BELLEVUE, Wash.—The Bluetooth Special Interest Group picked the WiMedia Alliance multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing version of ultra-wideband for integration with Bluetooth technology, thus taking the next step in its plan to create a high-speed data rate version of version of Bluetooth capable of transferring large amounts of data as well as enabling high quality video and audio applications for mobile devices as well as TV sets.
However, the Bluetooth SIG explained that Bluetooth technology would still cater to the needs of low power applications, such as mice, keyboards and headsets. The low power devices would be engineered to select the appropriate physical radio for an application’s requirements.
The move comes after the IEEE standards group voted unanimously at its February meeting to scrap a common standard for UWB. After three years of wrangling, the UWB Forum and the WiMedia Alliance agreed to disagree on a standard. The Bluetooth SIG last year hooked its future to the UWB standard.
UWB is set to take Bluetooth technology to its next generation. While Bluetooth works well at transmitting data at speeds up to 3 megabits per second between devices within 10 meters of each other, UWB is designed to transmit data between devices at distances of up to 10 yards apart while delivering data rates of up to 480 Mbps. The platform is attractive for converging home applications, particularly video, and has gained the support of major semiconductor manufacturers.
The UWB Forum, led by Motorola Inc. and its spinoff Freescale Semiconductor Inc., is promoting a personal-computer-minded approach that aims to replace USB cables with wireless peripherals. The group says its Cable-Free USB standard is designed to work with existing computers and won’t require upgrades or new software. The technology works over high-speed radio signals, spreading the signal across the entire frequency.
The WiMedia Alliance supports technology that divides the spectrum used by UWB into 14 separate bands and transmits over them simultaneously. Backers include Intel Corp, Texas Instruments Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Wisair, a UWB and wireless USB chipset maker.
The Bluetooth SIG held off aligning with either UWB group exclusively, saying it was working with the technology as a whole, evaluating both flavors of UWB to help the market determine the most advantageous solution.
“Having considered the UWB technology options, the decision ultimately came down to what our members want, which is to leverage their current investments in both UWB and Bluetooth technologies and meet the high-speed demands of their customers,” stated Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG.
One of the key agreements between the Bluetooth SIG and the WiMedia Alliance is their commitment to develop a high-speed Bluetooth solution that utilizes the unlicensed radio spectrum above 6 GHz, which eases regulatory concerns about spectrum usage in both Europe and Asia.
Foley says he expects the initial specification to be completed in the first quarter or 2007, followed by a test and trial phase of about six months. Certified products are expected to be available in early 2008.
