introduction
Digital entertainment is driving the growing demand for wireless connectivity in homes and on the go. However, existing technologies have failed to keep up with the growth in entertainment demand. If high-quality smooth wireless connections cannot be achieved between devices, consumers will not be able to fully enjoy the fun of digital entertainment, nor will they be able to give full play to the role of information devices.
Digital home devices must be seamlessly connected to minimize interference, achieve high-speed data transmission, and meet the needs of multiple data streams for high-definition televisions and digital cameras. In addition, it should also be able to transfer large-capacity multimedia files, such as MP3 track libraries and MPEG movies. At the same time, home connection should also be a relatively low-cost solution, in line with the actual economic situation of users. In addition, since many current popular devices are handheld devices ( such as PDAs and smart phones ) , home connection must also feature low energy consumption.
Media servers, set-top boxes, flat screen monitors, portable digital camcorders and cameras, PDAs , cell phones, and MP3 players all require high -speed wireless connections with high data speeds and high quality of service (QoS) for digital entertainment applications. Imagine that in a wireless personal area network (PAN) , a digital set-top box is wirelessly connected to multiple TVs, and an MP3 player can wirelessly download music from a computer and then transmit it to multiple rooms without even a single cable.
Wireless solutions in the home appliance market must balance data rates, implementation costs, energy consumption, and quality (the most important factors ) . The higher the data transmission rate provided by the solution, the more complex the signal processing technology and the more chip space is required. These factors increase the cost and energy consumption, resulting in the loss of customers.
Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology can meet the needs of the consumer market. Freescale Semiconductor ( formerly Motorola Semiconductor Division ) is providing digital connections for consumer home devices and handheld devices.
Figure 1 Application of UWB technology in home mesh networking Equipment
Table 1 Technical advantages of UWB
Picture 2 UWB spectrum from 3.1GHz to 10.6Ghz
Home application of UWB technology
Ultra-wideband technology (UWB) is an exciting wireless communication system design method. It is the only wireless technology that meets cost and performance requirements, and its connection performance is comparable to wired connections. With UWB technology, customers can establish a personal area network (PAN) at home to achieve room coverage. Combined with mesh network or copper wire / coaxial cable backhaul technology, it can even cover the entire house ( see Figure 1) .
Technical advantages of UWB
UWB can meet the following requirements of the home device market: provide high-speed data transmission: provide a rate of more than 100Mbps within 10 meters ( home entertainment requires a rate of more than 100Mbps ) ; low energy consumption: transmit and receive power at 200mW ; equivalent Compared with the mature Bluetooth technology, its cost is still relatively low. See Table 1 for the technical advantages of UWB .
Unlike traditional wireless systems that use narrow-band modulated carriers to transmit information, UWB uses a series of extremely narrow low-power pulses to transmit over a wide range of wireless spectrum. Compared with traditional narrow-band wireless solutions, the UWB solution has a wider spectrum range, and can reduce energy consumption and transmit pulse data, which means that it can significantly reduce interference. UWB can provide connection performance comparable to wired connection in indoor wireless environment. In February 2002, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved UWB commercially in the United States. The most concern of the FCC is possible interference. The reason why UWB is recognized by the FCC is largely because it minimizes the possibility of interference.
UWB applications
UWB eliminates the need for users to connect home computers / laptops, keyboards, monitors, speakers, printers, scanners, mice, TVs and other devices through intricate circuits . With UWB , users do not even need to install all of these devices in the same room. Users can achieve the following functions through UWB :
Direct sequence UWB technology
Freescale chose Direct Sequence Ultra-Wideband Technology (DS-UWB) as the best way for users to enjoy all the benefits of UWB . In the home environment, many factors will affect the transmission of radio waves, such as refraction on furniture, interference from other wireless signals ( such as wireless phones, wireless local area networks ) . These factors can cause serious signal quality problems.
DS-UWB uses the largest possible bandwidth to generate the shortest pulse. This method ensures a smooth connection, allows the device to clearly "know" the location of other devices, and maximizes connection performance and quality of service (QoS) . DS-UWB uses consistent processing technology throughout the frequency band to minimize "noise". Unlike other methods, DS-UWB is a technology with excellent performance, which can minimize the interference of other wireless technologies running in the home. Therefore, it can eliminate the "jitter" and "drag" phenomena common in wireless media transmission, and provide users with a high-quality wireless experience. In addition, many performance indicators of DS-UWB can be improved, including range, energy consumption and speed. DS-UWB also has a simple to use feature. This can reduce energy consumption and price, making it an ideal choice for the mass market.
Freescale Semiconductor 's leading UWB technology
To help consumer electronics, handheld electronic device manufacturers to rapidly introduce UWB technology to the user, since January 2004, Freescale launched the second generation of chips trial. Manufacturers of high-definition televisions and plasma televisions first tested the technology, demonstrating the product ’s ability to deliver multiple data streams of high-definition television content.
The chipset supports peer-to-peer networking and AD HOC networking to achieve true mobile wireless connectivity. Provide a variety of optional data rates, including 29Mbps , 57 Mbps , 86 Mbps and 114 Mbps . It is a powerful solution for providing large files, audio and video content. Support IEEE (r) 802.15.3 streaming media protocol. Realize high-definition video applications with performance comparable to wired connections. 3.3V power consumption in conditions of 200mW, minimize battery-powered energy demand. Coexist with IEEE802.11b / a / g protocol, Bluetooth technology, GPS, and all US wireless systems.
