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Bluetooth SIG Settles On UWB |
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Written by Adam Gosling
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Wednesday, 29 March 2006 |
The Bluetooth SIG has finally chosen a technology direction for the next generation short-range wireless networking solution selecting the WiMedia Alliance proposal Ultra Wideband (UWB).
More specifically, multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MB-OFDM) which is a version of UWB will be integrated with the current Bluetooth technology to allow data transfer speeds of up to 100Mbps.
Though primarily directed at the home entertainment market to replace the wires and cables that clutter your living room, the new version will also enable the transfer of large amounts of data to portable deviceslike phones and media players.
The WiMedia Alliance (http://www.wimedia.org/) pushing the UWB standard includes a blue chip list of major technology players including HP, Intel, Kodak, Microsoft, Nokia, Philips, Samsung Electronics, Sony and chip makers such as STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments.
UWB is actually designed to operate at 480Mbps or more and fits the Bluetooth requirements of low-power multimedia capabilities for the PC, CE, mobile and automotive market segments.
Importantly the standard is designed to support numerous devices located in a small physical area. Bluetooth technology is also used to link devices such as mice and keyboards to personal computers so a flexible profile was as important in selecting a new standards direction as backward compatibility.
The two organisations, Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and the WiMedia alliance will need to work together to develop the new standards to achieve the combined goals. Devices based on the new high-speed, low-power standard could start emerging as early as 2008.
Michael Foley, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Bluetooth SIG said: “As a member-driven organisation, it is the Bluetooth SIG’s responsibility to ensure it’s attentive to its members’ needs. Having considered the UWB technology options, the decision ultimately came down to what our members want, which is to leverage their current investments in both UWB and Bluetooth technologies and meet the high-speed demands of their customers. By working closely with the WiMedia Alliance to create the next version of Bluetooth technology, we will enable our members to do just that.”
The SIG said it is critical that the UWB technology be compatible with Bluetooth radios and maintain the core attributes of Bluetooth wireless technology – low power, low cost, ad-hoc networking, built-in security features, and ability to integrate into mobile devices. Backwards compatibility with the over 500 million Bluetooth devices currently on the market is also an important consideration. The Bluetooth SIG is satisfied that MB-OFDM UWB technology, offered by the WiMedia Alliance, is capable of meeting all of these requirements. The two organizations are dedicated to working together to ensure that the combined high-speed solution is optimised for mobile devices with very low power consumption.
One of the key components to the agreement between the Bluetooth SIG and the WiMedia Alliance will help UWB achieve global regulatory acceptance.
The Bluetooth SIG Core Specification Working Group Charter and UWB Feature Requirements Document (FRD) have been approved by the Bluetooth SIG Board of Directors, signalling that work may commence. The requirements set by the UWB study group in the UWB FRD define what has to be done to create a solution appropriate for adoption by the Bluetooth SIG. Both groups will immediately begin work together on the specification draft within the Bluetooth SIG Core Specification Working Group. The Bluetooth SIG estimates this process to last approximately one year, with the first Bluetooth technology/UWB solution chip sets available for prototyping in Q2 2007.
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