USB goes Wireless - Wireless USB

[allen_p]

Wireless USB is a short-range, high-bandwidth wireless extension to USB that combines the speed and ease-of-use of USB 2.0 with the convenience of wireless technology. Wireless USB is sometimes abbreviated as "WUSB", although the USB Implementers Forum discourages this practice and instead prefers to call the technology "Certified Wireless USB" to differentiate it from competitors (see below, "Competitors"). Wireless USB is based on the WiMedia Alliance's Ultra-WideBand (UWB) common radio platform, which is capable of sending 480 Mbit/s at distances up to 3 meters and 110 Mbit/s at up to 10 meters. It operates in the 3.1 to 10.6 GHz frequency range and spreads communication over an ultra-wideband of frequencies.

Source Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_USB

Guys lemme know if you need more information
Ii did a bit research on this - Checked out Intel Website etc. also checked out If vista Supoprted Wireless USB and more, availablity of Wireless USB devices in market etc.

cheers

 

[allen_p]

Though I will not be able to get any details till monday

 

[allen_p]

WIRELESS USB
Wireless USB is a short-range, high-bandwidth wireless extension to USB that combines
the speed and ease-of-use of USB 2.0 with the convenience of wireless technology.
Wireless USB is sometimes abbreviated as "WUSB”.
Wireless USB is just unwired equivalent of Wired USB. With Wireless USB, all the
benefits of USB are realized but without the wire.
Wireless USB is first high-speed wireless personal interconnect technology to take
advantage of UWB(Ultra-WideBand *). Building on the success of wired USB, it brings USB
technology into the wireless future. Targeted bandwidth is 480 Mbps – plenty fast for
multimedia streaming and high bandwidth data transfers.
Top Candidates for Wireless USB are Digital Camcorder,MP3 Player,PDA or other
handheld,Gaming Consoles,External Hard Drive,Mobile Phones,Printers etc
This short-range radio technology is ideal for wireless personal area networks (WPANs).
UWB complements existing longer range radio technologies – such as Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and
cellular wide area communications – that bring in data and communications from the
outside world(For eg Wireless router connects Home PC's to Internet). UWB provides the
needed cost-effective, power-efficient, high bandwidth solution for relaying data from host
devices to devices in the immediate area (up to 10 meters or 30 feet).
Wireless USB is based on the WiMedia Alliance's Ultra-WideBand (UWB) common radio
platform.
Features/Limitations
• Operates in the 3.1 to 10.6 GHz frequency range and spreads communication
over an ultra-wideband of frequencies
• Capable of sending 480 Mbit/s at distances up to 3 meters and 110 Mbit/s at up
to 10 meters
• Supports the architectural limit of 127 devices

 

[allen_p]

WUSB also supports so-called dual-role devices(Host & Client), which in addition to
being a WUSB client device, can function as a host with limited capabilities. For example, a
digital camera could act as a client when connected to a computer, and as a host when
transferring pictures directly to a printer.
WUSB will be used in devices that are now connected via regular USB cables, such as
game controllers, printers, scanners, digital cameras, MP3 players,hard disks and flash
drives, but it is also suitable for transferring parallel video streams.

 

[allen_p]

A few possible implementations
MP3 Player to Wireless Speakers
Many people already carry their music wherever they go. Imagine being able to connect to high quality
surround sound speakers wherever you are. With Wireless USB, you could forget cables. Just hit play
and listen.
Synchronizing a PDA with a Network
In industries such as medical, manufacturing and retail where mobile devices are becoming pervasive,
having wireless data synchronization ability would allow users to quickly sync with a central computer to
update the information in a corporate database. Wireless USB, for example, could enable medical
professionals making rounds to take notes and collect data on patients via handheld or PC tablet, and
then quickly sync with the network to access additional patient data/history and treatment plans.
Camera to Printer
Wireless USB could enable people to wirelessly download and print digital photos to a color printer.
Imagine taking pictures at an amusement park and being able to share copies immediately by
transmitting the pictures to a printer at a digital photo kiosk.

 

[allen_p]

UWB is a wireless radio technology originally developed for secure military
communications and radar that is now declassified. In the future, UWB will be ideally
suited for transmitting data between consumer electronics (CE), PC peripherals, and
mobile devices within short range at very high speeds while consuming little power. UWB
technology has the capacity to handle the very high bandwidths required to transport
multiple audio and video streams. This new technology operates at a level that
most systems interpret as noise and, as a result, does not cause interference to
other radios such as cell phones, cordless phones or broadcast television sets.

