Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology based on the WiMedia standard, brings the convenience and mobility of wireless communications to high-speed interconnects in devices throughout the digital home and office. Designed for low-power, short-range, wireless personal area networks (WPANs), UWB is the leading technology for freeing people from wires, enabling wireless connection of multiple devices for transmission of video, audio and other high-bandwidth data.
UWB, short-range radio technology, complements other longer range radio technologies such as Wi-Fi*, WiMAX, and cellular wide area communications. UWB's combination of broader spectrum and lower power improves speed and reduces interference with other wireless spectra. It is used to relay data from a host device to other devices in the immediate area (up to 10 meters, or 30 feet). UWB radio transmissions can legally operate in the range from 3.1 GHz up to 10.6 GHz, at a limited transmit power of -41dBm/MHz. Consequently, UWB provides dramatic channel capacity at short range that limits interference.
Intel is poised to deliver the key components needed for successful UWB solutions with the introduction of Intel® Wireless UWB Link 1480 Media Access Controller (MAC).
Intel's vision of UWB radio is of a "Common UWB Radio Platform" spanning many different applications and industries (see graphic). UWB radio, along with the convergence layer, becomes the underlying transport mechanism for different applications.
Intel believes that UWB, with its technical and economic advantages, should help enable mainstream adoption of WPANs. Intel envisions a world of pervasive wirelessly connectivity in the home and in the office for all- UWB can help deliver on that vision.
Today, most computer and consumer electronic devices-everything from a digital camcorder and DVD player to a mobile PC and a high-definition TV (HDTV)-require wires to record, play or exchange data. UWB will eliminate these wires, allowing people to "unwire" their lives in new and unexpected ways. Through UWB:
A digital camcorder could play a just-recorded video on a friend's HDTV without anyone having to fiddle with wires.
A portable MP3 player could stream audio to high-quality surround-sound speakers anywhere in the room.
A mobile computer user could wirelessly connect to a digital projector in a conference room to deliver a presentation.
Digital pictures could be transferred to a photo print kiosk for instant printing without the need of a cable.
An office worker could put a mobile PC on a desk and instantly be connected to a printer, scanner and Voice over IP (VoIP) headset.
Today, wireless technologies are unwiring people everywhere. Watch a video clip of Craig Barrett from the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show to learn what he has to say about UWB and WUSB technologies.
