 |
|
|
|
|
Wireless USB underways
|
|
|
|
By Jørgen Sundgot, Friday 8 November 2002  
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cypress Semiconductor is sampling its first chips in its WirelessUSB family of products, aimed to provide a wireless alternative to USB. Should Bluetooth expect competition?
Sampling of the first product in Cypress Semiconductor's WirelessUSB family of products is now underways, with the Cypress CY694X being the first solution that enables manufacturers of human-interface devices (HID) including PC mice, keyboards and gaming consoles to eliminate cords whilst maintaining compatibility with existing USB accessories.
"WirelessUSB solves many of the issues designers face today in the HID market," said Cathal Phelan, vice president of Cypress’s Personal Communications Division. "Current wireless HID technology has serious limitations, while Bluetooth is overkill for these applications."
Operating at 2.4 GHz, the same frequency Bluetooth and 802.11b wireless networks use, the CY694X can connect as many as seven devices up to 10 meters (30 feet) apart, making WirelessUSB a low-cost wireless RF solution - and possibly an alternative to Bluetooth. With an average latency of less than 8 milliseconds with four concurrent devices connected and less than 20 milliseconds with the maximum number of devices connected, WirelessUSB is also capable of serving the high-demand gaming market where a latency of 30 milliseconds is generally the maximum allowed.
"The current 27 MHz technology for the HID markets offers limited capabilities for mice and keyboards and does not address the gaming market at all," said Dale Ford, director of market intelligence services for iSuppli. "That technology can only support two connected devices at a time, and it’s slow and restrictive compared to solutions that offer more active nodes, lower latency and spread spectrum technology."
The CY694X supports seven nodes per host and multiple separate links in the same space. Using a frequency-hopping spread-spectrum technology, Cypress Semiconductor claims the CY694X makes it possible to use multiple WirelessUSB devices in crowded offices and classrooms without fear of interference between devices. Also, the company said advanced power management enables batteries to last up to six months in typical keyboard applications, while bidirectional communication makes it possible to encrypt transmitted data, ensuring a high level of security.
The technology is however still far from entering shelves, as mass production quantities from Cypress Semiconductor will not be reached before in Q1, 2003. In addition, the company did not comment on whether any manufacturers have shown interest in the technology, which means that the current treat to existing and competing technologies remains low for the time being.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
iTunes-enabled Motorola RAZR V3im now available
11 May, EU Edition Take one Motorola RAZR V3i, add support for iTunes synchronization and voilá; you have the tune-toting V3im, complete with a 100-song memory cap, microSD memory expansion and more - now shipping. More...
» More Music phones | | |
| | Nokia N73, Sony Ericsson K610i and more hot 3G phones coming soon
11 May, EU Edition From high-performing multimedia specialists to light and nimble handsets; several hot 3G phones are due out shortly, among them Nokia's feature-packed N73 and Sony Ericsson's sleek K610i. More...
» More 3G phones | | This week's coolest gadgets
10 May, EU Edition Among the most coveted gear this week rests leather-clad ultraportables, Sony's new hard drive-equipped camcorder, GPS navigators supreme, two next-generation gaming consoles and more. More...
» More Most coveted gadgets | | Stylish Nokia 5500 Sport handset debuts
10 May, EU Edition The latest addition to Nokia's range of rugged phones arrives with an unusually stylish splash and dust resistant exterior, an integrated 3D accelerometer, text-to-speech technology and music playback. More...
» More Nokia phones | | Petite phones, massive memory
9 May, EU Edition Can't get enough storage, you say? Three brainiacs from Samsung along with offerings from Nokia and Sony Ericsson hold enough memory to store between one and two thousand MP3s. More...
» More Music phones | | Samsung SGH-X820 claims throne of thin
9 May, EU Edition Besting its own record, Samsung's SGH-X820 measures a mere 6.9 mm yet manages to pack a landscape high-resolution screen, 2 Megapixel camera, EDGE, stereo Bluetooth audio, TV out and more. More...
» More Slim phones | | Review: Nokia E61
8 May, EU Edition Jørgen Sundgot gets up close and personal with the Nokia E61 business phone, sporting a BlackBerry-like design with a thumbboard, landscape-oriented high-resolution display, 3G, Wi-Fi and more. More...
» More Business phones | | Slimline Qtek 8500 business phone revealed
8 May, EU Edition Boasting Windows Mobile 5.0, a 1.3 Megapixel camera, high-resolution display and microSD expansion, Qtek's clamshell 8500 is the slimmest business phone yet - and no heavyweight either at 99 g. More...
» More Business phones | | This week's most coveted phones
5 May, EU Edition Nokia contributes a 4 GB music phone and a thumbboard-toting BlackBerry killer; LG lines up a sleek and slim 3G phone; and O2 chips in with the brainy yet pocketable XDA IQ. It's been a good week in phones. More...
» More Most coveted phones | | BlackBerry clone business phones ready global assault
4 May, World Edition Business phones from veteran maker RIM have won the hearts and thumbs of road warriors everywhere; fresh entrants from Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Palm want in on the action. More...
» More Business phones |
|
|
|
|
|
| Hands-on impressions, news, reviews, prices and release dates; now all-in-one-page: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hands-on impressions, news, reviews, prices and release dates; now all-in-one-page: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Archive