 

[allen_p]

A FEW QUESTIONS
Do we really need yet another wireless technology?
A. Wireless distribution of everything from television programs, movies and games to
megabit intensive data files, you need a "fat pipe." That's what UWB provides. You also
need to be certain that the transfers won't interfere with other wireless
transmissions or be interfered with; and UWB provides that. Plus it's low power. We
need it because, while we've talked about routing video and other high bandwidth
applications around the home without the pain of cables and wires, we haven't been able
to do it because the current technologies, like WLAN just aren't fast enough. Ultrawideband,
also known as impulse or carrierless radio technology, is one of the most
promising radio technologies of our time. Unlike conventional radio systems, which operate
within a relatively narrow bandwidth, ultra-wideband operates across a wide range of
frequency spectrum by transmitting a series of extremely narrow (10 - 1000ps) and low
power pulses. The DARPA study panel, that coined the term ultra-wideband in the 1990's,
defines it as a system with the occupied bandwidth is greater than 25% of the center
frequency. Ultra-wideband should not be confused with spread spectrum technology, which
is used by other WLAN standards such as 802.11b.
What about Bluetooth?
A.Bluetooth, like UWB is a wireless personal area networking technology. The data
rates delivered are significantly different and therefore the application spaces addressed
by each technology are different. Like other application-specific technologies, it is likely
that UWB and Bluetooth could both be integrated into end-devices to serve these different
application spaces. Moreover data transfer rates differ as well.
How secure is the Ultra Wide Band (UWB) wireless technology
A.UWB was designed with security in mind. In fact, its signal is supposedly
indistinguishable from regular RF noise due to its pulse sequencing technology. It
communicates in very short bursts (measure in picoseconds or trillionths of a second), so a
receiver has to know exactly when to listen in order to pickup the signal -- something that,
at least for now, cannot be easily performed using "outside" equipment. It also has
interference and jamming protection built-in with the way it transmits signals across a
broad frequency spectrum. In addition, it has built-in encryption and physical security
through its location sensing technology

 

[allen_p]

What is IEEE 802.15.3 and 802.15.3a?
A. 802.15.3 is the IEEE standard for high data rate WPAN designed to provide
Quality of Service (QoS) for real time distribution of multimedia content, like video and
music. It is ideally suited for a home multimedia wireless network. The original standard
uses a "traditional" carrier-based 2.4 GHz radio as the physical layer (PHY). A follow-on
standard, 802.15.3a, is still in the formative stages. It will define an alternative PHY,
current candidate proposals are based on UWB, that will provide in excess of 110 Mbps at
a 10m distance and 480 Mbps at 2m. This will allow applications requiring streaming of
high-definition video between media servers and flat screen HD monitors and extremely
fast transfer of media files between media servers and portable media devices.
How different Ultra-wideband from other WLAN/WPAN technologies?
A. UWB is the only technology today that can achieve data rates significantly in
excess of 54Mbps at power consumption levels and price points amenable to
battery-powered consumer appliances, i.e. digital cameras, flat panel displays, etc. In
addition, UWB presents some astonishing properties in terms of coexistence, multipath
immunity for indoor environments, and security
Q16. Is UWB a replacement for wireless LAN? Or isn't it powerful enough for
those types of applications?
A. WLAN, (802.11) is becoming pervasive as a wireless data networking technology and
will be around for a long time. It is well suited for these applications in terms of range and
data rates. However, .11 is not well suited for the multimedia PAN applications that UWB is
aimed at. The data rates are not high enough, the power consumption is too high, and
the .11 network architecture can not support multiple independent networks. With
multimedia, multiple streams of video, audio, etc., insuring high quality delivery is
probably the most important element, and .11 does not address this.

 

[allen_p]

More Links

h ttp: //en.wikipedia.org/ w iki / Wireless_USB
h ttp://w ww.intel.com/ technology/comms/uwb/
http://www.intel.com/network/connectivity/products/uwb/prodbrief.pdf
http://www.intel.com/technology/comms/wusb/download/wirelessUSB.pdf
http://www.uwbforum.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&
Itemid=50#q10
http://www.uwbforum.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&
Itemid=50#q1
http://www.extremeuwb.com/article/Heres+How+Wireless+USB+Will+Work/1
61328_1.aspx
Page 7 of 7

 

[DurkaDurka]

I'm going to stick with my gigabit ethernet... I'm not a fan of anything wireless.

