (www.wimedia.org) announced on August 15 that it is now working with Ecma International (www.ecma-international.org), the organization known for its development of DVD-interchange, scripting-language, consumer-electronics, and other standards. The goal is to establish the WiMedia multiband orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (MB-OFDM) UWB radio platform as the global UWB standard and to ensure that the UWB industry does not become fragmented by independent regional standards or proprietary implementations that prevent global interoperability, an environment that the WiMedia Alliance reports could delay the worldwide market adoption of UWB products. The WiMedia implementation targets low-cost, low-power demands and data rates to 480 Mbps and beyond.
"We are very pleased to be working with Ecma, who make it possible to quickly complete the process of establishing a recognized international standard by the end of this year, which corresponds to UWB product launches," said WiMedia Alliance president Stephen R. Wood in a prepared statement.
Certified Wireless USB, which is based on WiMedia's MAC and PHY architecture and promulgated by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF; www.usb.org), will benefit from two announcements made by Intel at its Intel Developer Forum (August 24, 2005, San Francisco, CA; www.intel.com/idf).
First, Intel is developing a Wireless Host Controller Interface (WHCI) specification with support from companies including Microsoft, NEC, Philips, and Texas Instruments; the goal is a standardized method of hardware-software communication that will lead to delivery of interoperable products in 2006. Second, Intel is opening an interoperability lab that will provide an environment where companies can perform initial tests on Certified Wireless USB and WiMedia implementations before submitting products to the USB-IF.
Product supportThe new instrumentation comes from Ellisys, a Geneva, Switzerland, supplier of USB test products. Its new Wireless USB Explorer 300 protocol analyzer supports UWB specifications from the WiMedia Alliance and the Certified Wireless USB standard. The instrument is designed to smooth firmware and driver development, prevent interoperability problems, verify data encryption, optimize performance, tune power management, and improve communication reliability.
The Wireless USB Explorer 300 can record and decode WiMedia UWB and Certified Wireless USB protocols from different perspectives: It can record traffic exchanged between devices over the air through its external omnidirectional antenna, and it can capture traffic between MAC and PHY layers from boards under development.
In further support of WiMedia and Certified Wireless USB, chipset maker Wisair has announced a UWB host-dongle reference design—a 23x69-mm board that includes an onboard antenna and that plugs into any USB 2.0 host port. In addition, Intel has released a peripheral development kit (PDK) for Certified Wireless USB; the $5000 PDK consists of a PCI add-in card and some debug tools.
