Ultra-wide division: Rival UWB groups tout support
By Matthew Miller, Special Projects Editor -- EDN, May 6, 2004
Things in the UWB (ultra-wideband) space are progressing both slowly and quickly at the same time. Slow describes the lack of motion toward an IEEE standard for the short-range, high-speed wireless technology; despite multiple votes, the world awaits a decision. Fast describes the wheeling, dealing, and development work various parties are doing in lieu of that standard's arrival.
Observers expect the IEEE to eventually codify a UWB PHY (physical layer) as 802.15.3a. Meanwhile, a rivalry has ensued. On one side, the MultiBand OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) Alliance (MBOA) includes chipmakers Texas Instruments and Intel as well as several consumer-electronics manufacturers, such as Philips and Panasonic. On the other side stands the UWB Forum, a smaller group that champions direct-sequence UWB and is led by Motorola and Pulse~LINK.
Both groups claim to support the IEEE standards process. But meanwhile, they're both working outside the IEEE ("in parallel," is the spin they prefer) on advancing their own approaches, with each claiming that its vision is inherently superior. Each group no doubt hopes that its approach will catch on in the marketplace and become a de facto standard, at which point the process might go full circle, with the IEEE incorporating the winner into the standard.
The MBOA side scored yesterday when the WiMedia Alliance endorsed the MBOA specifications. The WiMedia group (which not coincidentally includes many of the same members as the MBOA group) is developing what it calls the WiMedia Convergence Platform.
That platform, according to the alliance, will allow diverse wireless connections, such as wireless USB, wireless 1394 (FireWire), and wireless IP-based protocols, to function in the same physical location by sharing access to the UWB radio channel. The groups shepherding both USB and 1394 have expressed some form of support for the platform.
The UWB Forum, for its part, is also scoring some points. The group, which now boasts more than 30 members, has gained attention for its CSM (common signaling mode) initiative. According to the forum, CSM would function as an "etiquette" layer for UWB operation, allowing different classes of devices—including both multiband-OFDM and direct-sequence UWB products—to coordinate their actions and interoperate within the same network. Furthermore, the forum argues, the scheme would impose "almost no additional" requirements in terms of RF hardware or digital processing.
Finally, lest you think all the action in UWB amounts to endorsements and proposals, actual work is taking place too. For example, MBOA member Alereon is at this week's Connections Digital Home Conference in Dallas demonstrating a UWB link in action. In the demo, A UWB system featuring the company's own MAC (media access control), PHY, and antenna technologies is ferrying full-motion video from a camcorder to a digital television.