 

[snowles]

A few possible implementations
MP3 Player to Wireless Speakers
Many people already carry their music wherever they go. Imagine being able to connect to high quality
surround sound speakers wherever you are. With Wireless USB, you could forget cables. Just hit play
and listen.
Synchronizing a PDA with a Network
In industries such as medical, manufacturing and retail where mobile devices are becoming pervasive,
having wireless data synchronization ability would allow users to quickly sync with a central computer to
update the information in a corporate database. Wireless USB, for example, could enable medical
professionals making rounds to take notes and collect data on patients via handheld or PC tablet, and
then quickly sync with the network to access additional patient data/history and treatment plans.
Camera to Printer
Wireless USB could enable people to wirelessly download and print digital photos to a color printer.
Imagine taking pictures at an amusement park and being able to share copies immediately by
transmitting the pictures to a printer at a digital photo kiosk.

Like one of your articles said, the thing is, all of these things have been possible with Bluetooth for the past half a decade. It's a proven, cheap, effective method of wireless that also doesn't interfere with other objects because of the frequency it (doesn't) operate on.

Wireless USB keys for receiving Internet have been available for some time now, and thus far (in my experiences working in an electronics store) they have proven to be disappointing in comparisons to a wireless card; the key is just too small to pick up the signal reliably and on a consistent basis, as compared to a wireless card with antenna.

This new method, at least until many of the kinks are worked out, sounds like a very, very large invitation to piggy-backing, hacking and hijacking of people's information.

 

[allen_p]

A. Wireless distribution of everything from television programs, movies and games to
megabit intensive data files, you need a "fat pipe." That's what UWB provides. You also
need to be certain that the transfers won't interfere with other wireless
transmissions or be interfered with; and UWB provides that. Plus it's low power. We
need it because, while we've talked about routing video and other high bandwidth
applications around the home without the pain of cables and wires, we haven't been able
to do it because the current technologies, like WLAN just aren't fast enough. Ultrawideband,
also known as impulse or carrierless radio technology, is one of the most
promising radio technologies of our time. Unlike conventional radio systems, which operate
within a relatively narrow bandwidth, ultra-wideband operates across a wide range of
frequency spectrum by transmitting a series of extremely narrow (10 - 1000ps) and low
power pulses. The DARPA study panel, that coined the term ultra-wideband in the 1990's,
defines it as a system with the occupied bandwidth is greater than 25% of the center
frequency. Ultra-wideband should not be confused with spread spectrum technology, which
is used by other WLAN standards such as 802.11b.

Speeds - blazing fast.

 

[hermanntrude]

seems like unecessary technology to me. Very nice but I won't be paying for it. If i wanted wireless i'd already have bluetooth. As it is I have hands and can use plugs quite easily.

EDIT: although coem to think of it I have seen one situation where wireless was worthwhile. An engineering department ina university had a pressure chamber set up with computer controls for the valves and pressure transducers, and often you needed to be down the other end of the pipes and still using the computer. Taking the mouse with you made it much easier.

 

[allen_p]

People can choose any wireless device they want.

Wireless USB - No eaves dropping unlike Bluetooth. - Its far more secure check out links.
Range : better then Bluetooth.
Reliablity : Far more then Bluetooth
Speed : about 10 times more speed then Bluetooth

 

[allen_p]

Moreover - with Cellphones coverging with Camera and music - who know you could stream media from PC to Cellphones nearby and what not hmmm - Could be projector as well.

 

[hermanntrude]

i'd buy the projector technology. could be useful in science presentations.

 

[cdn_bc_ca]

Will my 5.8Ghz cordless phone interfere with this technology?

 

[allen_p]

Nopes - wont cordless wont interfere. Both operate on different frequency


http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid40_gci916996,00.html

 

[cdn_bc_ca]

Dude, the article you posted was back in 2003... did they even have 5.8Ghz phones back then? Here's a quote from the article:
"Additionally, UWB signals don't interfere with household items such as cordless phones and garage door openers because they operate on different frequencies -- UWB signals use the 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz frequency range. Household items don't operate above 3.1 GHz."

I believe 5.8 is smack dab in the middle of the 3.1-10.6Ghz frequency range.

Reason I ask this is because my 2.4Ghz wireless network was rendered useless when I made a phone call with my 2.4ghz phone... Or should I say I *used* to have this problem.

 

[allen_p]

my apologies - I mistook that for 2.4. Some of hazards/evils of speed reading.

Will check and revert back.